MCAT PSYCHOLOGY ACTUAL
LATEST VERIFIED STUDY
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Absolute threshold - ANSWER-The minimum stimulus intensity required to
activate a sensory receptor 50% of the time.
Difference threshold (JND) - ANSWER-The minimum noticeable difference
between two sensory stimuli 50% of the time.
Weber's law - ANSWER-States that two stimuli must differ by a constant
proportion for difference to be perceptible.
Spotlight model - ANSWER-Visual attention can shift within the visual field
but can only be focused on a single target.
Phonological loop - ANSWER-A component of working memory that allows us
to repeat semantic verbal or written information to help us remember it.
Visuospatial sketchpad - ANSWER-A component of working memory that
allows us to use mental imagery to help us remember semantic visual
information.
Episodic buffer - ANSWER-A component of working memory that interacts
with information in long term memory.
Assimilation - ANSWER-The conformation of experiences into existing
schemas.
Accommodation - ANSWER-The adjustment of a schema to take into account
new experiences.
Confirmation bias - ANSWER-The tendency to search for information that
confirms preconceived thinking.
Fixation - ANSWER-Inability to see a problem from a fresh perspective.
Mental set - ANSWER-A tendency to fixate on solutions that have worked in
the past but may not apply to the current situation.
Functional fixedness - ANSWER-A tendency to perceive the functions of
objects as fixed and unchanging.
,Representativeness heuristic - ANSWER-A tendency to judge the likelihoods
of an event occurring as based on our typical mental representations of
those events.
Availability heuristic - ANSWER-A tendency to make judgments based on how
readily available information is in our memories.
Belief bias - ANSWER-The tendency to judge arguments based on what one
believes about their conclusions rather than the use of sound logic.
Belief perseverance - ANSWER-A tendency to cling to beliefs despite the
presence of contrary evidence.
Awake - ANSWER-Alpha/beta (relaxed) waves, low amplitude, 8-12 Hz.
Stage 1 - ANSWER-Theta waves, low amplitude, 3-7 Hz.
Stage 2 - ANSWER-K-complexes/sleep spindles, moderate amplitude, 12-14Hz
bursts.
Stage 3 - ANSWER-Delta waves (slow wave sleep), high amplitude, 0.5-3 Hz.
REM sleep - ANSWER-Sawtooth waves, bursts of quick eye movements, low
skeletal muscle movement = "paradoxical sleep"
Activation synthesis theory - ANSWER-A theory that suggests that dreams
are byproducts of brain activation during REM sleep.
Dyssomnias - ANSWER-Abnormalities in the amount, quality, or timing of
sleep.
Parasomnias - ANSWER-Abnormal behaviors that occur during sleep, usually
occurring during Stage 3.
Social influence theory - ANSWER-A theory that suggests that people do and
report what is expected of them.
Yerkes-Dodson Law - ANSWER-A law that states that the correlation between
performance and emotional arousal is U-shaped.
James-Lange theory - ANSWER-Stimulus → physical condition → emotion
Cannon-Bard Theory - ANSWER-Stimulus → emotion + physical condition
(independent)
Schacter-Singer Theory - ANSWER-Stimulus → physical response → cognitive
appraisal to label the emotion
, Lazarus Theory - ANSWER-Stimulus → cognitive appraisal to label the
emotion → physical response
Nativism (universalism) - ANSWER-Humans have a language acquisition
device (LAD) that allows the mind to gain mastery of language in early
childhood - humans have an innate ability to learn language; thought
determines language.
Social interactionism - ANSWER-Human social processes play a major role in
language acquisition in conjunction with operant conditioning - Vygotsky
Linguistic relativism - ANSWER-(Strong) Cognition and perception are
determined by the language one speaks.
(Weak) Linguistic structure *influences* cognition and perception.
Nonassociative learning - ANSWER-A type of learning in which an organism is
repeatedly exposed to one type of stimulus.
Habituation - ANSWER-A decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus due to
repeated exposure.
Dishabituation - ANSWER-A process that occurs when a previously habituated
stimulus is removed: response recovery occurs.
Sensitization - ANSWER-An increase in responsiveness to a stimulus due to
either repeated application of a stimulus or a particularly aversive stimulus.
Associative learning - ANSWER-A process of learning in which one event,
object, or action is directly connected with another.
Acquisition - ANSWER-The process of learning the conditioned response.
Generalization - ANSWER-The process by which stimuli other than the original
conditioned stimulus elicit the conditioned response.
Shaping - ANSWER-Reinforcing of smaller intermediate behaviors necessary
to achieve the final desired behavior.
Escape - ANSWER-An individual learns how to get away from an aversive
stimulus by engaging in a particular behavior.
Avoidance - ANSWER-Operant conditioning: a person performs a behavior to
ensure an aversive stimulus is not presented.
