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MCAT > Psych + Soc > Flashcards

Psych + Soc Flashcards

1
Q

What is Weber’s Law?

A

It describes the linear relationship b/w stimulus intensity and noticing the difference b/w it

JND: smallest difference b/w intensity that can be detected 50% of the time

Absolute Threshold: minimum intensity of stimulus to detect it 50% of the time

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2
Q

What is associated with the vestibular system?

A

Balance and spatial orientation, operates in the inner ear

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3
Q

What is signal detection theory?

A

How we make decisions under conditions of uncertainty, discerning important stimuli vs. noise

Also includes consideration of individual’s psychological state

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4
Q

Bottom-up vs. top-down processing?

A

Bottom-up: stimulus/sensory info influences perception

Top-down: background knowledge/context influences perception

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5
Q

What are the Gestalt principles?

A

Similarity: similar items (by characteristics) are grouped together

Proximity: close together items are grouped together

Continuity:

Closure: gaps between lines are closed, object is seen as a whole

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6
Q

What is the structure of the eye?

A

Conjunctiva: outmermost layer that light hits first
Cornea: transparent sheet of tissue
Pupil: mini-hole
Lens: bends light onto the retina
Vitreous: jelly substance that maintains pressure
Retina: photoreceptors (made up of fovea/cones and macula)
Sclera: white of the eye, muscle attachment
Choroid: blood vessels
Optic disc: blind spot

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7
Q

What is the mechanism of vision?

A

Light enters the eye through the pupil then is bent onto the retina by the lens, photoreceptor cells in the retina sends a neural impulse to the brain

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8
Q

What are the photoreceptor cells? Fields of vision?

A

Rods: responsible for low-light vision
Cones: responsible for color vision (trichromatic theory)

Central field: high in cones so high color and detail acuity

Peripheral field: high in rods so low light and motion detection

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9
Q

What side is vision processed in the brain from the eye?

A

Left visual field corresponds to right side of the brain and vice versa

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10
Q

What is parallel processing?

A

Refers to the simultaneous processing of color and motion so we see it all at once

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11
Q

What is the mechanism of sound?

A

1) sound hits the pinna (outer ear) and enters the auditory canal
2) then hits the tympanic membrane (eardrum) which vibrates the malleus, incus, and stapes
3) which then interacts with fluid and cochlea that propagates signal to brain

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12
Q

What is deafness characterized by?

A

A problem in the conduction of sound waves to the cochlea then brain

Solved by a cochlear implant that has a microphone and a transmitter to a receiver that stimulates the cochlea

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13
Q

What are the types of somatosensation? And receptors?

A

Temperature (thermoception), thermoreceptor (hot, cold)

Pressure (mechanoception), mechanoreceptor (sound waves, touch)

Pain (noiception)

Position (proprioception)/balance

Photoreceptor and chemoreceptor

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14
Q

How are smell (olfactory) and taste (gustatory) signals sent to the brain?

A

The nose contains bundles of nerves that a molecule binds to a specific receptor on that sends a signal

The tongue contains bundles of specific receptors that when bound sends a signal

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15
Q

What are the sleep stages? How long? What are they controlled by? Measurable?

A

N1 –> N2 –> N3 –> N2 –> REM (dreaming)

In 90 minute cycles
N2 sleep spindles

Controlled by circadian rhythms associated with melatonin (pineal gland)

Sleep debt can be paid back

Measures include cortisol, melatonin, and core body temp

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16
Q

What are some examples of depressants? Opiates? Stimulants? Hallucinogens? How does the brain function with continued use?

A

Depressants: suppress neural activity (GABA is inhibitory)

  • alcohol
  • barbituates (lower anxiety and make you sleepy)
  • benzos (lower anxiety and make you sleepy)

Opiates: act on endorphin receptors to simulate euphoria

  • heroine
  • morphine

Stimulants: intensify neural activity (Glutamate is excitatory)

  • caffeine
  • nicotine
  • cocaine
  • amphetamines

Hallucinogens

  • ecstacy
  • LSD
  • weed

Brain starts to anticipate drug use and compensates to try to maintain homeostasis

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17
Q

What are the routes of drug use?

