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MCAT > Psych and Soc II (SIMPLE EDITOR) > Flashcards

Psych and Soc II (SIMPLE EDITOR) Flashcards

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1
Q

William James

A

Founder of American psychology
Believed it was important to study how the mind functioned n adapting to the environment
Early functionalist

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2
Q

Functionalism

A

The study of how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment

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3
Q

Paul Broca

A

1st to link functional impairments to specific brain lesions

found Boca’s area - region of brain (on left side) where lesion causes inability to talk

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4
Q

Boca’s area

A

region of brain on left side; lesion causes inability to talk

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5
Q

Sir Charles Sherrington

A

1st inferred existence of synapses; mostly correct (but thought it was primarily an electrical process, rather than chemical)

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6
Q

Hermann von Helmutz

A

first to measure speed of nerve impulse

credited with transition of psych to a natural science

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7
Q

Three kinds of nerve cells in the nervous system

A

(1) sensory neurons (aka afferent neurons)
(2) interneurons
(3) motor neurons (aka efferent neurons)

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8
Q

Sensory neurons (aka afferent neurons)

A

transmit sensory info from receptors to spinal cord and brain

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9
Q

Motor neurons (aka efferent neurons)

A

Transmit info from brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands

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10
Q

Interneurons

A

between neurons; most prominent type of nerve cell;

-linked to reflexive behavior (reflex arcs)

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11
Q

Reflex arcs

A

Allow signals from sensory neurons to go to interneurons, where they will go to BOTH the brain AND the muscle (motor neurons), so the muscle can react even before the signal gets to the brain (so signal doesn’t have to travel up to brain and then back to muscle)

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12
Q

Two components of Peripheral nervous system

A

(1) Somatic Nervous system = sensory and motor neurons in skin, joints, and muscles
(2) Autonomic Nervous System = regulates involuntary muscles associated with many internal organs

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13
Q

Subdivisions of the Autonomic Nervous System

A

(1) Sympathetic Nervous System = Fight or flight; activated by stress
(2) Parasympathetic Nervous System = Rest and digest; main role is to conserve energy

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14
Q

Neurotransmitter responsible for parasympathetic responses in the body

A

acetylcholine

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15
Q

Meninges

A

Thick sheath of connective tissue covering the brain;

Protects brain and keeps it anchored within the skull; reabsorbs cerobospinal fluid

-composed of 3 layers (in-> out): dura mater -> arcchnoid mater -> pia mater

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16
Q

cerebospinal fluid

A

the aq soln in which the brain and spinal cord rest

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17
Q

What produces cerebospinal fluid?

A

Specialized cells that line the ventricles (internal cavities) of the brain

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18
Q

What are the 3 subdivisions of the brain (and functions)?

A

(1) Hindbrain: Balance, motor coordination, digestion, and general arousal
(2) Midbrain: involuntary reflex responses triggered by visual or auditory stimuli; receives sensory and motor info
(3) Forebrain: complex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral processes

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19
Q

What does the brain develop from?

A

The Neural Tube - 3 swellings (forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain) that turn into a total of 5 swellings

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20
Q

What is the most primitive part of the brain?

A

The brainstem - which is made up of the hindbrain and forevbrain

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21
Q

Where is language processing, problem solving, etc. (high order processing) in the brain?

A

Cerebral cortex

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22
Q

Cerebral cortex

A

Outer covering of cerebral hemisphere;

language processing, problem solving, etc.

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23
Q

Structure of brain: location of basic survival functions vs. more complex functions

A

basic survival functions = structures at base

more complex functions = structures higher up

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24
Q

Limbic System: what and where in brain

A

Associated with emotion and memory; in the forebrain

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25
Q

Where is the hindbrain located?

A

where brain meets spinal cord

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26
Q

Subdivisions of the hindbrain

A

(1) Myencephalon: becomes the
- medulla oblangata: responsible for regulating heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, etc.

(2) metenchephalon: becomes the
- pons: contains sensory & motor pathways btwn cortex and medulla
- cerebellum: maintains posture and coordinates body movements

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27
Q

Medulla Oblongata: functions

A

responsible for regulating vital functions (HR, breathing, Blood Pressure, etc.)

