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MCAT Behavioral Sciences > Gaps in Knowledge > Flashcards

Gaps in Knowledge Flashcards

1
Q

What are primary drives in drive-reduction theory?

A

Those that motivate us to sustain necessary biological processes

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2
Q

What are secondary drives in drive-reduction theory?

A

Those that motivate us to fulfill non biological desires, like emotions or learning

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3
Q

What is a Zero-Sum Game

A

A situation in which one person’s gain is equivalent to another’s loss, so the net change in wealth or benefit is zero.

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4
Q

What is the James-Lange theory of emotion? What is an example? What is its downfall?

A

First response = NS arousal
Second response = conscious emotion
–> I must be angry since my BP is high
Downfall: if you severe afferent nerves, the level of emotion will not be diminished

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5
Q

What is the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion? What is an example? What is its downfall?

A

First response = NS arousal + conscious emotion (simultaneously and independently)
Second response = action
Example: I am scared because I see a snake and my heart is racing… I need to get out!
Downfall: does not account for afferent nerves, like the vagus one

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6
Q

What is the Schachter-Singer theory of emotion? What is an example? What is its downfall?

A

First response = NS arousal + cognitive appraisal
Second response = conscious emotion
Example: My heart is racing and everyone around me is happy; this means I am excited!
Downfall: None mentioned

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7
Q

What are 2 other names for the Schachter-Singer theory of emotion?

A
  1. Cognitive arousal theory

2. Two-factor theory

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8
Q

What is the humanistic perspective in personality theories?

A

Focus on the value of individuals and take a more person-centered approach, describing those ways in which healthy people strive toward self-realization –> our personality is the result of the conscious feelings we have for ourselves as we attempt to attain our needs and goals

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9
Q

What kind of therapy is the humanistic perspective in personality theories associated with?

A

Gestalt therapy: practitioners have a holistic view of the self rather than focusing on individual behaviors or drives

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10
Q

What is proactive interference?

A

Old information is interfering with new learning

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11
Q

What is retroactive interference?

A

New information causes the forgetting of old information

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12
Q

Cerebrum VS cerebellum??

A

Cerebrum: voluntary muscle contraction
Cerebellum: muscle coordination

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13
Q

What is declarative memory?

A

Episodic + semantic

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14
Q

What is episodic memory?

A

Events, experiences

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15
Q

What is semantic memory?

A

Facts, concepts = bank of knowledge

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16
Q

What is nondeclarative memory?

A

Procedural = skills, tasks

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17
Q

What is Latent inhibition?

A

Technical term used in classical conditioning to refer to the observation that a familiar stimulus takes longer to acquire meaning (as a signal or conditioned stimulus) than a new stimulus.

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18
Q

What is the unconditioned response?

A

the one that is innate or reflexive

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19
Q

What is the rooting reflex?

A

infant turns head if something brushes his cheek

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20
Q

What is the Moro reflex?

A

infant extends the arms then slowly retracts and cries in response to a sensation of falling

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21
Q

What is the Babinski reflex?

A

big toe is extended and the others fan in response to brushing the sole of the foot

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22
Q

What is the grasping reflex?

A

infant grabs anything to put into her hand

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23
Q

What happens in sensory motor stage? What does it end with? Age?

A

Circular reactions
Ends with object permanence
0-2

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24
Q

What happens in the preoperational stage? age?

A

Symbolic thinking, egocentrism, and centration

2-7

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25
Q

What happens in the concrete operational stage? age?

A

understanding others’ feelings and manipulating objects

7-11

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26
Q

What happens in the formal operational stage? age?

A

focus on abstract thought and problem-solving

11- onward

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27
Q

What waves in stage 1 of sleep?

A

Theta

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28
Q

What waves in stage 4 of sleep?

A

Delta

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29
Q

What waves in REM?

A

Beta and alpha

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30
Q

What waves in stage 2 of sleep?

A

Theta + K complexes + sleep spindles

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31
Q

What waves in stage 3 of sleep?

A

Delta

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32
Q

What is Kohlberg’s preconventional morality? When?

A

Obedience and self-interest

Preado

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33
Q

What is Kohlberg’s conventional morality? When?

A

Conformity and law and order

Ado to adult

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34
Q

What is Kohlberg’s postconventional morality? When?