A 
Oral -- Slower
Inhalation -- Faster
IV -- FAST (more addictive)
IM
Transdermal -- SLOW
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18
Q

What is the reward pathway in the brain?

A

VTA in the midbrain (dopamineee)

With the amygdala, hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens

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19
Q

Tolerance vs. withdrawal? Dependence?

A

Tolerance: continued use leads to getting used to it so need more to achieve same effect

Withdrawal: a period of not having drug leads to experience opposite/negative symptoms

Combine those with neurochemical changes = dependence

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20
Q

What are the treatment methods for substance abuse?

A

CBT: focuses on recognizing a problem then developing more positive behaviors and coping strategies

Motivational interviewing: trying to create intrinsic motivation change

Group meetings: AA, NA

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21
Q

What makes it harder to multi-task?

A

Similar tasks, complex tasks,

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22
Q

What is sensory memory?

A

Iconic (visual) or echoic (auditory) that only lasts seconds

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23
Q

What is working memory? How many things can be stored?

A

Visuospatial sketchpad (reading a map), phonological loop (reading/listening), episodic buffer (timeline), and central executive (attention, task switching)

7 +/- 2 pieces of information

Subject to serial position effects (primacy and recency)

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24
Q

What is long-term memory?

A

Explicit (declarative): facts/events (episodic) or semantic (language)

Implicit (non-declarative): procedural memory (negative priming is associated)

Unlimited storage

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25
Q

What is memory encoding?

A

Sensory information –> memory

Many strategies like rote rehearsal, chunking, mnemonic devices, self-referencing, spacing

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26
Q

What is memory retrieval? What can influence it?

A

Memory –> use

Can be influences by priming (unconscious exposure) or contextual cues (environment)

Free recall is the hardest, recognition is the easiest

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27
Q

What is memory reconstructive bias? Confabulation?

A

Every retrieval is changed in small and not perfect so the brain fills gaps in with potentially wrong information (confabulation)

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28
Q

What is source monitoring error?

A

A misattribution of a memory to its source

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29
Q

What is flashbulb memory?

A

Highly vivid emotional memories

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30
Q

What is memory long-term potentiation?

A

Basically neuroplasticity in how new cells aren’t grown but neuronal connections are just strengthened

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31
Q

What is memory decay and interference?

A

Decay: when memories aren’t encoded well or retrieved for a while those connections fade

Retroactive interference: new learning impairs old memories

Proactive interference: old memories impairs new learning

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32
Q

What is the effect of aging on memory? Intelligence?

A

Stable: implicit/non-declarative/procedural memory

Improves: semantic memory, crystallized IQ (accumulated knowledge and verbal skills), and emotional reasoning

Declines: recall, episodic memory, formation of new memories, fluid IQ (abstract and quick reasoning)

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33
Q

What is Alzheimer’s?

A

An extreme form of dementia characterized by forgetting to the point of interfering with ADL’s progressively worsening brain atrophy from amyloid plaques and neuro-tangles

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34
Q

What is Korsakoff’s?

A

Memory disorder caused by a Thiamine deficiency and characterized by either retrograde amnesia: can’t recall previous memories or by anterograde amnesia: can’t encode new memories

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35
Q

What are Piaget’s stages of cognitive development?

A

Sensorimotor (0-2)

  • sensory perception
  • object permanence

Pre-operational (2-7)

  • symbolic thinking
  • egocentric (only think about self)

Concrete-operational (7-12)

  • develop conservation
  • and empathy

Formal-operational (12+)
- abstract thinking

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36
Q

What are decision making heuristics? Availability? Representativeness? Confirmation bias? Belief Perseverance?

A

Mental shortcuts taken

Availability: based on using examples that readily come to mind, knowledge/info we have

Representativeness: judge something in relation to a stereotype

Confirmation bias: seeking facts that confirm own position, stronger for emotional things

Belief perseverance: still holding belief even when there is strong evidence to the contrary

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37
Q

What is spreading activation?

