Psych/Soc Missed Questions

Question 1

Describe the different types of intelligence.

Answer 1

crystallized: solving problems using previous experience or already-acquired intelligence

emotional: understanding the emotions of others and oneself

practical: ability to adapt to everyday environments and solve issues that arise in everyday life

fluid: ability to reason abstractly and solve new problems through logic

Question 2

What is stereotype threat?

Answer 2

individuals feel at risk for confirming negative stereotypes about their social group
- causes anxiety which can impair cognitive function, focus, and decreased performance

Question 3

What is assimilation?

Answer 3

minority group conforms to practices, behaviors, and beliefs of the majority group

Question 4

What is cognitive dissonance?

Answer 4

individual has two conflicting thoughts or beliefs

Question 5

What is selection bias?

Answer 5

selection of a sample for a study is not done randomly

Question 6

What is a primary group?

Answer 6

family or close individuals

Question 7

What is social capital?

Answer 7

benefits gained from social networks

Question 8

What is Gardner’s Theory?

Answer 8

individuals have multiple different types of intelligences

Question 9

What is Social interactionist theory?

Answer 9

language is acquired due to desire to communicate with others, not due to innate abilities

Question 10

What is Nativist theory?

Answer 10

language ability is inherent

Question 11

What is behaviorist theory?

Answer 11

language is learned through reinforcement, imitation, and conditioning, not through innate ability

Question 12

Describe the sleep stages.

Answer 12

4-6 cycles per night

NREM1: prominent in initial stages of falling asleep, light
- alpha waves transition into theta waves

NREM2: 50% of sleep cycle, intermediate sleep with spindles (bursts)/K-complexes (large, slow brain waves)
- consolidate memories

NREM3: deepest sleep stage, delta waves, decreased in later sleep cycles
- GH release, immune function

REM: vivid dreaming, wakeful brain activity, increases later in sleep cycle
- memory consolidation, emotional and cognitive recovery

Question 13

What is game theory?

Answer 13

rational people act according to their own self-interest

Question 14

What is altruism?

Answer 14

doing a good deed for someone else without any personal benefit or self-motive

Question 15

What is urbanization?

Answer 15

encroachment of urban areas on suburban or rural areas and the migration of previously suburban or rural people to the city
- increasing population density
- land being converted for urban use

Question 16

What is Demographic Transition Theory?

Answer 16

Stage 1: preindustrial society = high birth rate due to lack of BC/cultural norms, high death rate from disease/famine/poor sanitation/lack of medical knowledge, population growth minimum
- primitive

Stage 2: early industrial society = birth rate high, death rate declines due to improvements in healthcare, rapid increase in population growth (EXPLOSION)
- urbanization begins

Stage 3: late industrial society = birth rate begins to decline as society becomes more urbanized, death rate low, population growth slows down
- improved education, economic growth

Stage 4: post industrial society = birth rate and death rate are low and stable, population growth is 0
- highly industrialized economy, advanced healthcare, education access

Question 17

What is fundamental attribution error?

Answer 17

tendency to overemphasize personality traits and underestimate situational factors when explaining someone else’s behavior
ex) someone cuts you off, you assume they’re rude instead of in a hurry

Question 18

What is conflict theory?

Answer 18

society is made up of groups with competing interests, leading to conflict and inequality
- Karl Marx

social power is maintained through power, coercion, and inequality, not by consensus
- change comes by conflict

Question 19

What is functionalism?

Answer 19

society is a complex system made up of interconnected parts, each serving a function to maintain social stability and order
- cohesive whole achieved through consensus

Question 20

What is a maladaptive strategy?

Answer 20

coping mechanism or behavior that ultimately harms a person’s well-being
- unhealthy way to deal with stress or difficult situations

ex) substance abuse, avoidance, procrastination, self-harm, emotional suppression

Question 21

What is groupthink?

Answer 21

occurs when a group prioritizes conformity over independent thinking, resulting in flawed decisions

Question 22

What is symbolic interactionism?

Answer 22

construct meaning through communication (interaction) with others
- attaching meaning to symbols

Question 23

What is the self-serving bias?

Answer 23

tendency to attribute one’s successes to dispositional attributes while attributing one’s failures to the situation

Question 24

What is Erikson’s Model of Psychosocial Development?

Answer 24

1. trust vs. mistrust (infancy: 0-1 years)
2. autonomy vs. shame and doubt (early childhood: 1-3 years)
   - confidence
3. initiative vs. guilt (preschool: 3-6 years)
   - leadership
4. Industry vs. inferiority (6-12 years)
   - competence + achievement
5. identity vs. role confusion (12-18 years)
   - strong sense of self/purpose
6. intimacy vs. isolation (18-40)
   - strong relationships
7. generativity vs. stagnation (40-65 years)
   - productivity
8. integrity vs. despair (65+)
   - fulfilment

Question 25

Describe the difference in memory.

Answer 25

sensory: lasts 1 second; filtering and prioritizing of all sensory input
- iconic: visual
- echoic: auditory

short-term: few seconds to few minutes; 5-9 pieces of information

working: more active STM; holds all of the information that a person is actively using at a certain time
- problem-solving, reasoning, comprehension

long-term: storing info over hours to lifetime; unlimited capacity
1) explicit (declarative) memory: conscious recall
- episodic memory: personal experience and events
- semantic memory: general knowledge and facts
2) implicit memory: unconscious memories like skills and habits
1) procedural memory: motor skills and actions
2) conditioned response: memories formed through classical conditioning

Question 26

What is group polarization?

Answer 26

tendency for a group to make decisions that are more extreme than an individual would make

Question 27

What is the self-discrepancy theory?

Answer 27

each of us has 3 selves and that perceived differences between these lead to negative feelings
- actual self: the way we see ourselves
- ideal self: person we would like to be
- ought self: the way others think we should be

Question 28

What is inclusive fitness theory?

Answer 28

number of offspring and their ability to protect AND raise its offspring so that they become productive members of social structure

Question 29

What is Seyle’s general adaptation syndrome?

Answer 29

short-term and long-term adaptation to stress
1. alarm stage: activates fight or flight
2. resistance stage: if stressor persists, body continues to release hormones, but at reduced rate
3. exhaustion stage: stressor persists for too long, body’s resources are depleted

Question 30

What is the difference between ascribed and achieved status?

Answer 30

ascribed: born into or assigned involuntarily
- gender, race, social class

achieved: social position acquired through achievement
- education

Question 31

What is social constructionism?

Answer 31

objects generally have little inherent value unless society ascribes value to it