A

Social contract and universal human ethics

Adult (if ever)

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35
Q

What is Erikson’s conflict from 0 to 1?

A

trust/mistrust

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36
Q

What is Erikson’s conflict from 1 to 3?

A

autonomy/self-doubt

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37
Q

What is Erikson’s conflict from 3 to 6?

A

initiative/guilt

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38
Q

What is Erikson’s conflict from 6 to 12?

A

industry/inferiority

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39
Q

What is Erikson’s conflict from 12 to 20?

A

indentity/role confusion

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40
Q

What is Erikson’s conflict from 20 to 40?

A

intimacy/isolation

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41
Q

What is Erikson’s conflict from 40 to 65?

A

generativity/stagnation

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42
Q

What is Erikson’s conflict from 65 to death?

A

integrity/despair

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43
Q

Roles of cornea?

A

Gathers and focuses light

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44
Q

Role of pupil?

A

allows passage of light from anterior to posterior chamber

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45
Q

Role of iris?

A

Controls pupil size

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46
Q

Role of ciliary body?

A

Produces aqueous humor; controls the lens shape, which controls how much the ray of light is bent

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47
Q

Role of canal of Schlemm?

A

drains aqueous humor

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48
Q

Role of lens?

A

refracts light to focus it on the retina

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49
Q

Role of sclera? Color

A

Provides structural support; white

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50
Q

Visual acuity comes from rods or cones?

A

Cones

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51
Q

What is the role of osmoreceptors?

A

senses change in blood concentration

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52
Q

What is the pathway for a stimulus to reach conscious perception? 5 steps

A

sensory receptor → afferent neuron → sensory ganglion → spinal cord → brain (projection areas)

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53
Q

What is the visual pathway? 14 steps

A

cornea →aqueous humor –> pupil → lens → vitreous humor → retina (rods and cones → bipolar cells → ganglion cells) → optic nerve → optic chiasm → optic tract → lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of thalamus (+colliculi) → radiations through parietal and temporal lobes → visual cortex (occipital lobe)

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54
Q

What is the auditory pathway? 14 steps

A

pinna → external auditory canal → tympanic membrane → malleus → incus → stapes → oval window → perilymph in cochlea → basilar membrane → hair cells → vestibulocochlear nerve → brainstem → medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) of thalamus → auditory cortex (temporal lobe)

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55
Q

What is the olfactory pathway? 6 steps

A

nostril → nasal cavity → olfactory chemoreceptors (nerves) on olfactory epithelium → olfactory bulb → olfactory tract → higher-order brain regions, including limbic system

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56
Q

Difference between parvocellular and magnocellular cells

A

shape perceived by parvocellular cells vs motion perceived by magnocellular cells

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57
Q

How are different sound pitches created?

A

high pitch → vibrations at the base of cochlea vs low pitch → vibrations at the apex of cochlea

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58
Q

Difference between superior and inferior colliculi?

A

superior colliculus: saccadic movements of the eye (without moving your head)
inferior one: head is moving, but eyes are staring at one point

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59
Q

What is an example of an induced movement?

A

like on the metro when you feel like you’re moving because of the other train

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60
Q

What is the movement alter affect?

A

persistence of motion perception viewed after watching moving objects

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61
Q

What is an apparent movement?

A

illusion of perceived motion across empty space (flashing lights one after the other seems like one light is moving)

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62
Q

What is change blindness? Example?

A

a surprising perceptual phenomenon that occurs when a change in a visual stimulus is introduced and the observer does not notice it. For example, observers often fail to notice major differences introduced into an image while it flickers off and on again.

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63
Q

What is an attentional blink?

A

phenomenon in which a second stimulus cannot be perceived if it occurs within 500 ms of the first

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64
Q

What is a somatoform disorder?

A

pain without any discernable physical source.

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65
Q

What is the most efficient reinforcement schedule?

A

Variable Ration = very rapid and very resistant

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66
Q

What does the social cognitive theory state?

A

People learn through observation

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67
Q

What type of neurons does observational learning involve?

A

Mirror neurons

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68
Q

What sleep stages are skipped in narcoleptics?

A

3 and 4

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69
Q

Difference between parasomnias and dyssomnias?