A

A relational way to organize concepts so the activation of one concept pulls all related concepts together too

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38
Q

General intelligence? 8 intelligence? Hereditary genius? Mental age?

A

General intelligence: there is one intelligence that underlies all cognitive tasks

8 intelligences: 8 different modalities/types of intelligence

Hereditary genius: Some people just have higher human ability that is inherited

Mental age: a comparison of someone’s mental age to their physical/biological age

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39
Q

What is the behaviorist theory of language? Nativist? Materialist? Interactionist? Relativity?

A

Behaviorist: Skinner, language is learned and conditioned behavior (not born with it)

Nativist: Chomsky, language is innate with a critical period

Materialist: looks at what happens in the brain

Interactionist: Vygotsky, its the interaction between biology and the social to learn language, nature vs. nurture

Relativity: cognition is determined by the structure of a language

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40
Q

How is language lateralized in split-brains?

A

Language is lateralized to the left so in split brain cases where information is sent to the right it can’t access the left to process the language

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41
Q

What is broca’s area? Wernicke’s area?

A

Broca: frontal lobe, speech

Wernicke’s: temporal lobe, comprehension

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42
Q

What is the limbic system? Associated structures?

A

It is responsible for the storage/retrieval of emotional memories and is the emotion/drive center

HIPPO HAT
Hippocampus (memory formation), hypothalamus (endocrine regulation), amygdala (emotional center), thalamus (sensory relay center, except smell)

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43
Q

What is the prefrontal cortex? Where are emotions lateralized?

A

It is responsible for executive functioning and control

Positive emotions are lateralized to the left
Negative emotions are lateralized to the right

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44
Q

What are emotions made up of? Six universal emotions?

A

Subjective experiences accompanied by physiological and behavioral (expressive displays) changes

Cognitive component in some theories

Happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust

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45
Q

What is the James-Lange theory of emotion?

A

Emotional experiences are a result of physiological responses

Stimulus –> physio response –> emotion

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46
Q

What is the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion?

A

Emotional experiences and physiological changes occur independently and simultaneously

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47
Q

What is the Schacter-Singer/Two-Factor theory of emotion?

A

Emotional experiences are a result of the cognitive interpretation of physiological changes

Stimulus –> physio response –> cognitive interp –> emotion

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48
Q

What is the Yerkes-Dodson Law?

A

Optimal performance comes from a state of moderate arousal (not too low or high)

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49
Q

What is stress? Examples?

A

A strain experienced from a disruption in equilibrium, stressor –> stress reaction

Significant life changes (divorce), catastrophic events (earthquake), daily hassles, ambient stressors (environmental)

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50
Q

What is the appraisal theory of stress?

A

That stress results less from events and more from the cognitive interpretation of that event

Primary appraisal: presence of a threat/stressor
Secondary appraisal: capability to cope w/

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51
Q

What is the general adaptation syndrome to stress?

A

1) alarm: stress response activated (low resistance)
2) resistance: too much sustained cortisol release (high resistance)
3) exhaustion: damage from sustained cortisol (low resistance)

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52
Q

What are physical effects of cortisol? Cardiac? Metabolism? Reproductive? Immune?

A

Increased BP, vascular disease, CAD

Also raises BG so can exacerbate diabetes

Stress response diverts away from reproductive system

Acute inflammation but chronically can suppress immune system

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53
Q

What are the behavioral effects of stress/cortisol?

A

Can be wide ranging because cortisol receptors on many body structures

Can include anhedonia (lack of pleasure) –> depression, anger, anxiety, addiction

Learned helplessness: results in inability to identify coping mechanisms b/c constant helpless feeling

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54
Q

Afferent vs. efferent neurons?

A

Afferent neurons are ascending for stimulus

Efferent neurons are descending for response/reflex

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55
Q

White vs. gray matter?

A

White matter represents myelinated neurons

Grey matter represents the cell body/soma

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56
Q

What are the functions of the frontal lobe? Parietal lobe? Occipital lobe? Temporal lobe? Cerebellum? Brain stem? Cerebrum?

