MCAT BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS.
Lateral Hypothalamus - Answers-hunger center; triggers eating and drinking
Ventromedial Hypothalamus - Answers-satiety center, stops eating
Anterior Hypothalamus - Answers-Controls sexual behavior, also regulates sleep and
body temp
All Catecholamines play a role in: - Answers-the experience of emotions
Roles of Serotonin - Answers-regulating mood, eating, sleeping, and dreaming
Low levels of 5-HT and NE associated with: - Answers-depression
High levels of 5-HT and NE associated with: - Answers-mania
GABA exerts its effects by: - Answers-hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic membrane
Sensory receptors: - Answers-neurons that respond to stimuli and trigger electrical
signals
Receptors that respond to dissolved compounds: - Answers-Taste receptors
Receptors that respond to volatile compounds: - Answers-Olfactory receptors
The minimum of stimulus energy that is needed to activate a sensory system
-a threshold in SENSATION NOT PERCEPTION
-how bright, loud, or intense a stimulus must be before it is sensed - Answers-Absolute
Threshold
The minimum of stimulus energy that will create a signal large enough in size and long
enough in duration to be brought into awareness - Answers-Threshold of Conscious
Perception (subliminal perception)
Difference between Absolute Threshold and Threshold of Conscious Perception -
Answers--A stimulus below AT will not be transduced and never reaches CNS
-A stimulus below TCP arrives at CNS but does not reach the higher-order brain regions
controlling attention and consciousness
Difference Threshold (JND) - Answers-The minimum of difference in magnitude
between 2 stimuli before one can perceive the difference
,Weber's Law - Answers-states that the JND for a stimulus is proportional to the
magnitude of the stimulus, and that this proportion is constant over most of the range of
possible stimuli
For a higher-magnitude stimulus, the actual difference must be ____ to produce a jnd. -
Answers-larger
Signal Detection Theory - Answers-refers to the effects of non sensory factors, such as
experiences, motives, and expectations, on perception of stimuli
-changes in out perception of the same stimuli based on both internal (psych) and
external (enviro) context
Signal Detection Experiments allow us to look at _____ - Answers-Response Bias; in a
signal detection experiment a stimulus may or may not be given and the subject is
asked to state whether or not it was given. 4 possible outcomes= hits, misses, false
alarms, correct negatives
Response Bias: - Answers-the tendency of subjects to systematically respond to a
stimulus in a particular way due to non sensory factors
S Cones: - Answers-short; absorb blue
M cones: - Answers-medium; absorb green
L Cones: - Answers-long; absorb red
Fovea: - Answers-contains only cones; visual acuity best here; most sensitive in normal
daylight vision
As the number of receptors that converge through the bipolar neurons onto one
ganglion cell increases, the resolution ____. - Answers-decreases
The number of ____ converging onto an individual ganglion cell is smaller than for
____. - Answers-cones ; rods
-thus, color vision has greater sensitivity to fine detail than black and white does
Parallel Processing - Answers-the ability to simultaneously analyze and combine info
regarding color, shape, and motion
-these features can then be compared to our memories to determine what is being
viewed
Feature Detection - Answers-(neuroscience correlate of parallel processing)
-our visual pathways contain cells specialized in detection of color, shape, or motion
Parvocellular cells - Answers-detect shape; have a very high spatial resolution; low
temporal resolution (only respond to stationary or slow moving objects)
,Magnocellular cells - Answers-detect motion; high temporal; low spatial (provide blurry
but moving image of object)
The ___ of a sound wave determines the rate at which the tympanic membrane
vibrates. - Answers-frequency; vibrates in phase with incoming sound waves
Endolymph is filled with a fluid rich in ___ - Answers-Potassium
The actual hearing apparatus is the: - Answers-organ of Corti
Why is the round window necessary? - Answers-Because fluids are essentially
incompressible so the round window allows the perilymph to actually move within the
cochlea when sound causes vibrations in the perilymph.