LATEST VERIFIED STUDY
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Absolute threshold - ANSWER-The minimum stimulus intensity required to
activate a sensory receptor 50% of the time.
Difference threshold (JND) - ANSWER-The minimum noticeable difference
between two sensory stimuli 50% of the time.
Weber's law - ANSWER-States that two stimuli must differ by a constant
proportion for difference to be perceptible.
Spotlight model - ANSWER-Visual attention can shift within the visual field
but can only be focused on a single target.
Phonological loop - ANSWER-A component of working memory that allows us
to repeat semantic verbal or written information to help us remember it.
Visuospatial sketchpad - ANSWER-A component of working memory that
allows us to use mental imagery to help us remember semantic visual
information.
Episodic buffer - ANSWER-A component of working memory that interacts
with information in long term memory.
Assimilation - ANSWER-The conformation of experiences into existing
schemas.
Accommodation - ANSWER-The adjustment of a schema to take into account
new experiences.
Confirmation bias - ANSWER-The tendency to search for information that
confirms preconceived thinking.
Fixation - ANSWER-Inability to see a problem from a fresh perspective.
Mental set - ANSWER-A tendency to fixate on solutions that have worked in
the past but may not apply to the current situation.
Functional fixedness - ANSWER-A tendency to perceive the functions of
objects as fixed and unchanging.
,Representativeness heuristic - ANSWER-A tendency to judge the likelihoods
of an event occurring as based on our typical mental representations of
those events.
Availability heuristic - ANSWER-A tendency to make judgments based on how
readily available information is in our memories.
Belief bias - ANSWER-The tendency to judge arguments based on what one
believes about their conclusions rather than the use of sound logic.
Belief perseverance - ANSWER-A tendency to cling to beliefs despite the
presence of contrary evidence.
Awake - ANSWER-Alpha/beta (relaxed) waves, low amplitude, 8-12 Hz.
Stage 1 - ANSWER-Theta waves, low amplitude, 3-7 Hz.
Stage 2 - ANSWER-K-complexes/sleep spindles, moderate amplitude, 12-14Hz
bursts.
Stage 3 - ANSWER-Delta waves (slow wave sleep), high amplitude, 0.5-3 Hz.
REM sleep - ANSWER-Sawtooth waves, bursts of quick eye movements, low
skeletal muscle movement = "paradoxical sleep"
Activation synthesis theory - ANSWER-A theory that suggests that dreams
are byproducts of brain activation during REM sleep.
Dyssomnias - ANSWER-Abnormalities in the amount, quality, or timing of
sleep.
Parasomnias - ANSWER-Abnormal behaviors that occur during sleep, usually
occurring during Stage 3.
Social influence theory - ANSWER-A theory that suggests that people do and
report what is expected of them.
Yerkes-Dodson Law - ANSWER-A law that states that the correlation between
performance and emotional arousal is U-shaped.
James-Lange theory - ANSWER-Stimulus → physical condition → emotion
Cannon-Bard Theory - ANSWER-Stimulus → emotion + physical condition
(independent)
Schacter-Singer Theory - ANSWER-Stimulus → physical response → cognitive
appraisal to label the emotion
, Lazarus Theory - ANSWER-Stimulus → cognitive appraisal to label the
emotion → physical response
Nativism (universalism) - ANSWER-Humans have a language acquisition
device (LAD) that allows the mind to gain mastery of language in early
childhood - humans have an innate ability to learn language; thought
determines language.
Social interactionism - ANSWER-Human social processes play a major role in
language acquisition in conjunction with operant conditioning - Vygotsky
Linguistic relativism - ANSWER-(Strong) Cognition and perception are
determined by the language one speaks.
(Weak) Linguistic structure *influences* cognition and perception.
Nonassociative learning - ANSWER-A type of learning in which an organism is
repeatedly exposed to one type of stimulus.
Habituation - ANSWER-A decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus due to
repeated exposure.
Dishabituation - ANSWER-A process that occurs when a previously habituated
stimulus is removed: response recovery occurs.
Sensitization - ANSWER-An increase in responsiveness to a stimulus due to
either repeated application of a stimulus or a particularly aversive stimulus.
Associative learning - ANSWER-A process of learning in which one event,
object, or action is directly connected with another.
Acquisition - ANSWER-The process of learning the conditioned response.
Generalization - ANSWER-The process by which stimuli other than the original
conditioned stimulus elicit the conditioned response.
Shaping - ANSWER-Reinforcing of smaller intermediate behaviors necessary
to achieve the final desired behavior.
Escape - ANSWER-An individual learns how to get away from an aversive
stimulus by engaging in a particular behavior.
Avoidance - ANSWER-Operant conditioning: a person performs a behavior to
ensure an aversive stimulus is not presented.