A

Frontal lobe: includes motor, prefrontal, broca’s area

Parietal lobe: somatosensory

Occipital lobe: vision

Temporal lobe: sound, wernicke’s area

Cerebellum: movement and position coordination

Brain stem: vital functions from midbrain, pons, medulla

Cerebrum: includes thalamus and hypothalamus

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57
Q

What are the important neurotransmitters?

A

GABA: inhibitory
Glutamate: excitatory

Acetylcholine: muscle contraction

Seretonin: mood regulation

Dopamine: pleasure/reward

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58
Q

What are the different brain “imaging” techniques?

A

Structural: CT and MRI
Functional: EEG (this is less so imaging)

Both: fMRI (oxygenation), PET (glucose metabolism/radioactive)

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59
Q

What are twin/adoption studies used to study?

A

Gene-environment interaction b/c with twins (identical: 100%, fraternal: 50%) genetic information is controlled for so if studied in different environments it can yield information

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60
Q

What is the drive-reduction theory to motivation?

A

That humans seek to maintain homeostasis in drives of warmth, hunger, thirst, arousal etc.

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61
Q

What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

A

Top

Self-actualization: maximizing potential

Self-esteem: confidence, achievement

Love: and belonging

Safety: health, shelter, employment etc.

Physiological needs: food, water, sleep etc.

Bottom

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62
Q

What is incentive theory of motivation?

A

Humans seek to maximize external rewards, minimize punishments

It can be associated with community acceptance vs. displeasure

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63
Q

What is the expectancy theory of motivation?

A

Involves combination of belief in self capability, outcome control, and desirability

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64
Q

What are attitudes? Components?

A

Learned tendency to evaluate things in a certain way

Affective: emotional
Behavioral: towards people and things
Cognitive: thoughts/beliefs

65
Q

What is the elaboration-likelihood persuasion model?

A

Central route: quality of argument, good when people are willing and able to pay attention

Peripheral route: superficial characteristics of persuader, good when not paying close attention

66
Q

What is role-playing in attitude? Foot in the door persuasion?

A

That people tend to behave consistently with their role

Start with something easy to agree to then increase ask

67
Q

What is cognitive-dissonance theory?

A

People strive for harmony b/w their thoughts and actions so when there are conflicting cognitions that leads to discomfort which is relieved by changing attitudes/behaviors

68
Q

What is Freudian psychoanalytic personality theory? Coping mechanisms?

A

Personality is shaped by unconscious thoughts, feelings, childhood experiences

Id: the subconcious, more primal desires
Ego: the regulation b/w id and supergo
Siperego: the moral conscience

Projection: of own feelings onto others
Reaction Formation: doing opposite of what they actually feel
Regression: to position of child
Sublimation: diverting impulses to something more productive

69
Q

What is Carl Rodger’s humanistic theory?

A

Focus on the inherently good nature of humans with a basic motive to self-actualize with continued growth and congruency b/w self-concept and actions

70
Q

What is the behaviorist personality theory?

A

Personality is a result of learned behavior patterns

Operant: rewards/punishments
Classical: stimulus/response

71
Q

What is the trait personality theory?

A

Traits are a stable characteristic and predisposition towards a certain behavior

Cardinal: direct all activities and behavior
Central: less dominant and more related to personality
Secondary: situational

72
Q

What is the Big 5 Model of personality?

A 
Openness to experience
Conscientiousness (careful, organized, discipline)
Extraversion
Agreeableness (kind, appreciative)
Neuroticism
73
Q

What is observational learning? Social cognitive theory?

A

Social learning, vicarious learning by watching others and modeling their actions (mirror neurons are active in observing and performing behavior)

Social cognitive theory refers to the interaction b/w behavior, self, environment to learn through others

Bandura

74
Q

What is anxiety? Panic disorder?

A

Abnormal worry or fear that is either generalized or to some specific stimulus

Panic disorder features attacks with more acute physiological responses

75
Q

What is somatic symptom disorder?

A

Excessive anxiety over bodily symptoms

76
Q

What is bipolar disorder?

