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mcat psychology / sociology > psych/soc doc > Flashcards

psych/soc doc Flashcards

1
Q

bottom up processing

A

a stimulus influences our perception
processing sensory information as it is coming in (built from smallest piece of sensory information)

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2
Q

top down processing

A

background knowledge influences perception
driven by cognition (brain applies what it knows and what it expects to perceive and fills in the blanks)

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3
Q

rods

A

120 million in eye, for night vision
found mostly in the periphery

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4
Q

Gestalt Principles
(similarity, pragnanz, proximity, continuity, closure)

A

Similarity - items similar to one another are grouped together
Pragnanz - reality is often organized and reduced to simplest form possible (ex: olympic rings)
Proximity - objects that are close are grouped together
Continuity - lines are seen as following the smoothest path
Closure - objects grouped together are seen as whole

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5
Q

cones

A

6-7 million, 3 types: red, green, blue
almost all cones are centered in the fovea

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6
Q

blind spot

A

where optic nerve conects to retina, no cones or rods are present

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7
Q

order of auditory structures in ear

A
  1. outer ear: PAT/E pinna, auditory canal, tympanic membrane (eardrum)
  2. middle ear: MIS
    malleus, incus, stapes
  3. inner ear: semicircular canals and cochlea
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8
Q

Sensory adaptation

A

change over time of a receptor to a constant stimulus (downregulation)

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9
Q

Sensory amplification

A

upregulation

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10
Q

Proprioception

A

sense of balance / position
(cognitive awareness of body in space)
sensors located in muscles are sensitive to stretch. when they contract with muscles, they fire to brain to send information

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11
Q

kinaesthesia

A

movement of the body
(more behavioral)
does not include balance information

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12
Q

Pain pereception

A

nociception

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13
Q

Temperature perception

A

thermoception

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14
Q

TrypV1 receptor

A

allows for sensation of temperature and pain
conformational changes due to heat or poking activates cell and sends signal to brain

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15
Q

A-beta fibers

A

fast, thick, covered in myelin

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16
Q

A-delta fibers

A

smaller diameter than a-beta, less myelin, slower speed of transmission but not slowest

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17
Q

C fibers

A

small diameter, un-myelinated, result in lingering sensation of pain

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18
Q

olfaction

A

sense of smell

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19
Q

gustation

A

sense of taste

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20
Q

5 main tastes

A

bitter, sweet, umami (ability to taste glutamate) bind to GCPRs
salty and sour bind to ion channels

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21
Q

types of taste buds

A

fungiform (anterior)
foliate (side)
circumvallate (posterior)

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22
Q

consciousness

A

awareness of our self and enviornment

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23
Q

different levels of consciousness

A

can be induced by external factors (ex drugs) or internal mental efforts
1. alertness: awake
2. daydreaming: more relaxed, not as focused, can be self-induced as meditation
3. drowsiness: just before falling asleep or after waking up. can be self-induced in deep mediation
4. sleep: not aware of external or internal environments

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24
Q

Waves associated with sleep

A

Beta waves (13-30 Hz): awake/concentration. Increased stress, anxiety, restlessness, constant alertness
Alpha waves (8-13 Hz): daydreaming. disappear in drowsiness but reappear in deep sleep. relaxation.
Theta waves (7 Hz): drowsiness, right after you fall asleep
Delta waves (0.5-3 Hz): deep sleep or coma
* Measured by EEGs *