A

Dyssomnias = difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or avoid it

Parasomnias = abnormal movements or behaviors during sleep

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70
Q

What is the nativist theory of language?

A

language acquisition is innate and there is an important critical period at which it needs to be learned

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71
Q

What is the social interactionist theory of language?

A

language acquisition is caused by a motivation to communicate and interact with others

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72
Q

What is the learning/behaviorist theory of language? What is an example?

A

language acquisition is controlled by operant conditioning by parents and caregivers
Reinforcement of babbling

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73
Q

What is the Whorfian hypothesis regarding language?

A

the lens through which we view and interpret the world is created by language = the language one uses influences his thoughts

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74
Q

What part of the brain connects Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas? What happens if it’s damaged?

A

Arcuate fasciculus

Conduction aphasia = inability to repeat words that have been said

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75
Q

What molecule builds up in the brain while we are awake and clears up when we sleep?

A

Adenosine

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76
Q

Main difference between bias and heuristics?

A

heuristics → cognitive problem with a simple (stupid) solution.

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77
Q

What is agency?

A

taking control and acting freely in response to some outside stimulus

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78
Q

What are Maslow’s 5 needs from most important to least?

A
  1. Physio
  2. Safety
  3. Love/belonging
  4. Esteem
  5. Self-actualization
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79
Q

What is a eustress?

A

Life events that are positive but still stressful

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80
Q

What is the condition for the Dove-Hawk game?

A

this happens when there are LIMITED resources (key word here)

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81
Q

What is the “animus” according to Jung?

A

masculine behaviors in women

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82
Q

What is the “anima” according to Jung?

A

feminine behaviors in men

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83
Q

What are the Big 5 personality traits?

A

OCEAN

  1. Openness
  2. Conscientiousness
  3. Extraversion
  4. Agreeableness
  5. Neuroticism (emotional arousal under stress)
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84
Q

What is the sublimation defense mechanism described by Freud? Example?

A

channeling of an unacceptable impulse in a socially acceptable direction
Ex: a boss who is attracted to his employee becomes her mentor

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85
Q

What does the term behavioral relate to? What does it usually have to do with?

A

how people act

usually has to do with operant conditioning

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86
Q

What is the social cognitive theory of personalities?

A

Individuals interact with their environment in a cycle called reciprocal determinism = people mold their environments according to their personalities and vice versa

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87
Q

What are the 2 neurotransmitters that have a high concentration in bipolar patients?

A
  1. Norepi

2. Serotonin

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88
Q

What is the neurotransmitter and enzyme that have a low concentration in Alzheimer patients?

A

Acetylcholine

Choline acetyl transferase (to make Ach)

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89
Q

What are 3 brain symptoms of Alzheimer?

A
  1. Atrophy
  2. Senile plaques of beta-amyloid
  3. Neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated TAU protein
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90
Q

What are the 6 symptoms of Parkinson’s and what does each mean?

A
  1. Bradykinesia = slow movements
  2. Resting tremor
  3. Pill-rolling tremor
  4. Maslike facies
  5. Cogwheel rigidity = muscle tension that stops movements
  6. Shuffling gait with stooped posture
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91
Q

What are 2 factors that increase the risk of bipolar disorder?

A
  1. Parent suffering from it

2. MS patients

92
Q

What are 4 risk factors for schizophrenia?

A
  1. genetics
  2. birth trauma
  3. adolescent weed use
  4. family history
93
Q

Which part of the brain atrophies after prolonged depression?

A

Hippocampus

94
Q

What are the 5 chemical changes that accompy depression?

A
  1. increase in glucose metabolism in amygdala
  2. increase cortisol concentrations
  3. decrease: norepi, serotonin, and dopamine
95
Q

What is the difference between schizotypal and sxhizoid PDs?

A 
Schizotypal = ideas of reference, magical thinking, eccentricity
Schizoid = detachment from social relationships, limited emotion
96
Q

Which personality disorder uses splitting? What does that mean?

A

BDP

Defense mechanism in which the patient views people as all good or all bad

97
Q

Are PDs egosyntonic or egodystronic? What does that mean?

A

Egosyntonic = individuals perceive their behavior as correct

98
Q

What is conversion disorder?

A

unexplained symptoms affecting motor or sensory function and is associated with trauma

99
Q

What is the difference between Bipolar I and II?