A

A cycling of abnormal moods, usually mania and depression

77
Q

What are schizoaffective disorders? Neuroleptics?

A

Results in psychosis from delusions, hallucinations which can cause distress, disability, disorganized thinking/speech/motor behavior, negative symptoms (lack of ability to function normally)

Is associated with reduced cerebral cortex, dopamine, meso-cortical-limbic abnormality

Neuroleptics treat positive symptoms but can enhance negative symptoms like cognitive dulling

78
Q

What is depressive disorder?

A

Sense of hopelessness, loss of interest in activities

Is associated with decreased frontal lobe and increased limbic system abnormality

Monoamine hypothesis: multiple neurotransmitters are involved

79
Q

What is Alzheimer’s?

A

Progressively worsening memory/motor ability to point of impairing ADL’s

Overall cognitive dysfunction

Is associated with brain atrophy, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, acetylcholine abnormality

80
Q

What is Parkinson’s?

A

Neural and motor abnormalities, tremors

Is associated with loss of dopamine and basal ganglia

81
Q

What is conformity? Informative influence? Normative influence? Public? Private? What study?

A

“peer pressure” tendency to bring behavior in line with group norms

Informative influence: when look to group for guidance when unsure
Normative influence: when do what group does out of fear of social rejection

Public: Outwardly change/conform while maintaining core beliefs
Private: Full on change with core beliefs to fit group

Asch study on conformity with the lines
Zimbardo prison experiment on conformity

82
Q

What is group polarization? Groupthink?

A

Group polarization: when in groups decision making becomes more extreme

Groupthink: when groups are more concerned w/ harmony than they are of careful analysis

83
Q

What is obedience? Compliance? Study?

A

Perform behavior instructed to by authority figure

Compliance is obedience for rewards/punishments

Milgram shock study

84
Q

What is anomie?

A

A breakdown of social bonds in an individual with community

85
Q

What are experimental demand characteristics/experimenter effects?

A

When the participant behaves how they believe the experimenter wants them to behave in the study

86
Q

What is deindivuation?

A

A loss of sense of self often in a crowd that cancels self-identity

87
Q

What is the bystander effect?

A

The more people there are the less likely someone is to help b/c of diffusion of responsibility

88
Q

What is social facilitation?

A

Refers to how the presence of others can increase arousal and affect performance on tasks

Improves performance on simple tasks, hinders performance of complex tasks

89
Q

What is social loafing?

A

Refers to how people put forth less effort when in a group versus individually

90
Q

What is socialization?

A

The process of learning how to interact w/ others, the world, norms etc.

Agents include family, school, peers, media etc.

91
Q

What are norms? The four types/levels?

A

Standards for what behaviors are acceptable and not

Least bad:

Folkways: common rules/manners to follow
Mores: based on moral value/belief, some reaction if violated
Law: have more formal consequences
Taboos: completely wrong, has legal and social consequences

Most bad

92
Q

What is deviance? Differential association theory? Labeling theory? Strain theory?

A

When a norm is violated (not necessarily bad, there can be positive deviance)

Differential association: deviance is a learned behavior that results from continuous exposure, stronger the relationship to deviant person more learned it is

Labeling: behavior is deviant if it has been labeled as so by community, primary: no big consequence, secondary: big consequence

Strain theory: if a person is blocked from attaining a culturally accepted goal then they may turn to deviant behavior, often a disconnect b/w goal and means to achieve that goal

93
Q

What is habituation? Dishabituation? Sensitization? Desensitization?

A

Habituation: decreased response to stimulus over time
Dishabituation: renewed response to previously habituated stimulus

Sensitization: increased response to repeated stimulus
Desensitization: decreased response to sensitized stimulus

94
Q

What is classical conditioning? Unconditioned stimulus? Unconditioned response? Neutral stimuli?

A

The pairing of stimulus/response

An unconditioned stimulus is innate/not learned which can cause an unconditioned or innate response to that stimulus

A neutral stimuli is one that causes no response on its own

Conditioning is when a neutral stimuli is paired w/ an unconditioned stimuli to elicit a conditioned response (neutral stimuli is now conditioned)

95
Q

What is classical conditioning generalization? Discrimination? Extinction? Spontaneous recovery?