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25
Sleep stages
brain goes through distinct brain patterns during sleep N1 -> N2 -> N3 -> N2 -> REM how long each stage lasts depends on how long you've been asleep and your age
26
Stage 1 sleep
Dominated by theta waves. strange sensations: hypnagogic hallucinations (seeing / hearing things that aren't there) tetris effect (playing tetris right before bed leads to seeing blocks) hypnic jerks (feeling of falling)
27
Stage 2 sleep
more theta waves, sleep spindles, and K-complexes deeper stage of sleep, people in N2 are harder to awaken
28
sleep spindles
short bursts of activity on an EEG help inhibit certain perceptions so we maintain a tranquil state during sleep. associated with ability to sleep through loud noises
29
K-complexes
suppress cortical arousal and keep you asleep. helps sleep-based memory consolidation. can make them occur by touching someone sleeping occur during N2
30
Stage 3
slow wave sleep, characterized by delta waves. where sleep walking / talking occurs
31
REM stage
Rapid-eye movement. most of your other muscles are paralyzed. most dreaming occurs here, and it is the most important stage for memory consolidation combination of alpha, beta, and asynchronous waves, similar to beta waves seen while away "paradoxical sleep" because brain is active and awake but body prevents it from doing anything prefrontal cortex activity is decreased (area that is responsible for logic)
32
Circadian rhythms
regular body rhythms across a 24 hour period. controlled by melatonin produced by the pineal gland. controls body temperature, sleep cycle, etc. daylight and artificial light are regulators change over time, young people stay up later than older people
33
daydreaming
eyes move rapidly under eyelids and brainwaves look like they are completely awake
34
Sigmund Freud dream theory
dreams are our unconscious thoughts and desires that need to be interpreted little scientific support (like an iceberg) Manifest content - what happens in dream Latent content - what is hidden meaning of dream
35
Evolutionary biology dream theory
Dreams provide threat simulation to prepare for real world, allows for problem solving
36
Other dream theories
- maintain brain flexibility - consolidate thoughts to long-term memory and clean up thoughts - preserve and develop neural pathways (infants spend most of time in REM)
37
Activation Synthesis Hypothesis
brain gets a lot of neural impulses in the brainstem, and these are sometimes interpreted by the frontal cortex dreams are brain trying to make meaning of random brain activity
38
sleep deprivation
sleep disorder correlating to increased irritability and decreased memory function people are more susceptible to obesity (increased cortisol) increased risk for depression - get back on track by paying back "sleep debt"
39
insomnia
sleep disorder characterized by persistent trouble falling asleep or staying asleep can be treated with medications (risk for dependence / tolerance) exercising or relaxing before bed can help
40
narcolepsy
sleep disorder characterized by fits of sleepiness and going into REM sleep at any time. individuals cannot prevent falling asleep. indications of genetic condition, linked to absence of alertness neurotransmitter
41
sleep apnea
sleep disorder characterized by decreased / halted breathing while sleep, wake up just long enough to gasp for air and fall back asleep without realizing can occur 100x a night individuals don't get enough N3 (slow-wave) sleep snoring and fatigue are indications (1 in 20 people)
42
sleep walking / sleep talking
sleep disorders occuring in stage 3 sleep. harmless. occur more in children that have more stage 3 sleep
43
obstructive sleep apnea vs central sleep apnea
obstructive sleep apnea - sleep apneas occur due to tissues blocking airflow central sleep apnea - sleep apneas occur without obstruction, problem is in system for ventilation
44
cheyne-stokes breathing
period of oscillations then flat pattern in polysomnography
45
hyperventilation
causes high pCO2 and low pO2 can be caused by medication and obesity chronically elevated pCO2 can lead to right heart failure
46
hypnotism
getting a person to relax and focus on their breathing, and they become more susceptible to suggestion more alpha waves (awake but relaxed) dangerous to use hypnosis to retrieve memories as memories are malleable can refocus attention to reduce pain as it inhibits attention & reduces activity in areas that process sensory input
47
two theories for how hypnosis works
1 - dissociation theory says that hypnotism is an extreme form of divided consciousness 2 - social influence theory says that people do and report what is expected of them, like actors caught up in their roles
48
meditation
trained state of self-regulating attention and awareness can be guided and focused or unfocused where the mind wanders freely more alpha waves than normal relaxation increased theta waves in deep meditation regular deep meditation can increase activity in prefrontal cortex, right hippocampus, and right anterior insult can be helpful for ADHD and aging
49
depressant drugs
drugs that lower body's basic functions and neural activity (ex - heart rate, reaction time) most popular is alcohol but includes barbiturates, benzodiazepines (ABB)
50
alcohol
most popular depressant drug causes people to think more slowly, disrupts their REM sleep/formation of memories, and removes inhibitions
51
barbiturates
type of depressant drug used to induce sleep or reduce anxiety / depress your central nervous system side effects are reduced memory, judgement, and ability to concentrate taken with alcohol can lead to death
52
benzodiazepines
most commonly prescribed suppressant for sleep aids or anti-anxiety effects enhances brain's response to GABA which open GABA-activated chloride channels in neurons and make neurons more negatively charged 3 types: short and intermediate are usually for sleep, long acting is usually for anxiety
53
opiates
type of drug used to treat pain and anxiety, not a depressant drug (own category) ex: heroin and morphine used to treat pain because they act at body's receptor sites for endorphins lead to euphoria, causing recreational use
54
stimulants
stimulate or increase intensity of neural activity or body functions includes caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, and ecstasy (CCAMEN)
55
caffeine
stimulant drug inhibits adenosine receptors can disrupt sleep physiologically addicting withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, and irritability
56
nicotine
stimulant drug disrupts sleep and can suppress appetite at high levels, can cause muscles to relax and release stress-reducing neurotransmitters to counteract hyper-alertness physiologically addicting withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, and irritability
57
cocaine
strong stimulant drug releases so much dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine that it depletes your brain's supply, causing an intense crash and depression when it wears off regular users can experience suspicion, convulsions, respiratory arrest, and cardiac failure
58
amphetamines and methamphetamines
stimulant drugs trigger release of dopamine cause euphoria for up to 8 hours highly addictive long-term addicts may lose ability to maintain normal level of dopamine
59
hallucinogens
drugs that cause many types of hallucinations and altered perception, sometimes have medical uses includes marijuana, ecstasy, LSD (MELsd) some hallucinogens are used for PTSD treatment, allowing people to access painful memories detached from strong emotions
60
marijuana
mild hallucinogen drug main active chemical is THC, which heightens sensitivity to sounds, tastes, and smells reduces inhibition and impairs motor / coordination skills disrupts memory formation and short-term recall stays in body for up to a week used as medicine to relieve pain and nausea
61
ecstacy
synthetic drug that is both a stimulant and hallucinogen increases dopamine, serotonin, and euphoria stimulates the body's nervous system can damage neurons that produce serotonin, which has several functions including moderating mood causes hallucinations and heightened sensations (ex: artificial feeling of social connectedness)
62
LSD
hallucinogen drug interferes with serotonin, which causes people to experience hallucinations visual hallucinations instead of auditory
63
homeostasis with drug use
body tries to maintain temperature, heartbeat, metabolism, etc regular drug users' CNS might recognize external cues and responds before drug is consumed ex: if taking amphetamines, body tries to lower HR
64
routes of drug entry
OIITI Oral - ingesting something, one of the slowest routes as it goes through GI tract (half hour) Inhalation - breathing / smoking, once inhaled drug goes straight to brain (10 seconds) Injection - most direct method, can be very dangerous (within seconds) Transdermal - drug is absorbed through skin, drug needs to be potent, released into bloodstream (several hours) Intramuscular - drug is injected into muscle, can deliver drugs to system quickly or slowly (ex: epipen = fast, vaccines = slow) faster routes of entry have more addictive potential
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mcat psychology / sociology (3 decks)

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