Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

MCAT > khan academy psych/soc > Flashcards

khan academy psych/soc Flashcards

1
Q

binocular cues

A

depth

  • retinal disparity
  • convergence
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

monocular cues

A

form

  • relative size
  • interposition (overlap)
  • relative height
  • shading and contour
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

3 things monocular cues help with

A

form of object
motion
constancy (size, shape, and color)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

proprioception

A

sense of position of body in space

cognitive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

sensory adaptation of sight

A

down regulation: light adaptation

up regulation: dark regulation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

down regulation of sight

A

when it is bright, pupils constrict, rods and cones become desensitized to light

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

up regulation of sight

A

when it is dark, pupils dilated, and rods and cones start to synthesize light sensitive molecules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

just noticeable difference

A

threshold at which you can detect a change in sensation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Weber’s law

A

difference threshold is proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

absolute threshold of sensation

A

minimum intensity of stimulus needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what is absolute threshold influenced by?

A

expectations, experience, motivation, alertness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

subliminal stimuli

A

stimuli below the absolute threshold of sensation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

thermoception

A

temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

mechanoception

A

pressure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

nociception

A

pain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

intensity

A

how quickly neurons fire for us to notice

slow = low intensity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

3 ways of timing

A

non-adapting (constant)
slow-adapting (beginning and then slows)
fast-adapting (start and stop)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

vestibular system

A

balance and spatial orientation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

signal detection theory

A

discerning between important stimuli and unimportant “noise”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

4 options of signal detection theory

A

hit: subject responded when signal was present
false alarm: subject perceived signal when none present
correct rejection: correct negative answer for no signal
miss: negative response to a present signal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

strength of signal

A

hit > miss (strong signal)

miss > hit (weak signal)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

2 strategies to signal detection

A

conservation: always say no
liberal: always say yes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

bottom up processing

A

begins with stimulus

inductive reasoning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

top down processing

A

uses background knowledge

deductive reasoning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Gestalt principles

A 
similarity
pragnanz
proximity
continuity
closure
symmetry
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

similarity - gestalt

A

items similar to one another grouped together by brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

pragnanz - gestalt

A

olympic rings, brain organizes into simplest form (5 circles)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

proximity - gestalt

A

objects close together are grouped together

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

continuity - gestalt

A

lines are seen as following the smoothest past

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

closure - gestalt

A

object grouped together are seen as whole

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

symmetry - gestalt

A

mind perceives objects as being symmetrical

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

law of common fate

A

array of dots moving up and array of dots moving down

perceive as two distinct units

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

cornea

A

outside of eye, bends light

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

aqueous humour

A

provides pressure to maintain shape of eye

- allows nutrients to supply cells of cornea and iris

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

pupil

A

changes amount of light able to enter eye

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

iris

A

constricts/relaxes to change size of pupil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

lens

A

bends light to focus on fovea of retina

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

vitreous humour

A

jelly-like

provide pressure to eyeball and gives nutrients to inside of eyeball

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

macula

A

part of retina rich in cones

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

fovea

A

part of retina of only cones, no rods

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

choroid

A

black pigment

network of blood vessels that nourish retina

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

sclera

A

whites of eyes

43
Q

how does light reach brain?

A

light comes into eye, hits rod, which turns it off, which turns on bipolar cell, which turns on retinal ganglion cell, which goes to optic nerve and then brain

44
Q

all right visual info goes to ______

A

left side of the brain

45
Q

parallel processing

A

detect/focus all information (color, form, and motion) at the same time

46
Q

to hear sound we need:

A 
stimuli (pressurized sound wave)
and receptor (hair cell --> cochlea)
47
Q

sound pathway

A
  1. outer part of ear PINNA
  2. auditory canal
  3. eardrum
  4. bones vibrate (Malleus, Incus, Stapes)
  5. oval window vibrates
  6. fluid around the cochlea
  7. hair cells move back and form, electric impulse transported by auditory nerve to brain
48
Q

place theory

A

our perception of sound depends on where each component frequency produces vibrations along basilar membrane

49
Q

basilar tuning

A

varying hair cells in cochlea that allowed distinguishing between high and low frequency sounds
(base –> high)
(apex –> low)

