MCAT Psychology and Sociology Review
exam with complete solutions
absolute poverty - ANSWER-inability to meet a bare minimum of basic necessities,
including clean drinking water, food, safe housing, and reliable access to healthcare
acetylcholine (ACh) - ANSWER-the neurotransmitter used at the neuromuscular
junction, throughout the PNS and by the preganglionic neurons of the SNS
acetylcholinesterase - ANSWER-the enzyme that breaks down ACh in the synaptic cleft
achieved status - ANSWER-statuses that are considered to be due largely to an
individual's efforts
acquisition - ANSWER-in classical conditioning, the process of learning the association
between a conditioned stimulus and response
action potential - ANSWER-localized change in the neuron's membrane potential that
propagates away from its point of origin. All-or-none processes mediated by the opening
of voltage gated sodium and potassium channels when the membrane is brought to
threshold potential; opening of sodium channels causes characteristic depolarization,
while opening sodium channels repolarizes the membrane
activation-synthesis theory - ANSWER-theory that dreams are simply byproducts of
brain activation during REM sleep. Suggests that the content of dreams is not
purposeful or meaningful
actor-observer bias/self-serving bias - ANSWER-tendency to blame our actions on the
situation and blame the actions of others on their personalities
addiction - ANSWER-a compulsion to do an act repeatedly; can consist of a
psychological dependence and/or a physical dependence as evidenced by drug
addiction withdrawal
,adrenal cortex - ANSWER-outer region of the adrenal gland. the adrenal cortex
produces cortisol in response to long-term chronic stress and aldosterone in response
to low blood pressure and blood osmolarity
adrenal medulla - ANSWER-inner region of the adrenal gland, and part of the SNS and
releases epinephrine and norepinephrine into the bloodstream when stimulated. Epi and
norepi. prolong and enhance the effect of the sympathetic stimulation on the body
adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) - ANSWER-a tropic hormone produced by the
anterior pituitary gland that targets the adrenal cortex, stimulating it to release cortisol
and aldosterone
affect - ANSWER-a person's visible emotion in the moment
affirmative action - ANSWER-policies that take factors like race and sex into
consideration to benefit underrepresented groups in admissions or job hiring decisions;
these policies have been used to benefit those believed to be current or past victims of
discrimination
aggregate - ANSWER-people who exist in the same space but do not interact or share
a common sense of identity
aggression - ANSWER-behavior that is forceful, hostile, or attacking. in sociology,
aggression is considered something that is intended to cause harm or promote social
dominance within a group
Mary Ainsworth - ANSWER-famous for her strange situation experiments where
mothers would leave their infants in an unfamiliar environment to see how they would
react. Studies suggested a distinction between securely attached infants and insecurely
attached infants
algorithm - ANSWER-a step-by-step detailing the steps that aids with problem solving
alpha waves - ANSWER-low amplitude, high frequency brain waves present in a
relaxed state. alpha waves are the first indicator that a person is ready to drift off to
sleep
altruism - ANSWER-a behavior that helps ensure the success or survival of the rest of
the social group, possibly at the expense of the success or survival of the individual
,Alzheimer's disease - ANSWER-most prevalent forms of the dementia, characterized
behaviorally by the inability to form new memories, known as anterograde amnesia
amalgamation - ANSWER-occurs when majority and minority groups combine to form a
new group
amygdala - ANSWER-almond-shaped structure deep within the brain that orchestrates
emotional experiences
anal stage - ANSWER-the second stage of Freud's five psychosexual stages; in this
stage the child seeks sensual pleasure through control of elimination
anterior pituitary gland - ANSWER-adenohypophysis and is made of glandular tissue
and it makes and secretes six different hormones: FSH, LH, ACTH, TSH, prolactin, and
growth hormone. it is controlled by releasing and inhibiting factors from the
hypothalamus
anterograde amnesia - ANSWER-inability to form new memories
antisocial personality disorder - ANSWER-psychological disorder characterized by a
history of serious behavior problems beginning in adolescence, including significant
aggression against people or animals, deliberate property destruction, lying or theft, and
serious rule violation
anxiety disorder - ANSWER-emotional state of unpleasant physical and mental arousal;
a preparation to fight or flee. in a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety is intense,
frequent, irrational (out of proportion), and uncontrollable; it causes significant distress
or impairment of normal functioning
aqueous humor - ANSWER-thin, watery fluid found in the anterior segment of the eye
(between lens and cornea). The aqueous humor is constantly produced and drained,