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28
Q

Pons: functions

A

Contains sensory and motor pathways between cortext and medulla

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29
Q

Cerebellum: functions

A

maintains posture and coordinates body movements

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30
Q

colliculi: what it is and where it is located

A
  • located in the midbrain
  • contains:
  • superior colliculi = receives visual input
  • inferior colliculi = receives sensory input from auditory system and has a role in reflexive reactions to loud noises
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31
Q

The forebrain divides to form the:

A
  • Telenchephalon = forms cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and limbic system
  • Diencephalon = forms thalamus, hypothalamus, posterior pituitary gland, and pineal gland
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32
Q

neuropsychology

A

study of functions and behaviors associated with specific regions of the brain

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33
Q

cortical maps

A

show where functions are located in different brain regions

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34
Q

EEG = electroenchpalogram

A

place electrodes on the scalp and detect and record patterns of electrical activity

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35
Q

regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF)

A

detects broad patterns of neural activity based on increased blood flow to different parts of the brain

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36
Q

hypothalamus: functions

A
  • homeostatic functions
  • emotional experiences
  • primary ANS regulator
  • hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior

** Remember the 4 Fs:
Feeding; Fighting; Flighting; (sexual) Functioning

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37
Q

Lateral hypothalamus (LH) functions

A

triggers eating and drinking

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38
Q

Ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) functions

A

satiety signals to stop eating

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39
Q

Anterior Hypothalamus: functions

A

sexual behavior

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40
Q

Mnemonic for Hypothalamus parts:

A
  • destroy Lateral Hypothalamus –> Lack Hunger
  • destroy Ventromedial Hypothalamus –> Very Hungry
  • destroy Anterior Hypothalamus –> Asexual
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41
Q

Posterior pituitary: function

A

Site of ADH and oxytocin release

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42
Q

Pineal gland function

A

secretes Melatonin = regulates circadian rhythms

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43
Q

Basal ganglia: functions

A

coordinate muscle movement:

-receives info from cortex and transmits it to brain/spinal cord

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44
Q

extrapyramidal motor system: function

A

gathers info about body position and carries the info to the CNS.

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45
Q

Parkinson’s Disease = characterized by ________. Caused by ____

A
  • Characterized by jerky movements and resting tremors

- caused by destruction of portions of the basal ganglia

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46
Q

limbic system function

A

emotion and memory

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47
Q

septal nuclei = what and where?

A

Part of limbic system

-contains pleasure release center; addictive behavior

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48
Q

Amygdala = what and where?

A

Part of limbic system

-fear and aggressive behavior

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49
Q

hippocampus = what and where?

A

Part of limbic system

  • memory and learning; consolidates info to form long term memory
  • communicates with other portions of limbic system via fornix = a long projection
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50
Q

Parts of limbic system

A
  • septal nuclei = pleasure center; addictive behavior
  • amygdala = fear and aggression
  • hippocampus = memory and learning
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51
Q

cerebral cortex

A

outer surface of brain

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52
Q

Basic makeup of cerebral cortex

A
  • 2 halves (cerebral hemispheres)
  • 4 Lobes: F-POT
  • Frontal
  • Parietal
  • Occipital
  • Temporal
  • Central sulculs divides frontal and parietal lobe
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53
Q

central sulcus

A

part of cerebral cortex

-divides frontal and parietal lobe

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54
Q

Frontal Lobe: Regions

A

(1) Prefrontal lobes –> controls impulses and behavior
(2) Motor Cortex –> Voluntary movements
(3) Broca’s Area –> speech production

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55
Q

Prefrontal lobes

A

Of frontal cortex

-contains the prefrontal cortex = supervisory functions (impulse and behavior control). An association area

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56
Q

motor cortex

A

Of frontal cortex

  • primary motor cortex = initiates voluntary motor movements by sending nerve impulses down spinal cord towards muscles
  • located on the precentral gyrus (just in fron of central sulcus
  • a projection area
  • neurons are arranges systematically based on parts of body connected to
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57
Q

Broca’s Area

A

Important for speech production

  • In frontal cortex
  • Usually found only in 1 hemisphere (usually the left)
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58
Q

Association area vs projection area (of brain)

A

Association area = integrates input from diverse brain regions
Projection area = performs more rudimentary or simple perceptual motor tasks

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59
Q

Somatosensory Cortex

A

Of parietal lobe

  • destination for all incoming sensory signals for touch, pressure, temperature, and pain
  • located on the postcentral gyrus
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60
Q

Parietal Lobe central region: function

A

spatial processing and manipulation

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61
Q

Visual Cortex: where in brain

A

Contained in the occipital lobe

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62
Q

Temporal Lobe function:

A

Auditory Cortex and Wernicke’s area
Memory processing
Emotion and language

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63
Q

Wernicke’s area

A

Of temporal lobe

-Language reception and comprehension

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64
Q

The cerebral hemisphere communicates mostly:

-contralaterally or ipsilaterally

A

Mostly CONTRALATERALLY = one side of brain communicates with opposite side of the body

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65
Q

Dominant hemisphere vs. nondominant hemisphere

A

Dominant = one stimulated more heavily during language reception and production (usually the left)

  • primary analytic functions
  • Boca’s Area and Wernicke’s Area primarily driven here

Nondominant = intuition, creativity, music cognition, and spatial processing; can interpret nuances in language (getting emotions, etc.)

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66
Q

stages of visual processing:

A

Retina -> optic nerve -> thalamus -> primary visual cortex (of occipital lobe)

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67
Q

long term potentiation

A

the increased likelihood that presynaptic input will trigger an action potential in the postsynaptic nerve

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68
Q

definition (typically) of statistical significance:

A

p<0.05

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69
Q

The p-value

A

the statistical probability that a difference between groups occurred due to chance rather than reflecting a true difference

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70
Q

familial aggregation

A

the clustering of certain traits, behaviors, or disorders within a given family

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71
Q

genetic concordance

A

the presence of the same trait in both members of a set of individuals (or a pair of twins)

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72
Q

where melatonin is produced

A

pineal gland

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73
Q

hippocampus

A

part of limbic system, associated with memory

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74
Q

main function of cerebellum

A

mainly involved in regulating and controlling muscle activity

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75
Q

flooding

A

method used to treat phobias through prolonged exposure therapy

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76
Q

dispositional attribution

A

someone’s internal qualities are used to explain the cause of a situation or event

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77
Q

race vs ethnicity

A

Race - imposed by society on an individual b/c of the color of their skin (or other aspects of their physical appearance)
____
Ethnicity - tied to an individual’s culture and upbringing

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78
Q

symbolic interaction theory

A

states that individuals’ behavior is based on meaning and beliefs that are derived from social interactions

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79
Q

Cortisol

  • what it is
  • how it is released (pathway)
A

-the “stress Hormone”
_____
-the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) —> signals anterior pituitary to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) —> signals adrenal cortex to release cortisol

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80
Q

mirror neurons

A

neurons that are active when an animal performs an action and also when it sees other animals performing the same action

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81
Q

Working memory

A

keeps track of multiple pieces of info being used throughout a task

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82
Q

sensory memory

A

briefly stores incoming sensory info

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83
Q

episodic memory

A

subtype of shorterm memory, involves recall of specific events and experiences

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84
Q

Hawthorne effect

A

phenomenon where subjects of a study change their behavior and performance based on the nature of the study

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85
Q

observer-expectancy bias

A

data collected from a subject is influenced by the expectations of the study observer

86
Q

stereotype threat

A

people are or feel themselves to be at risk of conforming to stereotypes about their social group

87
Q

social desirability bias

A

response bias that is the tendency of survey respondents to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others

88
Q

altruism

A

helping others in one’s social group

  • without an expectation of trade or reciprocal action
  • usually at a personal cost to the individual performing the behavori
89
Q

Retroactive vs. proactive interference

A

Retroactive interference = newly learned info interferes with the retrieval of older info
____
Proactive interference = older memories block the retrieval of more recently formed memoreis

90
Q

Memory construction

A

older memories are misremembered with more recent details and experiences

91
Q

source monitoring

A

when a memory is attributed to a specific source (whether correct or not)

92
Q

Hormones typically associated with depression, and schizophrenia

A
  • depression = serotonin (use selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRIs to treat)
  • schizophrenia = dopamine and glutamate
93
Q

Schachter-Singer Theory of Emotion

A

emotion processing has 3 distinct steps (in order) (1) physiological arousal (2) cognitive interpretation of the situation and (3) the experience of the emotion

94
Q

James-Langer Theory of Emotion:

A

behavioral and physiological aspects of emotion (increased HR and shouting, etc.) lead to cognitive aspects of emotion (like understanding that a situation is scary and feeling afraid)

95
Q

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion:

A

physiological and cognitive aspects of emotion occur simultaneously and independently

96
Q

Yerkes-Dodson Law:

