MCAT PSYCH/SOCIOLOGY FROM 132 SCORER EXAM WITH
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS _
Biopsychosocial approach to health and illness -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Illness is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
determined by a variety of influences, rather than a single cause. The causes and effects
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
of illness can be examined at multiple levels in the life of an individual, and no single level
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
provides the whole picture. Collecting info about psychosocial context is key to the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
understanding of physical health and illness. _ _ _ _ _
Biomedical approach to health and illness -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Disease is studied by
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
examining only the biological factors of illness, neglecting contributing factors of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
psychological life and sociological context. _ _ _ _
Models -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Provide an approximation (physical/conceptual
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
representation) of a scientific phenomenon that cannot be observed directly _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Theories -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Provides the conceptual framework for understanding
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
objects of study _ _
Social constructionism -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Human actors actively construct their
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"reality", rather than discovering a reality that has inherent validity, through their social
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
interactions. The beliefs and shared understandings of individuals create social realities.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
In the context of illness, there is a gap b/t the biological reality of a medical condition and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
the societally created meaning of the condition. (ex. changing conceptualizations of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
mental illness results in changes to the DSM). It is a dynamic, ongoing process.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Brute facts vs Institutional Facts -- Correct Answer ✔✔ -Part of WEAK social
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
constructionism
-Brute facts are physical realities that exist outside of human input
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
-Institutional facts only exist as a function of society's structures and beliefs
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
,Symbolic interactionism -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Micro social perspective. Focuses on the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_smaller scale interactions between individuals in small groups. Through social
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
interactions, individuals develop shared meanings and labels for various symbols. Allows
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
for human agency in creating and changing meaning in society, rather than society acting
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
upon the individual. Meaning can change with a single interaction, so addresses subjective
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
meanings. Humans ascribe meaning to things, act based on those meanings, use language
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
to generate meaning through social interaction, and modify meanings through thought
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
processes. However, ignores larger societal forces that shape people's lives.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Symbols -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Terms, concepts, or items that represent specific
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
meanings by accepted convention. Meanings ascribed to symbols are determined by
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
social norms and cultural values.
_ _ _ _
Functionalism -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Founder: Emile Durkheim _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Macrosocial perspective _
-Factions of society work together to maintain stability. Society is a system that consists
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
of different components working together, with distinct institutions that contribute to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
functioning. Seeks to understand what different structures in society contribute to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
society at large. When disruptions occur, the interacting systems respond to get back to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
a stable state. Explains societal stability but NOT societal change (assumes stability is the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ideal)
Conflict Theory -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Founder: Karl Marx
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Macrosocial perspective _ _
Views society in terms of competing groups that act according to their own self-
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
interests, rather than according to the need for societal equilibrium. Society is a
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
competition for limited resources. Explains societal changes but NOT societal stability
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(assumes stability is undesirable to societal groups that are oppressed) Views human
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
actions in terms of larger forces of inequality, but leaves motivations choices of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
individuals unexamined. Ignores the non-forceful ways in which people reach agreement,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
and approaches society more from those who lack power. Tends to be too economically
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_focused.
Culture -- Correct Answer ✔✔ All of the beliefs, assumptions, objects, behaviors, and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
processes that make up a shared way of life. Has a pervasive effect on worldview.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
,Culture shock -- Correct Answer ✔✔ The discomfort and ensuring reevaluation of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
personal cultural assumptions when an individual experiences a culture different from
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
her own_
Material culture -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Objects involved in a certain way of life
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Nonmaterial culture -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Encompasses the elements of cultures that
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
are not physical. Includes shared ideas, knowledge, assumptions, values, and beliefs that
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
unify a group of people.