A

I: at least 1 manic episode
II: hypomania + at least one major depressive disorder

100
Q

How long does a manic episode last?

A

At least 1 week

101
Q

How long does a major depressive episode last?

A

At least 2 weeks

102
Q

What kind of psychological disorder is PTSD?

A

Anxiety

103
Q

What is the definition of a PD?

A

patterns of inflexible or maladaptive behavior that causes distress in 2 of the following:

  1. cognition
  2. emotions
  3. interpersonal functioning
  4. impulse control
104
Q

What is normative conformity?

A

Conformity driven by a fear of rejection

105
Q

What is the condition for conformity?

A

To fit in a majority group, not a minority

106
Q

What is internalization?

A

Conformity while also privately agreeing

107
Q

What is identification?

A

Conformity without full internalization

108
Q

What is social constructionism? What does it imply? What does it dispute?

A

How groups of people ascribe meaning or value to objects or concepts
It implies that objects/concepts are the product of groups/individuals/societies
It disputes the inevitable application of knowledge

109
Q

What is the game theory?

A

attempts to explain decision-making between individuals as if they are participating in a game

110
Q

What is the conflict theory?

A

There is tension in society between unequal groups with unequal access to finite resources
As the disparity between people increase and the value of the possessions increase → conflict will increase

111
Q

What are the 5 types of mate choice?

A
  1. Phenotypic benefits
  2. sensory bias = development of a trait to match a preexisting preference
  3. Fischerian/runaway selection: like peacocks
  4. Indicator traits
  5. Genetic compatibility
112
Q

What is comparative pessimism?

A

arises in someone who believes he is worse off or has a higher risk than others.

113
Q

What is intraspecific communication? Interspecific?

A

Intraspecific → communication between same species vs interspecific → communication between species

114
Q

What is representativeness heuristic?

A

= cognitive approach which involves attributing to individuals the characteristics of a group to which they belong

115
Q

Main difference between bias and heuristics?

A

Bias is an attitude that makes you more likely to prefer one thing over another. A heuristic is a mental shortcut that will “get the job done” for most decision making, but is not a truly rational process.

116
Q

What are the 3 benchmarks on the Kinsey scale?

A 
6 = homo
3 = bisexual
0 = hetero
117
Q

What is environmental injustice?

A

unfair treatment of people regarding their race, color, nationality, or income with respect to environmental laws and policies.

118
Q

Difference between individual and institutional discrimination?

A

Institutional would be a type of discrimination that is clearly a widespread pattern in society. For example, one could say that our police force engages in institutional discrimination against blacks. Think government bodies broadly discriminating against certain people, rather than a quirky individual discriminating against others (although one could call his store “an institution”).

119
Q

What is a consistency cue?

A

repeated behavior that is consistent with another behavior of a person

120
Q

How to calculate incidence?

A

first take the population at risk and subtract the number of people who already have the condition!!

121
Q

What is the correspondent inference theory?

A

used to describe attributions made by observing the intentional (especially unexpected) behaviors

122
Q

Fundamental attribution error?

A

Bias toward making dispositional attributions rather than situational ones

123
Q

What is an attribute substitution?

A

occurs when an individual must make a complex judgment and substitutes it for a simpler solution or heuristic

124
Q

Difference between prejudice, stereotype, and discrimination?

A 
Prejudice = attitude
Stereotype = belief
Discrimination = action
125
Q

What is the definition of aggression?

A

Physical, verbal, or nonverbal behavior with the intention to cause harm or increase social dominance

126
Q

What is the cognitive neoassociation model?

A

we are more likely to be aggressive when we are feeling negative emotions like hunger

127
Q

Social reproduction?

A

Systems that preserve social inequality

128
Q

What is the fertility rate?

A

Children per woman per lifetime

129
Q

What is the birth rate?

A

Children per 1000 people per year

130
Q

What is the mortality rate?

A

deaths per 1000 people per year

131
Q

What is the migration rate?

A

immigration rate - emigration rate

132
Q

What is the Malthusian theory?

A

exponential growth of a population can outpace the food supply leading to social degradation and disorder

133
Q

What does the Bobo doll experiment show?