A

people tend to perform their best when they’re moderately emotionally stimulated

97
Q

internal vs. external validity

A

Internal validity = how well an experiment establishes a relationship between the independent and dependent variables

98
Q

nigrostriatial tract network

A

associated with motor control

99
Q

limbic system

A

includes amygdala, is associated with emotion

100
Q

social impairment

A

opposite of social facilitation

101
Q

avoidance conditioning

A

an operant conditioning procedure, where a subject learns behavior preventing the occurance of an aversive stimulus

102
Q

five favor model of personality

A

Openness, conscientousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
-thought to be stable over the course of an individual’s life

103
Q

Parallel Play

A

a normal part of the behavior of PRESCHOOL children, where they play by themselves but observe another child playing and adjust their behavior in response. It involves NO DIRECT INTERACTION between the children. As children reach school age, they are more likely to engage in forms of play together

104
Q

What is socialization

A

the process of internalizing the social norms and values expected in one’s society

105
Q

Test Reliability VS validity

A 
Reliability = consistency
Validity = Accuracy
106
Q

functionalism

A

asserts that aspects of culture are necessary and need based

107
Q

Self-actualization

A

a level of high achievement, in which you have done all you can and accomplished your goals to the best of your ability.

108
Q

Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory

A

incongruence between beliefs and behaviors guides behavior change (note that in general, cognitive dissonance can ALSO reflect holding two contradictory BELIEFS)

109
Q

cultural relativism

A

the principle that a person’s beliefs and health behaviors should be understood in the context of their own culture

110
Q

mores vs. folkways vs. taboos vs. laws

A

-Mores = norms that are deemed highly necessary to the welfare of a society and have consequences if violated
_____
-Folkways = norms that govern everyday behavior (like holding open a door)
_______
-Taboos = considered unacceptable by almost every culture
______
-Laws = established + written down standards of behavior with very clear consequences

111
Q

experimental design

A

different groups of individuals are randomly assigned to different conditions

112
Q

retrospective cohort design

A

takes a group of individuals and asks them about their experiences

113
Q

case control design

A

compares individuals with a disease to individuals without a disease

114
Q

longitudinal cohort design

A

follows a group over a period of time

115
Q

test-retest bias

A

can happen when particpants take the same exam over and over again, which affects their responses

116
Q

Harry Harlow’s Rhesus Monkey Experiments (on Attachment)

A
  • paired monkeys with a cloth mother or a wire mother.
  • the monkeys with the wire mother:
  • –drank similar amounts of milk and grew at comparable rates
  • –sought soothing from their “mothers” at much lower rates
  • –their behavior (unhealthy psychological development) could NOT be corrected later in life
  • when given a choice, monkeys spent more time holding the Cloth mothers than Wire mothers
117
Q

anomie

A

society feeling fragmented and lacking cohesiveness; associated with rapid changes in society, low levels of income, high heterogeneity, etc.

118
Q

prefrontal cortex

A

where much executive decision making (such as considering risk and making choices) occurs; still developing in adolescents

119
Q

where in brain is responsible for muscle memory

A

cerebellum

120
Q

Brain of risk-taking individuals

A

Exhibit:

  • hyperconnectivity between amygdala + areas of prefrontal cortex associated w/emotion regulation and critical thinking skills
  • increased activity between areas of prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens
121
Q

nucleus accumbens

A

a center for reward sensitivity, often implicated in addiction research

122
Q

cognitive appraisal theory of emotion

A

individuals make different interpretations about stimuli

123
Q

thinning

A

in operant conditioning, reducing the frequency of rewards for a given action

124
Q

benefits of maturing late - for girls and boys

A

girls-often benefit; where boys-often feel more self-conscious developing late

125
Q

impression management

A

involves the control of info about oneself and is characterized by (1) flattery, (2) boasting, and (3) ingratiation

126
Q

Role strain v s. Role Conflict vs. Role Exit

A

Role strain = a problem fitting into an existing role VS.
Role Conflict = two roles coming into conflicts VS.
Role Exit = leaving a role

127
Q

Erikson’s Stages of Development:

A
  • 0 - 18 months: Trust VS Mistrust
    _______
  • 18 months - 3 years: Autonomy VS Shame & Doubt
    _______
  • 3 yrs - 6 yrs: Initiative VS Guilt
    _______
  • 6 yrs - 12 yrs: Industry VS Inferiority
    _______
  • 12 - 18 yrs: Identity VS Role Confusion
    _______
  • 19 - 40 yrs: Intimacy VS Isolation
    _______
  • 40 - 65 yrs: Generativity VS Stagnation
    _______
  • 65+ yrs: Ego Integrity VS Despair
128
Q

