MCAT BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES EXAM WITH COMPLETE AND
ACCURATE SOLUTIONS
just noticeable difference jnd -- Answer ✔✔ minimum difference in magnitude between
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_two stimuli before one can perceive this difference
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Weber's law -- Answer ✔✔ there is a constant ratio between the change in stimulus
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
magnitude needed to produce a jnd (higher stimulus will need a larger difference to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
produce a jnd) _ _
Signal detection theory -- Answer ✔✔ changes in our perception of the same stimuli
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
depending on both internal and external context (how loud would someone need to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
yell your name in a crowd for you to hear their name?)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
response bias -- Answer ✔✔ subjects respond in a certain way due to non sensory
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
factors
duplexity (duplicity theory of vision) -- Answer ✔✔ retina contain two kinds of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
photoreceptores: those specialized for light and dark detection and those specialized _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
for color section
_ _
cones -- Answer ✔✔ used for color vision and sense fine details- most effective in
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
bright light and comes in 3 forms (blue, red, green)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
rods -- Answer ✔✔ more functional and only allow sensation of light and dark because
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_they all contain a single pigment (rhodopsin)- low sensitivity but allow night vision
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(more rods than cones) _ _ _
fovea -- Answer ✔✔ center most part of the eye and only contains cones
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
,optic chiasm -- Answer ✔✔ fiber from the nasal half of each rating cross paths
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
parallel processing -- Answer ✔✔ ability to simultaneously analyze and combine
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
information regarding color, shape, and motion _ _ _ _ _
two point threshold -- Answer ✔✔ minimum distance necessary between two points
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
of stimulation on the skin such that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
gate theory of pain -- Answer ✔✔ proposes that there is a special gating mechanism
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
that can turn pain signals on or off, affecting whether or not we perceive pain
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Kinesthetic sensation (proprioception) -- Answer ✔✔ ability to tell where one's body
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
is in space
_ _
Bottom up processing -- Answer ✔✔ refers to object recognition by parallel
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
processing and feature detection- brain takes individual sensory stimuli and combines
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
them together to create a cohesive image before determining what the object is
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
top down processing -- Answer ✔✔ driven by memories and expectations that allow
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
the brain to recognize the whole object and then recognize the components based on
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
these expectations (quickly recognize objects without needing to analyze specific parts)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Gestalt principles -- Answer ✔✔ law of proximity
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
law of similarity
_ _ _
law of good continuation
_ _ _ _
law of closure
_ _
law of pragnanz
_ _
law of proximity -- Answer ✔✔ elects close together tend to be perceived as a unit
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
law of similarity -- Answer ✔✔ objects that are similar tend to be grouped together
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
law of good continuation -- Answer ✔✔ elements that appear to follow in the same
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
pathway tend to be grouped together _ _ _ _ _
, law of closure -- Answer ✔✔ when a space is enclosed by a contour it tends to be
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
perceived as a complete figure _ _ _ _
law of pragnanz -- Answer ✔✔ perceptual organization will always be as regular,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
simple, and symmetric as possible
_ _ _ _
associative learning -- Answer ✔✔ creation of pairing, or association, wither between
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
two stimuli or between a behavior or response
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
classical conditioning -- Answer ✔✔ type of associative learning that takes advantage of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_biological instinctual responses to create associations between two unrelated stimuli
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(dog starts to salivate when he hears a bell ring due to the fact that when the bell rings
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_he is given a treat)
_ _ _ _
acquisition -- Answer ✔✔ training of a conditioned stimulus
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
extinction -- Answer ✔✔ loss of conditioned stimulus
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
spontaneous recovery -- Answer ✔✔ weak response is exhibited _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
generalization -- Answer ✔✔ broadening effect of a conditions stimulus (little Albert
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
exhibits fear of rat and generalizes it to a rabbit)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
discrimination -- Answer ✔✔ organism learns to distinguish between two similar
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
stimuli
operant conditioning -- Answer ✔✔ links voluntary behaviors with consequences in an
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
effort to alter the frequency of those behaviors
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
B.F. skinner -- Answer ✔✔ father of behaviorism
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
reinforcement -- Answer ✔✔ process of increasing the likelihood that an individual will