A

Generalization: ability of something similar to conditioned stimuli to elicit the conditioned response

Discrimination: ability to discern stimulus from others, so responding to some stimulus but not others

Extinction: no more conditioned response to a stimulus

Spontaneous recovery: of previously extinct stimulus to elicit a response

96
Q

What is operant conditioning? Positive/negative reinforcement/punishment? Token economy? Instinctive drift?

A

The pairing on rewards/punishments to influence behavior

Positive reinforcement: desirable stimulus added
Negative reinforcement: undesirable stimulus removed

Positive punishment: undesirable stimulus added
Negative punishment: desirable stimulus removed

A token economy is where things, often reinforcers, can be exchanged for other things

Instinctive drift: reverting back to innate animal behavior despite conditioning

97
Q

What are the different reinforcement schedules? Effectiveness?

A

Most effective:

Variable-ratio: reinforcement comes after a changing number of responses

Variable-interval: reinforcement comes after a changing amount of time

Fixed-ratio: reinforcement comes after a fixed number of responses

Fixed-interval: reinforcement comes after a fixed amount of time

Least effective

98
Q

Escape vs. avoidance learning?

A

Behavior is motivated by the threat of something unpleasant

Escape learning when you are already in unpleasant situation and have to find way out

Avoidance learning is to prevent the unpleasant situation before it occurs

99
Q

Internal vs. external locus of control? What intelligence is self control?

A

Internal: responsible for self, control own fate/destiny

External: outside forces are responsible for fate

Emotional intelligence associated with delaying gratification

100
Q

What are Freud’s-Psychosexual stages of development?

A

Oral (0-1): sticking things in an using mouth
Anal (1-3): butt stuff, toilet training
Phallic (3-6): oedipus (boy to mother)/electra (girl to father) complex
Latent (6-12): socialize w/ same sex peers, cooties
Genital (12+): attracted to opposite sex peers

101
Q

What are Erikson’s-Psychosocial stages of development?

A 
0-1: trust vs. mistrust
1-3: autonomy vs. shame/doubt
3-6: initiative vs. guilt
6-12: industry vs. inferiority
12-20: identity vs. role confusion
20-40: intimacy vs. isolation
40-65: generativity vs. stagnation
65+: ego integrity vs. despair
102
Q

What are Kohlberg’s stages of moral development?

A

Pre-conventional: more concern for rewards vs. punishments

Conventional: more concern for social order/rules/laws

Post-conventional: more concern for morality/overall good

103
Q

What are Mead’s I vs. me? Stages?

A

I: individual response to the attitude of others, understanding of self, spontaneous and less socialized

Me: society’s/generalized other’s view of me, more socialized/rational

Prep Stage: imitation
Play Stage: role play (I developed)
Game Stage: understanding of generalized other (Me developed)

104
Q

What is the looking glass self?

A

I am who I think you think I am

105
Q

What is attribution theory? Internal? External? Consistency? Consensus?

A

Internal attributions: dispositional/about personality
External attributions: situational/about environment

Consistency: if the behavior is consistent it’s likely an internal attribution
Consensus: if a lot of people perform the behavior it’s likely an external attribution

106
Q

What is the fundamental attribution error? Actor-observer bias?

A

FAE: tendency to overemphasize dispositional attribution and underemphasize situational attribution

Actor-observer bias is when I attribute my own actions to external things but the actions of others to internal attributes

107
Q

Western vs. eastern cultural difference in attributions?

A

Western: success is internal, failure is external

Eastern: success and failure is external

108
Q

What is the self-serving bias?

A

To preserve self-esteem successes are internal and failures are external

109
Q

What is the just-world bias?

A

Belief that world is fair and good things happen to hard-workers and bad things happen to lazy people

110
Q

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

A

An original belief comes to reality whether we consciously or unconsciously bring it to be

111
Q

What is the optimism bias?