Kübler-Ross model: Stages that most people experience when facing the end of their life:

A

“Death Always Brings Definite Acceptance” =

Denial -> Anger -> Bargaining -> Depression -> Acceptance

129
Q

primary vs. secondary aging

A

Primary aging —> the aging of biological factors and the physical body
_____
-Secondary agin —-> aging that relates to behavioral factors like diet and exercise

130
Q

benefits of within-subject design

A

controls for individual differences by comparing the scores of a subject in one condition to the scores of the same subject in other conditions (so each subject serves as his/her own control)

131
Q

General Adaption Syndrome (by Hans Selye)

A

the body’s short-term and long-term reaction to stress. Selye believed it involved 2 major body systems: the nervous system & the endocrine system. He also outlined 3 stages in the syndrome’s evolution: (1) Alarm Reaction (AR), (2) Stage of Resistance (SR); and (3) Stage of Exhaustion (SE)

132
Q

-Activation-synthesis hypothesis –>

A

proposes that dreams result from brain activation during REM sleep

133
Q

-Theory of cognitive appraisal (by Lazarus and Folkman) —> appraisal (is the stressor important? is it good? how much can it affect me?) and Secondary appraisal (How equipt am I to handle it?)

A

cognitive appraisal occurs when a person considers 2 factors that majorly contribute to stress (1-the threatening tendency of the stressor and 2-the assessment of resources needed to tolerate/eradicate the stressor). Two types of appraisal, which occur simultaneously (according to the theory) = Primary

134
Q

gambler’s fallacy =

A

the mistaken belief that if something happens more frequently than normal during some period, it will happen less frequently in the future (or vice versa)

135
Q

Conflict Theory =

A

individuals compete with each other in society over limited resources (and because of this, certain institutions rise to the top)

136
Q

Ratio level of measurement =

A

one in which there are a range of quantitative responses, ordered at equally spaced intervals, and with it being possible to score 0 (complete absence of the quantity)

137
Q

‘-Anomie theory =

A

individuals who experience weakened social values are less likely to behave in ways that are helpful to that society

138
Q

-Relative Depravation Theory =

A

individuals who perceive themselves as having less resources than others will often act in ways to obtain these resources

139
Q

‘-General Strain Theory =

A

individuals who have experienced negative events feel negative emotions, which lead to negative behaviors.

140
Q

The 3 parts of the psychic apparatus Sigmund Freud suggested in his structural model of the psyche

A

(1) id - basic human instinctual drives, and, by definition, is unconscious.
____
(2) Ego - controls the id; where conscious awareness resides. But, some elements of it are also unconscious (it facilitates communication between the unconscious and conscious parts of the brain)
____
(3) Superego - forms the organized part of the personality structure and is mostly (but not entirely) unconscious

141
Q

Acetylcholanine vs dopamine vs. serotonin vs. GABA —-> what each are primary neurotransmitter for

A

Acetylcholine = primary neurotransmitter of skeletal muscle
_____
Dopamine = primarily involved in pleasure- and reward- oriented behavior (and a little motor control - such as in Parkinsons)
_____
Serotonin = primarily in feelings of happiness and well-being, also some cognitive functions like learning and memory
_____
GABA = chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system

142
Q

Reciprocal Determinism (Albert Bandura)

A

theory that a person’s behavor both influences and is influinced by the environment

143
Q

Subjective Norms

A

perceived social pressure to engage or not to engage in a behavior

144
Q

Social Control

A

Refers to enforcement and conformity

145
Q

Social Cognitive Theory

A

people learn by watching others, and if they see someone is rewarded for a behavior, they are more likely to behave that way too

146
Q

Negative vs. Positive sanctions

A

Negative (=punishment) VS positive (=reward) sanction. (and can have Formal vs. informal sanction)

147
Q

ideal bureaucracy

A

makes decisions in accordance with its mission, has a heirarchial structure, indivduals should be specializaed, employees are promoted until they become sufficiently competent for their positions.