_ _ _ _
Social norms -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Expectations that govern what behavior is
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
acceptable within a group. Social interactions help define a culture by establishing these
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Social group -- Correct Answer ✔✔ A subset of a population that maintains social
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
interactions. Alternatively, includes a collection of shared experiences that create a
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
group identity among a set of individuals
_ _ _ _ _ _
Symbolic culture -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Non-material culture that consists of the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
elements of culture that only have meaning in the mind. Based on a shared system of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
collective beliefs in the form of symbols. Includes the meanings ascribed to rituals,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
gestures, and objects. _ _
Language -- Correct Answer ✔✔ The use of symbols to represent ideas
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Society -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Two or more individuals living together in a definable
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
area and/or sharing elements of a culture. A society can encompass multiple cultures.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Social institutions -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Stable hierarchical systems that bring order to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
interpersonal interactions, structuring society. Examples are government/economy,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
education, religion, family, and health/medicine. Provide predictability and organization
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
for individuals within a society, and mediate social behavior between people.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Government/economy as a social institution -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Provides order to a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
society through the services it provides and the making and enforcement of law
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
, Education as a social institution -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Provides a formal structure
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
during childhood and the transition to adulthood, and an opportunity to instruct youth
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
on social norms, expectations for behavior, knowledge, and skills needed to operate
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
within society. Its manifest function is to systematically pass down knowledge and give
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
status to those who have been educated. Its latent function is socialization, serving as
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
agents of change, and maintaining social control. Serves to reinforce and perpetuate
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
social inequalities. Experience educational segregation because of differential funding of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
schools based on residential segregation.
_ _ _ _
Religion as a social institution -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Acts as an organized structure of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
behaviors and social interactions that addresses the spiritual needs of society. From a
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
functionalist standpoint, can create social cohesion/dissent, social change/control, and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
provide believers with meaning and purpose.
_ _ _ _ _
Religion -- Correct Answer ✔✔ A system of beliefs that affects how people make sense
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
of their experiences and provides a framework for questions about life, death, and the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
purpose of existence _ _
Family as a social institution -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Creates a social group in which to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
procreate, rear children, pass on cultural knowledge, and cooperate to better meet life's
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
challenge
The nuclear family -- Correct Answer ✔✔ The concept of family in which one man and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
one woman live together with their children; most common concept of family in the US.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Consists of DIRECT blood relations.
_ _ _ _
Polygamy -- Correct Answer ✔✔ An individual married to more than one individual
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Polyandry -- Correct Answer ✔✔ More than one man married to one woman
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Health/medicine as a social institution -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Fulfills the need for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
healthcare in an organized manner, with beliefs about diseases and approaches to healing
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
varying between societies and cultures
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS _
Biopsychosocial approach to health and illness -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Illness is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
determined by a variety of influences, rather than a single cause. The causes and effects
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
of illness can be examined at multiple levels in the life of an individual, and no single level
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
provides the whole picture. Collecting info about psychosocial context is key to the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
understanding of physical health and illness. _ _ _ _ _
Biomedical approach to health and illness -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Disease is studied by
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
examining only the biological factors of illness, neglecting contributing factors of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
psychological life and sociological context. _ _ _ _
Models -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Provide an approximation (physical/conceptual
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
representation) of a scientific phenomenon that cannot be observed directly _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Theories -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Provides the conceptual framework for understanding
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
objects of study _ _
Social constructionism -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Human actors actively construct their
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"reality", rather than discovering a reality that has inherent validity, through their social
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
interactions. The beliefs and shared understandings of individuals create social realities.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
In the context of illness, there is a gap b/t the biological reality of a medical condition and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
the societally created meaning of the condition. (ex. changing conceptualizations of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
mental illness results in changes to the DSM). It is a dynamic, ongoing process.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Brute facts vs Institutional Facts -- Correct Answer ✔✔ -Part of WEAK social
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
constructionism
-Brute facts are physical realities that exist outside of human input
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
-Institutional facts only exist as a function of society's structures and beliefs
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
,Symbolic interactionism -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Micro social perspective. Focuses on the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_smaller scale interactions between individuals in small groups. Through social
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
interactions, individuals develop shared meanings and labels for various symbols. Allows
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
for human agency in creating and changing meaning in society, rather than society acting
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
upon the individual. Meaning can change with a single interaction, so addresses subjective
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
meanings. Humans ascribe meaning to things, act based on those meanings, use language
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
to generate meaning through social interaction, and modify meanings through thought
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
processes. However, ignores larger societal forces that shape people's lives.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Symbols -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Terms, concepts, or items that represent specific
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
meanings by accepted convention. Meanings ascribed to symbols are determined by
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
social norms and cultural values.