and helps brings nutrients to the lens and cornea, as well as remove metabolic wastes
Solomon Asch - ANSWER-Conducted research on conformity and group pressure by
placing subjects in a room with several confederates and observing behavior of the
subject when the confederates provided clearly wrong answers to questions
ascribed status - ANSWER-statuses that are assigned to a person by society regardless
of the person's own efforts
, assimilation - ANSWER-process in which an individual forsakes aspects of his or her
own cultural tradition to adopt those of a different culture. Generally, this individual is a
member of a minority group who is attempting to conform to the culture of the dominant
group
associative learning - ANSWER-process of learning in which one event, object, or
action is directly connected with another. Two general categories include classical and
operant conditioning
Attenuation model of selective attention - ANSWER-model of selective attention in
which the mind has an attentuator, like a volume knob, that can tune up inputs to be
attended and tune down unattended inputs, rather than totally eliminating them
(accounts for the cocktail party effect)
attitude - ANSWER-person's feelings and beliefs about other people or events around
him, and his behavioral restrictions based on those underlying evaluations
attribution theory - ANSWER-theory that attempts to explain how individuals view
behavior - both our own behavior and the behavior of others - by attributing behavior to
either internal or external cues
auditory cortex - ANSWER-area of the temporal lobe responsible for processing sound
information
auditory tube - ANSWER-Eustachian tube that connects the middle ear cavity with the
pharynx and it functions to equality middle ear pressure with atmospheric pressure so
that pressure on both sides of the tympanic membrane is equal
authoritarian parenting - ANSWER-parenting style in which parents impose strict rules
that are expected to be followed unconditionally in an attempt to control children. This
style is demanding and often relies on punishment
authoritative parenting - ANSWER-parenting style that places limits on behavior and
consistently follows through on consequences, but also expresses warmth and nurturing
and allows for two-way communication between parents and children
autonomic ANS - ANSWER-division of the PNS that innervates and controls the visceral
organs (everything but the skeletal muscles). It is also known as the involuntary nervous
system and can be subdivided into sympathetic and parasympathetic branches
exam with complete solutions
absolute poverty - ANSWER-inability to meet a bare minimum of basic necessities,
including clean drinking water, food, safe housing, and reliable access to healthcare
acetylcholine (ACh) - ANSWER-the neurotransmitter used at the neuromuscular
junction, throughout the PNS and by the preganglionic neurons of the SNS
acetylcholinesterase - ANSWER-the enzyme that breaks down ACh in the synaptic cleft
achieved status - ANSWER-statuses that are considered to be due largely to an
individual's efforts
acquisition - ANSWER-in classical conditioning, the process of learning the association
between a conditioned stimulus and response
action potential - ANSWER-localized change in the neuron's membrane potential that
propagates away from its point of origin. All-or-none processes mediated by the opening
of voltage gated sodium and potassium channels when the membrane is brought to
threshold potential; opening of sodium channels causes characteristic depolarization,
while opening sodium channels repolarizes the membrane
activation-synthesis theory - ANSWER-theory that dreams are simply byproducts of
brain activation during REM sleep. Suggests that the content of dreams is not
purposeful or meaningful
actor-observer bias/self-serving bias - ANSWER-tendency to blame our actions on the
situation and blame the actions of others on their personalities
addiction - ANSWER-a compulsion to do an act repeatedly; can consist of a
psychological dependence and/or a physical dependence as evidenced by drug
addiction withdrawal
,adrenal cortex - ANSWER-outer region of the adrenal gland. the adrenal cortex
produces cortisol in response to long-term chronic stress and aldosterone in response
to low blood pressure and blood osmolarity
adrenal medulla - ANSWER-inner region of the adrenal gland, and part of the SNS and
releases epinephrine and norepinephrine into the bloodstream when stimulated. Epi and
norepi. prolong and enhance the effect of the sympathetic stimulation on the body
adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) - ANSWER-a tropic hormone produced by the
anterior pituitary gland that targets the adrenal cortex, stimulating it to release cortisol
and aldosterone
affect - ANSWER-a person's visible emotion in the moment
affirmative action - ANSWER-policies that take factors like race and sex into
consideration to benefit underrepresented groups in admissions or job hiring decisions;
these policies have been used to benefit those believed to be current or past victims of
discrimination