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_perform a behavior _ _
ACCURATE SOLUTIONS
just noticeable difference jnd -- Answer ✔✔ minimum difference in magnitude between
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_two stimuli before one can perceive this difference
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Weber's law -- Answer ✔✔ there is a constant ratio between the change in stimulus
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
magnitude needed to produce a jnd (higher stimulus will need a larger difference to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
produce a jnd) _ _
Signal detection theory -- Answer ✔✔ changes in our perception of the same stimuli
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
depending on both internal and external context (how loud would someone need to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
yell your name in a crowd for you to hear their name?)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
response bias -- Answer ✔✔ subjects respond in a certain way due to non sensory
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
factors
duplexity (duplicity theory of vision) -- Answer ✔✔ retina contain two kinds of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
photoreceptores: those specialized for light and dark detection and those specialized _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
for color section
_ _
cones -- Answer ✔✔ used for color vision and sense fine details- most effective in
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
bright light and comes in 3 forms (blue, red, green)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
rods -- Answer ✔✔ more functional and only allow sensation of light and dark because
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_they all contain a single pigment (rhodopsin)- low sensitivity but allow night vision
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(more rods than cones) _ _ _
fovea -- Answer ✔✔ center most part of the eye and only contains cones
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
,optic chiasm -- Answer ✔✔ fiber from the nasal half of each rating cross paths
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
parallel processing -- Answer ✔✔ ability to simultaneously analyze and combine
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
information regarding color, shape, and motion _ _ _ _ _
two point threshold -- Answer ✔✔ minimum distance necessary between two points
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
of stimulation on the skin such that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
gate theory of pain -- Answer ✔✔ proposes that there is a special gating mechanism
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
that can turn pain signals on or off, affecting whether or not we perceive pain
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Kinesthetic sensation (proprioception) -- Answer ✔✔ ability to tell where one's body
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
is in space
_ _
Bottom up processing -- Answer ✔✔ refers to object recognition by parallel
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
processing and feature detection- brain takes individual sensory stimuli and combines
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
them together to create a cohesive image before determining what the object is
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
top down processing -- Answer ✔✔ driven by memories and expectations that allow
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
the brain to recognize the whole object and then recognize the components based on
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
these expectations (quickly recognize objects without needing to analyze specific parts)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Gestalt principles -- Answer ✔✔ law of proximity
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
law of similarity
_ _ _
law of good continuation
_ _ _ _
law of closure
_ _
law of pragnanz
_ _
law of proximity -- Answer ✔✔ elects close together tend to be perceived as a unit
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
law of similarity -- Answer ✔✔ objects that are similar tend to be grouped together
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
law of good continuation -- Answer ✔✔ elements that appear to follow in the same
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
pathway tend to be grouped together _ _ _ _ _
, law of closure -- Answer ✔✔ when a space is enclosed by a contour it tends to be
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
perceived as a complete figure _ _ _ _
law of pragnanz -- Answer ✔✔ perceptual organization will always be as regular,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
simple, and symmetric as possible
_ _ _ _
associative learning -- Answer ✔✔ creation of pairing, or association, wither between
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
two stimuli or between a behavior or response
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
classical conditioning -- Answer ✔✔ type of associative learning that takes advantage of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_biological instinctual responses to create associations between two unrelated stimuli
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(dog starts to salivate when he hears a bell ring due to the fact that when the bell rings
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_he is given a treat)
_ _ _ _
acquisition -- Answer ✔✔ training of a conditioned stimulus
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
extinction -- Answer ✔✔ loss of conditioned stimulus
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
spontaneous recovery -- Answer ✔✔ weak response is exhibited _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
generalization -- Answer ✔✔ broadening effect of a conditions stimulus (little Albert
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
exhibits fear of rat and generalizes it to a rabbit)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
discrimination -- Answer ✔✔ organism learns to distinguish between two similar
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
stimuli
operant conditioning -- Answer ✔✔ links voluntary behaviors with consequences in an
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
effort to alter the frequency of those behaviors
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
B.F. skinner -- Answer ✔✔ father of behaviorism
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
reinforcement -- Answer ✔✔ process of increasing the likelihood that an individual will
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_perform a behavior _ _