50
Q

sensory adaptation

A

change over time of receptor to constant stimulus

- down regulation

51
Q

kinaesthesia

A

movement of body

behavioral

52
Q

beta waves

A

awake/concentration

highest frequency

53
Q

alpha

A

daydreaming

54
Q

theta waves

A

drowsiness, right after you fall asleep

55
Q

delta waves

A

lowest frequency

deep sleep

56
Q

order of sleep cycle

A

4-5 per sleep, length of 90 minutes

N1 –> N2 –> N3 –> N2 –> REM

57
Q

NREM 1

A

theta waves

strange sensations

58
Q

NREM 2

A

deeper stage of sleep

more theta waves, sleep spindles, K complexes

59
Q

NREM 3

A

slow wave sleep
delta waves
sleep walking/talking

60
Q

REM

A

dreaming
memory consolidation
paradoxical sleep because brain is active, but body prevents you from doing anything

61
Q

manifest content

A

literal meaning

62
Q

latent content

A

hidden meaning

63
Q

4 main categories of psychoactive drugs

A

depressants
stimulants
hallucinogens
opioids

64
Q

depressants

A

vasodilator at low amounts
vasoconstrictor at high amounts
ex: alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines

65
Q

stimulants

A

caffeine, amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine

66
Q

reward pathway

A

brain release dopamine (produced in ventral tegmental area VTA)
dopamine –> amygdala, nucleus accumbens (motor), prefrontal cortex (attention) , and hippocampus

67
Q

external cues of attention

A

don’t have to look for them

bottom-up

68
Q

internal cues of attention

A

require knowledge and intention to follow cue

top-down

69
Q

cocktail party effect

A

ability to concentrate on one voice among a crowd

*or when someone call your name

70
Q

change blindness

A

fail to notice changes from previous to current state in environment

71
Q

signal detection

A

detect signal, allows response to be primed –> quick actions can be undertaken

72
Q

basal forebrain

A

includes nucleus accumbens, nucleus basalis, and medial septal nuclei
produce acetylcholine

73
Q

information processing model

A

brains are like computers
INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT
bottom-up model
limited storage

74
Q

working memory (short-term)

A

what you are thinking at moment
hold 5-9 pieces of info
*memory that is stored while it is held in attention

75
Q

two main categories of long term memory

A

explicit (declarative) and implicit (nondeclarative) memory

76
Q

explicit memory

A 
facts/events
semantic memory (simple facts)
episodic memory (events)
77
Q

implicit memory

A

priming
procedural memory
*all memories formed by conditioning
stored in basal ganglia

78
Q

spreading activation

A

all ideas in brain are connected together

*pulling up one memory pulls up others as well

79
Q

chunking

A

group info into meaningful categories

fruits, proteins

80
Q

pegword system

A

link words that rhyme with a number

81
Q

schema

A

mental blueprint containing common aspects of the world

82
Q

long-term potentiation

A

with repeated stimulation, stronger synapse is formed which causes stronger response in postsynaptic neuron
LEARNING

83
Q

retroactive interference

A

new learning impairs old info

poRN

84
Q

proactive interference

A

old info impairs learning of new info

POrn

85
Q

Alzheimer’s disease

A

memory loss
attention, planning, semantic memory, and abstract thinking problems
buildup of amyloid plaques in brain

86
Q

Korsakoff’s Syndrome

A

lack of vitamin B1 or thiamine

problem forming new memories and recalling old ones

87
Q

retrograde amnesia

A

inability to recall info previously encoded (old memories)

88
Q

anterograde amnesia

A

inability to encode new memories

89
Q

retrograde memory

A

ability to remember experiences before a brain injury

RETRO –> OLD

90
Q

anterograde memory

A

ability to form long term memories after brain injury

ANTERO –> NEW

91
Q

piaget’s stages of cognitive development

A

sensorimotor
preoperational
concrete operational
formal operational

92
Q

sensorimotor (0-2)

A

senses and moving around

main task developed: object permanence

93
Q

preoperational (2-6/7)

A

pretend play

egocentric (only care about themselves)

94
Q

concrete operational (7-11)

A

learn idea of conservation
empathy
math skills

95
Q

formal operational (12+)

A

abstract thinking

moral reasoning

96
Q

heuristics

A

mental shortcuts

don’t guarantee correct answer, but help simply complex problems

97
Q

type I error

A

false positive

98
Q

type II error

A

false negative

99
Q

availability heuristic

A

using examples that come to mind

100
Q

representativeness heuristic

A

look for most representative answer

look to match prototype (typical)

101
Q

conjunction fallacy

A

People tend to think the probability of 2 events occurring together is higher than the probability of one alone

102
Q

Belief perseverance

A

During elections learned about and then ignore facts about someone you like

103
Q

Confirmation bias

A

Only read stories about how wonderful candidate was

MCAT (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions