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Psychology MCAT > Psych 5 > Flashcards

Psych 5 Flashcards

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1
Q

When various combinations of alleles are associated with different behaviours, behavioural variation accompanies genetic variation

A

Genetically based behavioural variation

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2
Q

The extent to which they contribute to survival in the given environment

A

Adaptive values

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3
Q

The conversion of physical stimuli into electrical signals that are transferred through the nervous system by neurons

A

Sensation

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4
Q

The use of sensory information and pre-existing knowledge to create a functional representation of the world

A

Perception

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5
Q

The lowest intensity of a stimulus that can be sensed

A

The absolute threshold

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6
Q

The smallest difference that is sufficient for a change in a stimulus to be noticed

A

Difference Threshold

Just noticeable difference

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7
Q

The change required to meet the difference threshold is a certain fraction of the originally presented stimulus

A

Weber’s Law

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8
Q

Focuses on how an organism differentiates important or meaningful stimulus (signals) from those that are not of interest (noise) in an environment where the distinction is ambiguous

A

Signal Detection Theory

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9
Q

Selects sensory information for perceptual processing

A

Attention

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10
Q

The focus of attention on one particular stimulus or task at the exclusion of other stimuli

A

Selective Attention

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11
Q

Splits perceptual resources between multiple stimuli or behaviours

A

Divided Attention

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12
Q

Involves the construction of perceptions from individual pieces of information provided by sensory processing

A

Bottom up processing

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13
Q

Brings the influence of prior knowledge into play to make. Perception more efficient

A

Top down processing

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14
Q

Describes the criteria that are used to distinguish between figure and background or between objects in a group and objects out of the group

Describes the top down processing that organizes sensory information into distinct forms (objects) according to distinct regions of the sensed surroundings

A 
Gestalt Principles:
Principle of nearness
Principle of similarity
Principle of common region
Principle of continuity 
Principle of closure
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15
Q

Type of perceptual organization that deals with the problem of distinguishing between information received by the retina and changes in the surroundings

A

Constancy

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16
Q

The interpretation of otherwise raw sensory data to produce visual perception

A

Visual Processing

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17
Q

The use of multiple pathways to convey information about the same stimulus

A

Parallel Processing

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18
Q

A type of serial processing, where increasingly complex aspects of the stimulus are processed in sequence

A

Feature Detection

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19
Q

Awareness of oneself, one’s surroundings, thoughts, and goals

A

Consciousness

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20
Q

Default state of consciousness

A

Alertness

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21
Q

Maintains daily balance between wakefulness and sleep

Regulates the body’s functions on a predictable schedule

A

Circadian Rhythm

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22
Q

Suprachiasmatic nucleus; this group of cells regulates the timing of many of the body’s circadian rhythms, such as body temperature, and are located in this part of the brain

A

Hypothalamus

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23
Q

Associated with characteristic patterns of brainwaves

A

The stages of sleep

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24
Q

Light sleep; includes alpha waves (associated with a state of wakefulness)

A

Stage 1 of sleep

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25
Q

Associated with bursts of brain wave activity that indicate full transition into sleep

A

Stage 2 of sleep

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26
Q

Delta waves are first seen, reflecting the transition into deep sleep

A

Stage 3 of sleep

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27
Q

Almost entirely delta waves

A

Stage 4 of sleep

28
Q

Stages of sleep are repeated throughout the night

A

Sleep Cycles

29
Q

Characteristic eye movements and is a period of high brain activity that occurs during stage 1 sleep
The brain relives the massive amount of stimuli experienced during the day

A

Rapid eye movement sleep

REM

30
Q

The largest portion of sleep, lower brain activity

A

Non-REM Sleep

31
Q

Occurs throughout REM Sleep

A

Dreaming

32
Q

Some aspect of sleep is abnormal, leading to negative health consequences

A

Sleep Disorders

33
Q

A state if relaxation, focused attention and increased willingness to relinquish control over one’s actions

A

Hypnosis

34
Q

An intentional, self produced state of consciousness induced by relaxing and systematically shifting attention away from day to day concerns

A

Meditation

35
Q

Raise the level of activity in the central nervous system

Many act by increasing the amount of monoamine neurotransmitters, such as epinephrine and dopamine

A

Stimulants

36
Q

Cause a decrease of activity in the central nervous system

A

Depressants

37
Q

Drugs that cause an alteration in sensory and perceptual experience

A

Hallucinogens

38
Q

Associated with both feelings of reward in day to day life and the feelings of pleasure that lead to cravings and addiction

A

Reward Pathway

Pathway within the Limbic System

39
Q

The representation and maintenance of information by the nervous system

A

Memory

40
Q

Memory is transformed into the type of representation that is used by that particular form of memory storage

A

Encoding

41
Q

The first phase in memory formation

Temporary storage for incoming sensory stimuli

A

Sensory Memory

42
Q

Information held in short term memory can be used, applied, or elaborated
Usually encoded through an auditory representation

A

Working Memory

43
Q

Maintained outside of conscious awareness and can be called back into working memory when needed

A

Long term memory

44
Q

The ability of the brain’s networks of neurons and their synapses to change

A

Neural Plasticity

45
Q

The molecular process underlying the formation of long term memories through the strengthening of synapses.
Describes the increase in likelihood that presynaptic input will trigger an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron

A

Long term potentiation (LTP)

46
Q

Information stored in long term memory can return to working memory for the purpose of problem solving and guidance of behaviour

A

Retrieval

47
Q

Organize information in networks of meaningfully related memories

A

Semantic Networks

48
Q

One item triggers an activation of related memories

A

Spreading activation

49
Q

The retrieval of a memory from scratch

A

Recall

50
Q

The correct identification of information that is presented

A

Recognition

51
Q

Environmental stimuli or pieces of information that are associated in some way with the memory being sought

A

Retrieval Cues

52
Q

Memory retrieval is strongest when the emotional state during retrieval us similar to that of memory formation

A

Role of emotion

53
Q

Allows for the detection of long term memories that can become inaccessible to conscious recognition or recall and thus are experienced as lost

A

Relearning

54
Q

The fading of a memory

A

Decay

55
Q

Recall is reliably the strongest for items at the beginning of a list

A

Primacy Effect

56
Q

Recall is reliably strongest for items at the end of a list

A

Recency Effect

57
Q

Similar information prevents the retrieval of a memory

A

Interference

58
Q

Newly learned material that prevents successful retrieval of related older materials

A

Retroactive Interference

59
Q

Previously held knowledge prevents successful retrieval of more newly learned information

A

Proactive Interference

60
Q

Memories can be updated with new information and experiences

A

Memory Construction

61
Q

Occurs when a person attributes a memory to a particular source, correctly or not, such as recalling that a story was told by a particular person

A

Source Monitoring

62
Q

Associated with aging but is not considered part of normal age related cognitive change, and has a characteristic pattern of neurodegeneration.
Loss of the ability to form memories of recent events; mediated by hippocampus and surrounding areas

A

Alzheimer’s Disease

63
Q

Caused by nutritional deficiency rather than age related neurodegeneration. Almost always associated with a deficiency in vitamin B1 (often due to severe alcoholism)

A

Korsakoff’s Syndrome

64
Q

A neurodegenerative disease associated with deterioration within the substantia nigra, located within the midbrain; leads to the impairment of motor abilities
Associated with deficiency in dopamine

A

Parkinson’s Disease

65
Q

Used in current research to regenerate neurons in the central nervous system

A

Stem cell based therapy

66
Q

Gene regulation in response to the environment can promote or repress the transcription of a gene

A

Regulatory Genes

Psychology MCAT (5 decks)

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