Psychology and Sociology MCAT
Discrete Questions and Answers
Framing - CORRECT ANSWERS -the way a question is stated before problem solving begins; a
way of structuring or presenting a problem or an issue
Expansion - CORRECT ANSWERS -restating, in a linguistically sophisticated form, what a child
has said
Maslow's definition of self-actualization - CORRECT ANSWERS -the desire for self-fulfillment,
namely the tendency for an individual to become actualized in what they are potentially
Frame of reference - CORRECT ANSWERS -a complex set of assumptions and attitudes which we
use to filter perceptions t create meaning; can include beliefs, schemas, preferences, values,
culture, and other ways in which we bias our understanding and judgement
Attention shifts - CORRECT ANSWERS -occurs when directing attention to a point to increase
the efficiency of processing that point and includes inhibition to decrease attentional resources
to unwanted or irrelevant inputs
Perceptual constancy - CORRECT ANSWERS -the tendency of animals and humans to see
familiar objects as having standard shape, size, color, or location regardless of changes in the
angle of perspective, distance, or lighting
The Gestalt principle of similarity - CORRECT ANSWERS -states that things which share visual
characteristics such as shape, size, color, texture, value, or orientation will be seen as belonging
together
Just-noticeable difference - CORRECT ANSWERS -the amount something must be changed in
order for a difference to be detectable at least half the time
Absolute threshold - CORRECT ANSWERS -the smallest level of energy required by an external
stimulus to be detectable by the human senses, including vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch
Subliminal threshold - CORRECT ANSWERS -any sensory stimuli below an individual's threshold
for conscious perception
Libido - CORRECT ANSWERS -the energy from life instincts that drives personality (according to
Freud)
Eros - CORRECT ANSWERS -our life force, the will to live; the desire to create life, and favors
productivity and construction
, Feature detectors - CORRECT ANSWERS -brain cells that analyze incoming sensory information
into lines, angles, shading, and movement
Fixation - CORRECT ANSWERS -the inability to adopt any different or new perspective on a
problem
Divergent thinking - CORRECT ANSWERS -a thought process or method used to generate
creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions
Synesthesia - CORRECT ANSWERS -the production of a sense impression relating to one sense
or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body
3 techniques used for brainwashing identified by mcconnell - CORRECT ANSWERS -isolation,
dependency, and reward
Subliminal perception (subception) - CORRECT ANSWERS -the perception of, or reaction to, a
stimulus that occurs without awareness or consciousness by the subject
Saccade - CORRECT ANSWERS -a quick jump of the eye from one position to another as it takes
in visual stimuli
Nociceptors - CORRECT ANSWERS -pain receptors, found in the greatest number in the skin
Chemoreceptors - CORRECT ANSWERS -receptors for smell and taste
Photoreceptors - CORRECT ANSWERS -receptors used by the eyes to detect light
Limen - CORRECT ANSWERS -a threshold below which a stimulus is not perceived or is not
distinguished from another
Variable ratio - CORRECT ANSWERS -a schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement is
provided after an inconsistent number of responses
Representativeness heuristic - CORRECT ANSWERS -a tendency to select wrong answers
because they seem to be good examples of pre-existing mental categories
Base rate fallacy - CORRECT ANSWERS -when a person judges that an outcome will occur
without considering prior knowledge of the probability that it will occur. They focus on other
information that isn't relevant instead.
Attribution - CORRECT ANSWERS -the process by which individuals explain the causes of
behavior and events
Proxemics - CORRECT ANSWERS -the branch of knowledge that deals with the amount of space
that people feel it necessary to set between themselves and others
Kinesthesia - CORRECT ANSWERS -the sense that helps us detect weight, body position, and the
relationship between movements in our body parts such as joints, muscles and tendons
Discrete Questions and Answers
Framing - CORRECT ANSWERS -the way a question is stated before problem solving begins; a
way of structuring or presenting a problem or an issue
Expansion - CORRECT ANSWERS -restating, in a linguistically sophisticated form, what a child
has said
Maslow's definition of self-actualization - CORRECT ANSWERS -the desire for self-fulfillment,
namely the tendency for an individual to become actualized in what they are potentially
Frame of reference - CORRECT ANSWERS -a complex set of assumptions and attitudes which we
use to filter perceptions t create meaning; can include beliefs, schemas, preferences, values,
culture, and other ways in which we bias our understanding and judgement
Attention shifts - CORRECT ANSWERS -occurs when directing attention to a point to increase
the efficiency of processing that point and includes inhibition to decrease attentional resources
to unwanted or irrelevant inputs
Perceptual constancy - CORRECT ANSWERS -the tendency of animals and humans to see
familiar objects as having standard shape, size, color, or location regardless of changes in the
angle of perspective, distance, or lighting
The Gestalt principle of similarity - CORRECT ANSWERS -states that things which share visual
characteristics such as shape, size, color, texture, value, or orientation will be seen as belonging
together
Just-noticeable difference - CORRECT ANSWERS -the amount something must be changed in
order for a difference to be detectable at least half the time
Absolute threshold - CORRECT ANSWERS -the smallest level of energy required by an external
stimulus to be detectable by the human senses, including vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch
Subliminal threshold - CORRECT ANSWERS -any sensory stimuli below an individual's threshold
for conscious perception
Libido - CORRECT ANSWERS -the energy from life instincts that drives personality (according to
Freud)
Eros - CORRECT ANSWERS -our life force, the will to live; the desire to create life, and favors
productivity and construction
, Feature detectors - CORRECT ANSWERS -brain cells that analyze incoming sensory information
into lines, angles, shading, and movement
Fixation - CORRECT ANSWERS -the inability to adopt any different or new perspective on a
problem
Divergent thinking - CORRECT ANSWERS -a thought process or method used to generate
creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions
Synesthesia - CORRECT ANSWERS -the production of a sense impression relating to one sense
or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body
3 techniques used for brainwashing identified by mcconnell - CORRECT ANSWERS -isolation,
dependency, and reward
Subliminal perception (subception) - CORRECT ANSWERS -the perception of, or reaction to, a
stimulus that occurs without awareness or consciousness by the subject
Saccade - CORRECT ANSWERS -a quick jump of the eye from one position to another as it takes
in visual stimuli
Nociceptors - CORRECT ANSWERS -pain receptors, found in the greatest number in the skin
Chemoreceptors - CORRECT ANSWERS -receptors for smell and taste
Photoreceptors - CORRECT ANSWERS -receptors used by the eyes to detect light
Limen - CORRECT ANSWERS -a threshold below which a stimulus is not perceived or is not
distinguished from another
Variable ratio - CORRECT ANSWERS -a schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement is
provided after an inconsistent number of responses
Representativeness heuristic - CORRECT ANSWERS -a tendency to select wrong answers
because they seem to be good examples of pre-existing mental categories
Base rate fallacy - CORRECT ANSWERS -when a person judges that an outcome will occur
without considering prior knowledge of the probability that it will occur. They focus on other
information that isn't relevant instead.
Attribution - CORRECT ANSWERS -the process by which individuals explain the causes of
behavior and events
Proxemics - CORRECT ANSWERS -the branch of knowledge that deals with the amount of space
that people feel it necessary to set between themselves and others
Kinesthesia - CORRECT ANSWERS -the sense that helps us detect weight, body position, and the
relationship between movements in our body parts such as joints, muscles and tendons