_ _ _ _
Functionalism -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Founder: Emile Durkheim _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Macrosocial perspective _
-Factions of society work together to maintain stability. Society is a system that consists
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
of different components working together, with distinct institutions that contribute to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
functioning. Seeks to understand what different structures in society contribute to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
society at large. When disruptions occur, the interacting systems respond to get back to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
a stable state. Explains societal stability but NOT societal change (assumes stability is the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ideal)
Conflict Theory -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Founder: Karl Marx
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Macrosocial perspective _ _
Views society in terms of competing groups that act according to their own self-
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
interests, rather than according to the need for societal equilibrium. Society is a
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
competition for limited resources. Explains societal changes but NOT societal stability
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(assumes stability is undesirable to societal groups that are oppressed) Views human
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
actions in terms of larger forces of inequality, but leaves motivations choices of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
individuals unexamined. Ignores the non-forceful ways in which people reach agreement,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
and approaches society more from those who lack power. Tends to be too economically
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_focused.
Culture -- Correct Answer ✔✔ All of the beliefs, assumptions, objects, behaviors, and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
processes that make up a shared way of life. Has a pervasive effect on worldview.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
,Culture shock -- Correct Answer ✔✔ The discomfort and ensuring reevaluation of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
personal cultural assumptions when an individual experiences a culture different from
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
her own_
Material culture -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Objects involved in a certain way of life
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Nonmaterial culture -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Encompasses the elements of cultures that
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
are not physical. Includes shared ideas, knowledge, assumptions, values, and beliefs that
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
unify a group of people.
_ _ _ _
Social norms -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Expectations that govern what behavior is
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
acceptable within a group. Social interactions help define a culture by establishing these
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Social group -- Correct Answer ✔✔ A subset of a population that maintains social
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
interactions. Alternatively, includes a collection of shared experiences that create a
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
group identity among a set of individuals
_ _ _ _ _ _
Symbolic culture -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Non-material culture that consists of the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
elements of culture that only have meaning in the mind. Based on a shared system of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
collective beliefs in the form of symbols. Includes the meanings ascribed to rituals,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
gestures, and objects. _ _
Language -- Correct Answer ✔✔ The use of symbols to represent ideas
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Society -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Two or more individuals living together in a definable
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
area and/or sharing elements of a culture. A society can encompass multiple cultures.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Social institutions -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Stable hierarchical systems that bring order to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
interpersonal interactions, structuring society. Examples are government/economy,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
education, religion, family, and health/medicine. Provide predictability and organization
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
for individuals within a society, and mediate social behavior between people.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Government/economy as a social institution -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Provides order to a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
society through the services it provides and the making and enforcement of law
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
, Education as a social institution -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Provides a formal structure
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
during childhood and the transition to adulthood, and an opportunity to instruct youth
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
on social norms, expectations for behavior, knowledge, and skills needed to operate
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
within society. Its manifest function is to systematically pass down knowledge and give
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
status to those who have been educated. Its latent function is socialization, serving as
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
agents of change, and maintaining social control. Serves to reinforce and perpetuate
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
social inequalities. Experience educational segregation because of differential funding of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
schools based on residential segregation.
_ _ _ _
Religion as a social institution -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Acts as an organized structure of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
behaviors and social interactions that addresses the spiritual needs of society. From a
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
functionalist standpoint, can create social cohesion/dissent, social change/control, and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
provide believers with meaning and purpose.
_ _ _ _ _
Religion -- Correct Answer ✔✔ A system of beliefs that affects how people make sense
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
of their experiences and provides a framework for questions about life, death, and the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
purpose of existence _ _
Family as a social institution -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Creates a social group in which to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
procreate, rear children, pass on cultural knowledge, and cooperate to better meet life's
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
challenge
The nuclear family -- Correct Answer ✔✔ The concept of family in which one man and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
one woman live together with their children; most common concept of family in the US.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Consists of DIRECT blood relations.
_ _ _ _
Polygamy -- Correct Answer ✔✔ An individual married to more than one individual
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Polyandry -- Correct Answer ✔✔ More than one man married to one woman
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Health/medicine as a social institution -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Fulfills the need for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
healthcare in an organized manner, with beliefs about diseases and approaches to healing
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
varying between societies and cultures
_ _ _ _
