MCAT Psychology Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the absolute threshold?

The point at which a stimulus is no longer perceivable

The maximum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus

The average level of stimulation required for perception

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time (correct)

What does signal detection theory predict?

Signal detection occurs independently of background noise

There is a single absolute threshold for stimulus detection

Only physical factors affect stimulus detection

Detection of faint stimuli is influenced by experience and expectations (correct)

Overlapping error bars indicate a significant difference between two values.

False

What is the dependency ratio?

The number of people who are too young or too old to work compared to those in their productive years. Signup and view all the answers

What role does the cerebellum serve?

Controls fine motor skills, posture, coordination, and proprioception. Signup and view all the answers

What does sick role theory describe?

The patterns of behavior a sick person adopts to minimize the impact of their illness on others. Signup and view all the answers

What is social constructionism?

A theory that argues that 'reality' is created through social interactions. Signup and view all the answers

What is confirmation bias?

A tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions while ignoring contradictory evidence. Signup and view all the answers

What function does the central executive in working memory serve?

It directs attention and processing while regulating attention and task switching. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the visuospatial sketchpad?

To manipulate visual or spatial information. Signup and view all the answers

What does the phonological loop do?

Holds and processes verbal and auditory information. Signup and view all the answers

What is the episodic buffer responsible for?

Connecting working memory to long-term memory and temporal processing. Signup and view all the answers

Define working memory.

A system that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming information and information retrieved from long-term memory. Signup and view all the answers

What is social facilitation?

Improvement in an individual's performance due to the presence of others. Signup and view all the answers

What is social impairment?

The negative impact of the presence of others on the performance of a difficult task. Signup and view all the answers

What is somatic symptom disorder?

A psychological disorder where symptoms manifest as bodily symptoms without a physical cause. Signup and view all the answers

What is illness anxiety disorder?

A disorder where a person misinterprets normal sensations as symptoms of a disease. Signup and view all the answers

What does the factitious disorder involve?

Acting as if one has a physical or mental illness when one is not actually sick. Signup and view all the answers

What is the monoamine hypothesis related to?

Deficiency in monoamines contributing to depression. Signup and view all the answers

What does fluid intelligence refer to?

The ability to see abstract relationships and draw logical inferences. Signup and view all the answers

Define crystallized intelligence.

Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills that tend to increase with age. Signup and view all the answers

What is selective attention?

The focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What does divided attention involve?

Concentrating on more than one activity at the same time. Signup and view all the answers

What is retroactive interference?

The disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information. Signup and view all the answers

Define proactive interference.

The disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information. Signup and view all the answers

What is context-dependent memory?

The theory that information learned in a specific context is better remembered in that context. Signup and view all the answers

What is avoidance learning?

Learning to avoid a negative stimulus by making a particular response. Signup and view all the answers

What is escape learning?

Learning a response that decreases or ends some aversive stimulation. Signup and view all the answers

What are monocular depth cues?

Visual cues that help perceive depth using one eye. Signup and view all the answers

Define stereopsis.

The perception of depth created by combining differing images from each eye. Signup and view all the answers

What is sensory adaptation?

A decrease in response to a constant stimulus over time. Signup and view all the answers

What is the serial position effect?

The tendency to recall the first and last items in a list best. Signup and view all the answers

What are subjective contours?

The perception of contours where none actually exist. Signup and view all the answers

The vestibular senses are concerned with ______.

movement and body position Signup and view all the answers

What do otolith organs detect?

Linear acceleration. Signup and view all the answers

What do semicircular canals detect?

Angular acceleration. Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural evolution?

Changes in human values, practices, and beliefs not due to genetics. Signup and view all the answers

What does the correlation coefficient indicate?

The direction and strength of a relationship between variables. Signup and view all the answers

What is the affective component of attitude?

A person's feelings or emotions about an object, person, or event. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of interneurons?

Act as a middle-man between sensory and motor neurons and allow communication within the CNS. Signup and view all the answers

What are adrenal cortex hormones?