A

Underestimating the probability that bad things will happen to us

112
Q

What is the overconfidence bias?

A

The degree of being sure in a belief is greater than the actual accuracy of that belief

113
Q

What is stereotype threat/boost?

A

When exposure to a negative/positive stereotype before a task can threaten/improve performance on that task

114
Q

Prejudice vs. discrimination?

A

Prejudice is an attitude versus discrimination is more an action

115
Q

What are serial position effects? Primacy? Recency?

A

Primacy is remembering the early/first things better

Recency is remembering the later things better

116
Q

What is the halo effect?

A

The tendency to evaluate people as inherently overall good w/o actually looking at their specific characteristics

117
Q

Ethnocentrism vs. cultural relavitism?

A

Ethnocentrism: judging another culture from the position of your own and typically seeing own culture as superior (negative actions)

Cultural Relativism: judging and understanding cultural actions from within that culture

118
Q

What four things govern attraction/friendship?

A

Proximity/mere exposure: repeated exposure to people increases our liking of them and the closer they are the more likely exposure

Physical attraction: yes

Similarity: in attitudes, values, beliefs, likes

Reciprocity: yes

119
Q

What did Harlow’s monkey study show?

A

That attachment is less out of food and more out of comfort/security

120
Q

Secure vs. insecure attachment?

A

Secure: caregiver is sensitive and responsible, child explores when caregiver is near, child is distressed when caregiver leaves and comforted when they return, long-term is healthy

Insecure: non-sensitive and non-responsible caregiver, child is apathetic and clingy to caregiver, long term is unhealthy

121
Q

Ascribed vs. achieved status?

A

Ascribed: given from birth and can’t be changed

Achieved: earned from working for it

122
Q

What is role strain? Conflict? Exit?

A

Strain: tension w/ in a role from competing responsibilities

Conflict: tension b/w two separate roles

Exit: disengage from role

123
Q

What is power vs. authority?

A

Power: the ability to influence and control others

Authority: when someone’s power is perceived as legit

124
Q

What are primary vs. secondary groups?

A

Primary: closest members to you (family/close friends)

Secondary: more formal/business related, associated with a purpose (co-workers)

125
Q

What is the dramaturgical approach? Front stage? Back stage? Impression management?

A

Front stage: behavior in a social setting
Backstage: behavior in a private setting

Impression management: an attempt to control how others see us in front stage

126
Q

What is an organization? Normative? Utilitarian? Coercive?

A

Institutions designed for a specific purpose

Normative: shared goals, sense of unity/purpose
Utilitarian: compensated for efforts
Coercive: don’t have choice in membership

127
Q

What are features of a bureacracy?

A

A specialized division in labor, hierarchical with supervision, rules and regulations, impersonality of activity, technical qualifications

128
Q

What is the functional perspective/theory? Manifest? Latent?

A

How all institutions have a function in keeping society stable, social solidarity

Manifest: intended consequence
Latent: indirect consequence

129
Q

What is conflict theory? False conciousness?

A

Examines social control, social inequality, and power differences (rich vs. poor) in allocation of resources

False consciousness: hoodwinking the oppressed and saying just do better, people don’t see they are oppressed

130
Q

What is symbolic interactionism?

A

The individual significance and meaning given to objects, events, symbols

Focuses on individual interactions and how experience influences perceptions (illness experience)

131
Q

What are the different levels of kinship? Primary? Secondary? Tertiary?

A

Primary: first degree family member (mom)

Secondary: primary of first degree (uncle)

Tertiary: secondary of first degree (mom’s uncle)

132
Q

What are the different kinship relations? Consanguineal? Affinal? Fictive?

A

Consanguineal: genetic relationship

Affinal: marriage

Fictive: social ties, adopted children

133
Q

What is medicalization?

A

Process where previously “normal” conditions are now defined as a medical condition and subject to medical treatments

134
Q

What is the sick role?

A

Expectation that those sick are allowed a temporary break from responsibilities but also that the sick have an obligation to make an effort to get well

135
Q

What is social constructionism?