148
Q

protectionism

A

a country rejecting trade with others and being isolative

149
Q

formula for frequency of a pendulum

A

f = 1/2π * sqrt(g/L)

Where g = gravity, and L = length of pendulum

150
Q

an object is elastic if _____

A

it experiences a deformation while being compressed or stretched

151
Q

Force Constant for a spring, k –> what it is; units

A

How difficult it is to compress a spring (if small, then it is easier to move the spring)

152
Q

Hooke’s Law

A

F = -kx

for a spring force; negative b/c it is a restoring force

153
Q

Transverse vs. longitudinal waves

A 
transverse = causes vibration perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation (ex. fans doing the wave, radio and light waves)      
longitudinal = causes vibration parallel to the direction of wave propagation (ex: sound waves)
154
Q

relationship between velocity, frequency, and wavelength, and period

A

v = λf = λ/T

155
Q

Calculate wave speed f a transverse propagating wave, given spring tension (T) and mass/unit length (μ)

A

v = sqrt(T/μ)

156
Q

what is a beat? calculate the frequency of a beat

A

Beat = occurs when 2 waves of differing wavelengths interfere with each other (it is a cyclic change in intensity that occurs then). f(beat) = abs(f2 - f1)

157
Q

What is a standing wave?

A

Wave that appears to have no propagation velocity b/c it is the result of the interference of 2 waves traveling opposite directions

158
Q

first harmonic

A

the fundamental vibration - the longest possible wavelength that can be generated that meets the restriction of no movement at each end of the rope

159
Q

Nodes

A

Areas of no vibration (Are found at the ends of fixed end strings)

160
Q

Antinodes

A

Area where amplitude of vibration is the highest (found symmetrically displaced between adjacent nodes)

161
Q

Calculate wavelengths and frequencies for harmonics (where n = the harmonic #, and L = string length, and v = velocity) FOR OPEN ENDED AND CLOSED ENDED PIPES

A 
OPEN-ENDED: Based on: L=1/4 * λ
λ = 2L / n
f = nv / 2L = v/λ 
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_       
CLOSE-ENDED: Based on L = 1/2* λ
λ = 4L / n
f = nv / 4L = v/λ
162
Q

Calculate the # of nodes and antinodes in a given harmonic (where n = the harmonic number)

A 
# of nodes = n + 1         
# of antinodes = n
163
Q

shallow water vs. deep water —> velocity of a surface wave is proportional to what?

A

Shallow water: v = sqrt(gh) where h=depth of water

deep water: v = sqrt(gλ/2π)

164
Q

Resonance (in terms of vibrations)

A

Supplying a vibrating force that has a frequency which is the same as the natural frequency of the system —> will INCREASE the energy of the system (i.e., it is the opposite of damping)

165
Q

primacy effect

A

a better memory for events at the beginning of the series

166
Q

spreading activation theory

A

when a concept is activated, the activation spreads to concepts that are semantically or associatively related to it

167
Q

Behaviorism

A

The theory that all behaviors are conditioned; focuses on the role of reinforcement & punishment in shaping behavior

168
Q

which part of the eye is in direct contact with the eyelid?

A

the cornea

169
Q

what type of receptors are hair cells of the cochlea?

A

*mechanoreceptors —> so they respond to mechanical pressure or distortion

170
Q

Actor-Observer Bias

A

States that actors attribute their own behavior to situational factors, whereas observers attribute actors’ behavior to dispositional factors

171
Q

Habituation and dishabutation

A

A type of non-associative learning;
habituation = decrease in response to a stimulus due to repeated exposure, and dishabituation = when a decreases response from habituation restores back to its original response

172
Q

Optimal arousal theory

A

states that optimal performance requires optimal arousal; if arousal levels are too high or low, performance will be impeeded

173
Q

increased electrical conductivity of the skin is a physiological indication of what?

A

Increased sympathetic arousal

174
Q

Priming

A

an implicit memory effect in which exposure to one stimulus influences the responses to another stimulus

175
Q

Seyle’s General Adaptation Syndrome

A

stages that people’s response to various stressors is similar.
*he describes 3 stages: (1) alarm stage (2) resistance stage (3) exhaustion stage

176
Q

functions of hypothalamus:

A

the four Fs: (1) Feeding (2) Fighting (3) Flighting (4) (sexual) functioning

177
Q

gentrification: what it is and a few outcomes of it:

A

The reinvestment in lower income neighborhoods in urban areas which results from the influx of more affluent groups.