A

Children learn aggression through observation –> supports the social cognitive theory

134
Q

What happens to the vision if the optic chiasm is impared?

A

Loss of temporal visual field

135
Q

What information does an optic nerve carry?

A

The info from the associated eye

136
Q

What information does an optic tract carry?

A

The info from the opposite visual field

137
Q

What does the fovea contain?

A

Only cones

138
Q

Are cones or rods more effective in the dark?

A

Rods

139
Q

Are cones or rods more effective in daylight?

A

Cones

140
Q

What is the timeline for language acquisition?

A 
9-12 mo: babbling
12-18 mo: 1 word/month
18-20 mo: explosion of language and 2 word sentences
2-3 yo: 3 word + sentences
5 yo: rules largely mastered
141
Q

What are the 2 feedback pathways from the visceral organs to the brain?

A

Spinal cord and vagus nerve

142
Q

What are the 7 universal emotions?

A
  1. Happiness
  2. Sadness
  3. Contempt
  4. Disgust
  5. Anger
  6. Surprise
  7. Fear
143
Q

What are the differences between avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized attachments?

A

Avoidant: caregiver has very little response to distressed child: no preference for caregiver

Ambivalent: caregiver has an inconsistent response to the distressed child: child will be distressed when they leave and ambivalent when they come back

Disorganized: caregiver is erratic and abusive and child shows no clear pattern in response to the caregiver coming or going and may show repetitive behaviors

144
Q

What is the difference between a manic and a hypomanic episode?

A

Hypomanic can least only 4 days

They have the same symptoms, but do not need to impact everyday life

145
Q

What is alter-casting?

A

The imposition of an identity onto another person

146
Q

What is aligning actions? What is it associated with?

A

Excuse-making and rationalization of questionable behavior

Associated with external locus of control and encourages others to make situational attributions

147
Q

Which have better health profiles: males or females?

A

Females

148
Q

Which have higher morbidity rates: males or females?

A

Females

149
Q

Which experience longer delays or more diffuclty receiving care: males or females?

A

Females

150
Q

What does it mean for a negative feedback loop to be balanced?

A

There is no major stimulus causing the compensatory mechanism to kick in

151
Q

Which nervous system is in action during hunger? Why

A

Sympathetic, because hunger is a stressor

152
Q

What is a situation in which the patient autonomy tenet can be breached by a physician?

A

When it is harming someone else, like a child

153
Q

What is a sect?

A

An offshoot of religion that arises from a disagreement over doctrine or practice

154
Q

What is a cult?

A

A religious group founded upon a novel set of religious tenets around a charismatic leader

155
Q

What is fundamentalism in religion?

A

A return to earlier religious practices which are typically more strict than those currently being practiced.

156
Q

What is the hierarchy of salience?

A

The idea that the importance of a given identity is situationally dependent

157
Q

What should the population studied be like if a researcher is trying to study the prevalence of a disease in America?

A

The most generic group of people

158
Q

What are different situations where cognitive dissonance is observed?

A
  1. Someone who has conflicting thoughts and actions
  2. Someone who has conflicting thoughts
  3. Someone who has conflicting actions
159
Q

According to cognitive dissonance, what will happen when someone engages in cognitive dissonance?

A

They will adjust their thoughts or actions to no longer be in conflict

160
Q

What is Korsakoff’s syndrome? What is the cause? What are the symptoms? (3) What is it associated with?

A

Memory loss due to thiamine deficiency in the brain

  1. Retrograde amnesia = loss of previously formed memories
  2. Anterograde amnesia = inability to form new memories
  3. Confabulation = creating fabricated memories

Associated with alcohol consumption

161
Q

What is agnosia?

A

Loss of the ability to recognize objects, people, or sounds

162
Q

What is prospective memory?

A

Remembering to perform a task at some point in the future

163
Q

What memory declines with age? What memory remains intact?

A

Declines: time-based prospective memory and encoding of new memories
Intact: event-based prospective memory, skill-based memory, semantic memory

164
Q

What is neuroplasticity?

A

The formation of neural connections in response to stimuli

165
Q

What is synaptic pruning?

A

As we age, weak neural connections are broken and strong ones are strengthened

166
Q

What is long-term potentiation? How does it occur?