A

How people actively shape reality through social interactions, constructs are not real and are only given reality b/c of social agreement

136
Q

What is feminist theory?

A

Origins are from conflict theory and inequality but focuses on inequalities b/w men and women

137
Q

What is rational choice/exchange theory?

A

People are fundamentally rational beings and perform cost/benefit analysis to actions and interactions

138
Q

What is the dependency ratio?

A

Ratio between dependents (children and elderly who don’t work) and those who work

139
Q

What is life-course theory?

A

Aging is a social, psychological, biological process and there’s different changes as you progress through life

140
Q

Race vs. ethnicity?

A

Race: socially defined categories by physical difference b/w groups (skin color)

Ethnicity: socially defined categories by shared language, religion, nationality, history etc.

141
Q

Assimilation vs. separation vs. marginalization vs. integration?

A

Assimilation: accept new culture, reject native culture

Separation: rejection of new culture, maintenance of native culture

Marginalization: rejection of both new and native culture

Integration: acceptance of both new and native culture

142
Q

What is world-systems theory?

A

Core: strong economy and central government, exports goods (US and Western Europe)

Semi-periphery: In between (India and Brazil)

Periphery: weak economy and central government, exports resources so are dependent on and exploited by core countries (Latin America and Africa)

143
Q

Relative vs. absolute poverty?

A

Relative: A % of poverty level, used in core countries

Absolute: $ a day, used in periphery countries

144
Q

What is relative deprivation?

A

How oppressed groups/deprived of rights organize to respond

145
Q

What are the demographic transition stages?

A

1) pre-industrial: high birth + high death = slow pop. growth
2) industrial: high birth + low death (food/medicine) = rapid pop. growth
3) urbanization: lower birth (contraception) + low death = slower pop. growth
4) developed: low birth + low death = slow pop. growth
5) highly developed: low low birth + low death = possible pop. decline

146
Q

What is Malthusian Theory? Preventative checks? Positive checks? Catastrophe?

A

Preventative checks: reduce birth rate

Positive checks: increase death rate

Catastrophe: Large scale positive check to slow or stop pop. growth

147
Q

What is a subculture? Counterculture? Microculture?

A

Subculture: different but not in opposition to dominant culture

Counterculture: in opposition to dominant culture

Microculture: A group/organization that exists for a limited time during one’s life (girl scouts)

148
Q

What does the glass-ceiling refer to?

A

Refers to gender pay-gap and females being poorly represented in higher positions

149
Q

Intra vs. inter?

A

Intra: within one’s own generation

Inter: b/w generations

150
Q

What is social reproduction? Social capital? Cultural capital?

A

The replication of inequality across generations

Social capital: connections, who you know

Cultural capital: education, what you know

151
Q

What is spatial inequality?

A

The uneven distribution of resources across a geographic area (low-income projects housing)

152
Q

What is the activity theory of aging? Continuity? Disengagement? Life course?

A

Activity: remain physically and socially active improves quality of life

Continuity: older adults attempt to maintain habits and behaviors from youth

Disengagement: withdrawal from social relationships/society

Life-Course: holistic

153
Q

Proximal vs. distal stimulus?

A

Proximal: the stimulus registered by our sensory receptors

Distal: what is causing the stimulus (if we saw a tree then the tree itself would be the distal stimulus)

154
Q

What is cultural lag? cultural transmission?

A

Lag: cultural catch-up to modern technology

Transmission: passing down from generation to generation

155
Q

Extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation?

A

Extrinsic: motivated by external conditions or anything associated with incentives (reinforcers or punishers)

Intrinsic: self-drive to do better

156
Q

Binocular vs. monocular depth cues?

A

Binocular:
- retinal disparity and convergence: depth/how far
something is

Monocular:
- motion parallax: things closer to me moves faster
(road vs. clouds)
- relative size: things closer to me appear bigger
- light shade: gives sense of distance
- interposition: partially objects covered are behind

157
Q

What is place theory?

A

Associated with sound

158
Q

What is the Thomas theorem?

A

When a belief leads to behavior but the belief is in fact not real

MCAT (7 decks)

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