  • outcomes include:
  • neighborhood stratification
  • expanded tax base for local government
  • decrease of affordable housing for lower income residents
  • displacement of lower income residents
178
Q

validity vs. reliability

A 
validity = the strength of the results and whether they are generalizable; 
reliability = the repeatability and consistency of a test
179
Q

Linguistic Relativity (aka the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis)

A

Holds that the structure of a language affects its speakers’ world view or cognition

180
Q

Magic Number (aka Miller’s Law)

A

7 plus or minus 2

-George Miller argues that the number of objects an average human adult can hold in working memory is 7 plus or minus 2

181
Q

working memory

A

cognitive system with limited capacity - responsible for the transient holding, processing, and manipulation of information

182
Q

Chunking

A

parsing info into chunks that are more memorable and easier to process - a means of “hacking” our working memory

183
Q

content analysis

A

a sociological method used to make inferences about communication (by systematically interpreting words and images from documents, film, art, music, and other cultural products and media)

184
Q

procedural memory

A

memory for the performance of particular types of action

185
Q

reference group

A

a group that an individual is compared to or uses as a standard for evaluating themselves and forming an identity

186
Q

role strain vs. role conflict

A

role strain is the tension that results from competing demands within the context of a single role

vs. role conflict: if the tension existed between different roles that a single individual has

187
Q

Fundamental stability and intimacy – basic group dynamics

A

larger groups are considered more stable but less intimate (compared to smaller groups)

188
Q

dyads vs. triads

A

dyads = 2 person groups; triads = 3 person groups.

__
dyads are considered more unstable b/c either party can break the single social tie, vs triad which is more stable b/c of the additional cultural ties

189
Q

mixed methods approach

A

in sociology; bringing together quantitative methods and qualitative methods

190
Q

conflict theory

A

emphasizes the role of power differentials in producing order;
-emphasizes the competition between groups over the allocation of societal resources. Assumes that power and society are unequally distributed across a society and that groups attempt to maintain their advantage

191
Q

functionalist theory

A

society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole

192
Q

ethnographic methods

A

involve the extended, systematic observation of a complete social environment

193
Q

caste systems

A

closed stratification systems that do not allow for social mobility

194
Q

urban renewal

A

The process where an urban neighborhood or area is improved and rehabilitated

195
Q

psychoeducation

A

the education offered to individuals with a mental health condition and their families to help empower them and deal with their condition in an optimal way.

196
Q

3 types of organizations

A

(1) Coercive: members forced to join
(2) Normative: members volunteer to participate
(3) Utilitarian: members are compensated for their involvement

197
Q

Hans Eysenck:

A

follows biological perspective of personality (investigated trait of neurotocism

198
Q

Maslow:

A

humanistic perspective of personality; hierarchy of needs (the psych/physio needs humans require)

199
Q

Gordon Allport:

A

trait perspective of personality; 3 key types of traits in personality: (1) cardinal traits (2) Central Traits (3) Secondary traits

200
Q

brain areas of the limbic system

A

amygdala, hippocampus, limbic cortex, septal area, and hypothalamus

201
Q

perspective vs. descriptive

A
  • perspective: what an individual believes should occur; descriptive: what one perceives as actually occuring
  • inductive reasoning: extrapolating from individual observations to general principles
202
Q

inductive vs. deductive reasoning

A

inductive reasoning: extrapolating from individual observations to general principles;

deductive reasoning: extrapolating from general principles to individual observations

203
Q

World Systems Theory

A

divide countries into core (most econmically diversified, wealth, and powerful); periphery (least so); and semiperiphery (in between the others two)

204
Q

what is the main “reward” neurotransmitter

A

dopamine

205
Q

Anchoring

A

(aka adjustment heuristic): fixating on a specific trait (typically the first one given)

206
Q

-Representativeness heuristic:

A

judging the probability that an object or event A belongs to class B by looking at the degree to which A resembles B.

207
Q

priming

A

one stimulus influences the response to another stimulus

208
Q

dual coding

A

using verbal nad nonverbal info in separate related systems

209
Q

Prevalence vs. Morbidity vs. Mortality

A
  • Prevalence (how common a disease is);
  • morbidity (the relative incidence of disease);
  • mortality (the # of people who die from the disease
210
Q

primary vs. secondary groups

A

Primary Groups: more stable, often lifelong relationships (family/childhood friends, etc.);

secondary groups: temporary relationships (neighbors/coworkers at second job, etc.)

MCAT (14 decks)

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