Aldosterone, cortisol, androgens. Signup and view all the answers

What are adrenal medulla hormones?

Catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine). Signup and view all the answers

What are sensory ganglia?

Collections of cell bodies outside the central nervous system. Signup and view all the answers

What is long-term potentiation?

An increase in a cell's firing potential after rapid stimulation. Signup and view all the answers

What is a shadowing task?

Two different sounds projected into different ears, where one must repeat what is heard in one ear. Signup and view all the answers

What functions does the left hemisphere of the brain serve?

Controls the right side of the body and is responsible for logical and academic tasks. Signup and view all the answers

What is a negative correlation?

As one variable increases, the other decreases. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Key Concepts in Psychology

Absolute Threshold
- Minimum stimulation required to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.
Signal Detection Theory
- Predicts how and when we detect faint stimuli amid background noise.
- Detection depends on personal experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness.
Overlapping Error Bars
- Indicates no significant difference between two values in statistical data.
Dependency Ratio
- Ratio of people too young (under 15) or too old (over 65) to work compared to those in productive years.
Cerebellum
- Part of the hindbrain controlling fine motor skills, posture, coordination, and procedural memory.
Sick Role Theory
- Describes behaviors adopted by sick individuals to minimize illness's impact on others.
Social Constructionism
- Theory that reality is created through social interactions, leading to shared meanings of concepts like money or behaviors.
Confirmation Bias
- Tendency to seek information that confirms preconceptions while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Components of Working Memory

Central Executive
- Directs attention and processing in working memory; controls other components.
Visuospatial Sketchpad
- Manages visual and spatial information; facilitates tasks like reading maps.
Phonological Loop
- Processes verbal and auditory information; used in activities like reading aloud.
Episodic Buffer
- Connects working memory with long-term memory; aids in understanding timelines of events.
Working Memory
- Active processing of auditory and visual-spatial information; differs from short-term memory by emphasizing manipulation of data.

Social Facilitation
- Performance improves in the presence of others, especially if the task is easy and well-practiced.
Social Impairment
- Performance worsens on difficult tasks when others are present.

Psychological Disorders

Somatic Symptom Disorder
- Symptoms manifest in the body without a physical cause.
Illness Anxiety Disorder
- Misinterpretation of normal sensations as signs of disease.
Factitious Disorder
- Individuals simulate illness despite being healthy.

Neurotransmitter and Intelligence

Monoamine Hypothesis
- Depression linked to a deficiency of monoamines (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine).
Fluid Intelligence
- Ability to identify abstract relationships; usually decreases with age.
Crystallized Intelligence
- Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age.

Memory Concepts

Selective Attention
- Focused awareness on a specific stimulus.
Divided Attention
- Simultaneously concentrating on multiple activities.
Retroactive Interference
- New learning disrupts recall of old information.
Proactive Interference
- Old learning disrupts recall of new information.
Context Dependent Memory
- Information learned in a specific context is better recalled in that same context.

Learning Theories

Avoidance Learning
- Learning to avoid negative stimuli through specific responses.
Escape Learning
- Acquiring a response that terminates or reduces aversive conditions.

Visual and Sensory Perception

Stereopsis
- Integration of different images from each eye to perceive depth.
Sensory Adaptation
- Neurons decrease activity in response to constant stimuli over time.
Subjective Contours
- Perception of non-existent contours; brain fills gaps in visual information.

Physiological Components

Adrenal Cortex Hormones
- Includes aldosterone, cortisol, androgens.
Adrenal Medulla Hormones
- Consists of catecholamines, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine.
Neurulation Steps
- Development process in forming the nervous system.

Miscellaneous Concepts

Correlation Coefficient
- Indicates the direction of relationships between variables; does not imply causation.
Interneurons
- Function as connectors between sensory and motor neurons within the central nervous system.

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Test your understanding of key concepts in psychology with these MCAT flashcards. This set focuses on important terms like 'absolute threshold' and 'signal detection theory' essential for grasping psychological principles.