A

The conversion of short-term memory to long term

Strengthening of neural connections by increasing NT release and adding receptor sites

167
Q

What is priming? 2 aspects

A
  1. The process of psychologically preparing a participant to respond in a certain way.
  2. A retrieval cue by which recall is aided by a word or phrase that is semantically related to the desired memory
168
Q

What is the recognition-primed decision model? What does it also explain?

A

decision making model where a past experience play a large role in decision making and actions (also explains intuition)

169
Q

Which reinforcement schedules increase the behavior as the reward gets closer?

A

FI and FR

170
Q

What is instinctive drift?

A

The difficulty in overcoming instinctual behaviors

171
Q

What is the difference between avoidance and escape learning?

A

In avoidance the unpleasantness has not yet happened

172
Q

What is the weakest type of encoding?

A

Visual encoding

173
Q

What is a peg-word?

A

Associating numbers with items that rhyme or resemble them

174
Q

What is the information processing model?

A

The brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information much like a computer

175
Q

What is the engine driving cognitive development?

A

Internalization of culture

176
Q

What is fluid intelligence?

A

Problem-solving skills

177
Q

What is crystallized intelligence?

A

Use of learned skills and knowledge

178
Q

How does learning happen according to Piaget?

A

Through instinctual interaction with the environment

179
Q

What is deductive reasoning?

A

Top-down reasoning

180
Q

What is inductive reasoning?

A

Bottom-up reasoning

181
Q

What is a mental set?

A

A pattern of approach for a given problem

182
Q

What is a base-rate fallacy?

A

Using prototypical or stereotypical factors while ignoring numerical information

183
Q

What are the 7 intelligences recognized by Gardner?

A
  1. Linguistic
  2. Logical-mathematical
  3. Musical
  4. Visual-spatial
  5. Bodily-kinesthetic
  6. Interpersonal
  7. Intrapersonal
184
Q

What is the kinesthetic sense?

A

The sense of body awareness: keeps track of body parts relative to each other = muscle sense

185
Q

How is IQ calculated?

A

Mental age/chronological age x 100

186
Q

What are sleepiness and awakeness caused by?

A

Sleepiness: darkness –> melatonin
Awakeness: light –> cortisol

187
Q

What is the activation synthesis theory of dreaming?

A

Widespread and random activation of neural circuit

188
Q

What is the cognitive process synthesis theory of dreaming?

A

Dreams are the counterpart of stream of consciousness

189
Q

What is the neurocognitive synthesis theory of dreaming?

A

Dreams seek to unify biology and psychology perspectives on dreaming by correlating subjective experience with measurable physio changes

190
Q

Where is the aqueous humor found in the eye?

A

Both in the anterior and posterior chamber

191
Q

What is the vitreous chamber? What is it filled with?

A

The biggest part of the eye; filled with vitreous humor

192
Q

By which sides of the eyes is the left visual field processed?

A

The nasal side of the left eye and the temporal side of the right eye

193
Q

By which sides of the eyes is the right visual field processed?

A

The nasal side of the right eye and the temporal side of the left` eye

194
Q

Where is the left visual field processed?

A

Right side of the brain

195
Q

Where is the right visual field processed?

A

Left side of the brain

196
Q

Which one is closer to the eye: optic nerve or tract?

A

Nerve

197
Q

Where is the LGN?

A

Thalamus

198
Q

What are the 3 areas where the axons of the optic tracts terminate? Role?

A
  1. LGN (thalamus): to go to visual cortex
  2. Colliculi: for startle reflex
  3. Superchiasmic nucleus (hypothalamus): circadian ryhtms
199
Q

What is the labyrinth responsible for in the ear? What is the other name of it? What are the 3 parts responsible for the vestibular sense and their role? How do they work?

A

Vestibular sense: inner ear

  1. Utricle and saccule: sensitive to linear acceleration (head moving forward and saying yes) and contain hair cells that will resist the motion
  2. Semicircular canals: sensitive to rotational acceleration (head saying no) and contain hair cells at the end of each (the ampulla) that will resist the motion
200
Q

What are the 4 parts of the outter ear?

A
  1. Pinna
  2. Ear lobe
  3. External auditory canal
  4. Tympanic membrane = ear drum
201
Q

What are the 3 parts of the middle ear? How do they work?