aggregate - ANSWER-people who exist in the same space but do not interact or share
a common sense of identity
aggression - ANSWER-behavior that is forceful, hostile, or attacking. in sociology,
aggression is considered something that is intended to cause harm or promote social
dominance within a group
Mary Ainsworth - ANSWER-famous for her strange situation experiments where
mothers would leave their infants in an unfamiliar environment to see how they would
react. Studies suggested a distinction between securely attached infants and insecurely
attached infants
algorithm - ANSWER-a step-by-step detailing the steps that aids with problem solving
alpha waves - ANSWER-low amplitude, high frequency brain waves present in a
relaxed state. alpha waves are the first indicator that a person is ready to drift off to
sleep
altruism - ANSWER-a behavior that helps ensure the success or survival of the rest of
the social group, possibly at the expense of the success or survival of the individual
,Alzheimer's disease - ANSWER-most prevalent forms of the dementia, characterized
behaviorally by the inability to form new memories, known as anterograde amnesia
amalgamation - ANSWER-occurs when majority and minority groups combine to form a
new group
amygdala - ANSWER-almond-shaped structure deep within the brain that orchestrates
emotional experiences
anal stage - ANSWER-the second stage of Freud's five psychosexual stages; in this
stage the child seeks sensual pleasure through control of elimination
anterior pituitary gland - ANSWER-adenohypophysis and is made of glandular tissue
and it makes and secretes six different hormones: FSH, LH, ACTH, TSH, prolactin, and
growth hormone. it is controlled by releasing and inhibiting factors from the
hypothalamus
anterograde amnesia - ANSWER-inability to form new memories
antisocial personality disorder - ANSWER-psychological disorder characterized by a
history of serious behavior problems beginning in adolescence, including significant
aggression against people or animals, deliberate property destruction, lying or theft, and
serious rule violation
anxiety disorder - ANSWER-emotional state of unpleasant physical and mental arousal;
a preparation to fight or flee. in a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety is intense,
frequent, irrational (out of proportion), and uncontrollable; it causes significant distress
or impairment of normal functioning
aqueous humor - ANSWER-thin, watery fluid found in the anterior segment of the eye
(between lens and cornea). The aqueous humor is constantly produced and drained,
and helps brings nutrients to the lens and cornea, as well as remove metabolic wastes
Solomon Asch - ANSWER-Conducted research on conformity and group pressure by
placing subjects in a room with several confederates and observing behavior of the
subject when the confederates provided clearly wrong answers to questions
ascribed status - ANSWER-statuses that are assigned to a person by society regardless
of the person's own efforts
, assimilation - ANSWER-process in which an individual forsakes aspects of his or her
own cultural tradition to adopt those of a different culture. Generally, this individual is a
member of a minority group who is attempting to conform to the culture of the dominant
group
associative learning - ANSWER-process of learning in which one event, object, or
action is directly connected with another. Two general categories include classical and
operant conditioning
Attenuation model of selective attention - ANSWER-model of selective attention in
which the mind has an attentuator, like a volume knob, that can tune up inputs to be
attended and tune down unattended inputs, rather than totally eliminating them
(accounts for the cocktail party effect)
attitude - ANSWER-person's feelings and beliefs about other people or events around
him, and his behavioral restrictions based on those underlying evaluations
attribution theory - ANSWER-theory that attempts to explain how individuals view
behavior - both our own behavior and the behavior of others - by attributing behavior to
either internal or external cues
auditory cortex - ANSWER-area of the temporal lobe responsible for processing sound
information
auditory tube - ANSWER-Eustachian tube that connects the middle ear cavity with the
pharynx and it functions to equality middle ear pressure with atmospheric pressure so
that pressure on both sides of the tympanic membrane is equal
authoritarian parenting - ANSWER-parenting style in which parents impose strict rules
that are expected to be followed unconditionally in an attempt to control children. This
style is demanding and often relies on punishment
authoritative parenting - ANSWER-parenting style that places limits on behavior and
consistently follows through on consequences, but also expresses warmth and nurturing
and allows for two-way communication between parents and children
autonomic ANS - ANSWER-division of the PNS that innervates and controls the visceral
organs (everything but the skeletal muscles). It is also known as the involuntary nervous
system and can be subdivided into sympathetic and parasympathetic branches