A
  1. Malleus
  2. Incus
  3. Staples

Membrane vibrates malleus, which vibrates incus, which vibrates staples to bang on the oval window (while the round window opens and closes on the side)

202
Q

What is the part of the inner ear responsible for the auditory sense? What are its 3 parts and their role?

A

The cochlea

  1. Middle scala: contains the organ of Corti which is composed of hair cells in endolymph that converts the stimuli into electrical signals to the vestibulocochlear nerve
  2. 2 other scalea filled with perilymph: sound entering through oval window cause vibrations of the perilymph which are transmitted to the basilar membrane on which the organ of Corti rests
203
Q

How is the inner ear connected to the nasal cavity? What is the purpose?

A

Through the Eustachian tube to equalize pressure between middle ear and environment

204
Q

Where is the vestibular sense processed in the brain?

A

Cerebellum

205
Q

What is the difference between habituation and adaptation? What is an example of each?

A

Habituation = increasing stimulus frequency –> decreased level of response (with some level of voluntary control)
ex: zoo animals do not react to people
Adaptation = continuous stimulus –> decreased level of response
ex: not being able to smell your own perfume (no voluntary control)

206
Q

What is nociception?

A

Pain perception

207
Q

What is proprioception? What is the difference with vestibular sense?

A

Kinesthetic sense = Ability to tell where the body is = muscle receptors vs vestibular sense = inner ear receptors

208
Q

What is the calcarine sulcus? How does this affect vision?

A

Divides the fovea into two halves (top: bottom of visual field and vice versa)

209
Q

What does a regulatory behavior imply?

A

A genetic or environmental regulation

210
Q

What is the stereotype content model? What are the 4 possible combinations?

A

Attempts to classify stereotypes with respect to a hypothetical in-group using 2 dimensions: warmth and competence

  1. Paternalistic: high warmth, low competence
  2. Admiration: high warmth, high competence
  3. Envious: low warmth, high competence
  4. Contemptuous: low warmth, low competence
211
Q

What is ethnocentrism?

A

Practice of making judgments about other cultures based on the values and beliefs of one’s own culture

212
Q

What does the color phi phenomenon involve? 3 things

A

gestalt: 2 separate events are perceived as one smooth motion
bottom up: parallel process by which an object or event is perceived as the sum of its individual features rather than by expectation or recognition
parallel processing

213
Q

What does top down processing involve? 2 things

A

Expectation and recognition

214
Q

Whats is implicit bias?

A

The attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.

215
Q

What does the difference between the primacy and the recency effects show?

A

Short term and long term memory are 2 separate memory systems

216
Q

What is the exact definition of confirmation bias? What can it involve? When has it been found to be stronger for?

A

Tendency to favor information that confirms existing beliefs through a specific cognitive bias
It can involve biases in the search for evidence and in the interpretation of eveidence
For emotionally charged topics

217
Q

How much genetic material do siblings share?

A

50%

218
Q

Is popular media an agent of socialization?

A

Yes

219
Q

Which non verbal behaviors is universally recognized?

A

Facial expressions

220
Q

What is it called when you project one bad experience onto similar situations?

A

Stimulus generalization

221
Q

What happens when someone has a split brain?

A

The right and left hemisphere cannot communicate

222
Q

What is the elaboration likelihood model?

A

3 factors influencing whether we are persuaded for or against a certain message:

a. Message characteristics: well thought out? grammar? short? long?
b. Source characteristics
c. Target characteristics: good or bad mood? tired? awake?

2 routes to process:

  1. CENTRAL:
    a. interested, motivated
    b. deep processing of material
    c. lasting change in opinion
  2. PERIPHERAL:
    a. not important, not motivated
    b. shallow processing: focusing on silly things
    c. transient change in opinion
223
Q

What are the 4 main agents of socialization? Which one is the most important?

A

family (primary), mass media, peers, workplace

224
Q

What is the difference between conformity and peer pressure?

A

Conformity is changing ones actions or behavior to align with a group. It is a more general concept. Peer pressure is when those around you explicitly pressure you into conforming. Peer pressure can be positive or negative.

225
Q

What are the 3 tenets of functionalism?

A

Society is a complex system
Everything in society has a function
Actions can be manifest or latent

MCAT Behavioral Sciences (3 decks)

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