Utricle and Saccule - Answers-linear acceleration; otoliths cover hair cells
Semicircular Canals - Answers-rotational acceleration; hair cells located at ampulla
LGN is for ___, MGN is for ____. - Answers-vision ; sound
Pitches of what frequency cause vibrations of the basilar membrane very close to the
oval window? - Answers-High-frequency
Pitches of what frequency cause vibrations of the basilar membrane at the apex of the
cochlea, away from the oval window? - Answers-Low-frequency
-Pacinian Corpuscles:
-Meissner's Corpuscles:
-Merkle's Discs:
-Ruffini Endings:
-Free Nerve Endings: - Answers--deep pressure and vibration
-light touch
-deep pressure and texture
-stretch
-pain and temp
The size of the two-point threshold depends on what? - Answers-the density of nerves
in the particular area of skin being tested
Physiological Zero - Answers-refers to the judgment of temperature relative to the
normal temp of the skin (physiological zero)
Gate Theory of Pain - Answers--proposes a gating mechanism that can affect our
perception of pain as the spinal cord preferentially forwards signals from other touch
modalities instead of pain
, -explains why rubbing an injury reduces the pain
Bottom-Up Processing - Answers-(data driven) object recognition by parallel processing
and feature detection; brain takes individual sensory stimuli and combines them to
create cohesive image
Top-Down Processing - Answers-(conceptually driven) driven by memories and
expectations that allow the brain to recognize the whole obj and then recognize the
components based on these expectations
Perceptual Organization - Answers-the ability to use both top-down and bottom-up
processing in tandem with all other sensory clues about an object to create a complete
picture or idea
Gestalt Principles - Answers-ways for the brain to infer missing parts of a picture when a
picture is incomplete:
-proximity
-similarity
-continuation
-subjective contours
-closure
Dishabituation refers to: - Answers-the recovery of a response to a stimulus over time,
usually after a different stimulus has been presented
-temporary, refers to response to the original stimulus, not the new one
Associative Learning - Answers-the creation of a pairing, or association, either between
2 stimuli or between a behavior and a response
-classical conditioning
-operant conditioning
Classical Conditioning - Answers-type of associative learning that takes advantage of
biological, instinctual responses to create associations between 2 unrelated stimuli
-works because some still causes an innate or reflexive physiological response
Generalization - Answers-a broadening effect by which a stimulus similar enough to the
conditioned stimulus can also produce the conditioned response
Discrimination - Answers-an organism learns to distinguish between two similar stimuli
Operant Conditioning - Answers-links voluntary behaviors with consequences in an
effort to alter the frequency of those behaviors
Reinforcement - Answers-process of increasing the likelihood that an individual will
perform a behavior
-Positive or Negative
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS.
Lateral Hypothalamus - Answers-hunger center; triggers eating and drinking
Ventromedial Hypothalamus - Answers-satiety center, stops eating
Anterior Hypothalamus - Answers-Controls sexual behavior, also regulates sleep and
body temp
All Catecholamines play a role in: - Answers-the experience of emotions
Roles of Serotonin - Answers-regulating mood, eating, sleeping, and dreaming
Low levels of 5-HT and NE associated with: - Answers-depression
High levels of 5-HT and NE associated with: - Answers-mania
GABA exerts its effects by: - Answers-hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic membrane
Sensory receptors: - Answers-neurons that respond to stimuli and trigger electrical
signals
Receptors that respond to dissolved compounds: - Answers-Taste receptors
Receptors that respond to volatile compounds: - Answers-Olfactory receptors
The minimum of stimulus energy that is needed to activate a sensory system
-a threshold in SENSATION NOT PERCEPTION
-how bright, loud, or intense a stimulus must be before it is sensed - Answers-Absolute
Threshold
The minimum of stimulus energy that will create a signal large enough in size and long
enough in duration to be brought into awareness - Answers-Threshold of Conscious
Perception (subliminal perception)
Difference between Absolute Threshold and Threshold of Conscious Perception -
Answers--A stimulus below AT will not be transduced and never reaches CNS
-A stimulus below TCP arrives at CNS but does not reach the higher-order brain regions
controlling attention and consciousness
Difference Threshold (JND) - Answers-The minimum of difference in magnitude
between 2 stimuli before one can perceive the difference
,Weber's Law - Answers-states that the JND for a stimulus is proportional to the
magnitude of the stimulus, and that this proportion is constant over most of the range of
possible stimuli
For a higher-magnitude stimulus, the actual difference must be ____ to produce a jnd. -
Answers-larger
Signal Detection Theory - Answers-refers to the effects of non sensory factors, such as
experiences, motives, and expectations, on perception of stimuli
-changes in out perception of the same stimuli based on both internal (psych) and
external (enviro) context
Signal Detection Experiments allow us to look at _____ - Answers-Response Bias; in a
signal detection experiment a stimulus may or may not be given and the subject is
asked to state whether or not it was given. 4 possible outcomes= hits, misses, false
alarms, correct negatives
Response Bias: - Answers-the tendency of subjects to systematically respond to a
stimulus in a particular way due to non sensory factors
S Cones: - Answers-short; absorb blue
M cones: - Answers-medium; absorb green
L Cones: - Answers-long; absorb red
Fovea: - Answers-contains only cones; visual acuity best here; most sensitive in normal
daylight vision
As the number of receptors that converge through the bipolar neurons onto one
ganglion cell increases, the resolution ____. - Answers-decreases
The number of ____ converging onto an individual ganglion cell is smaller than for
____. - Answers-cones ; rods
-thus, color vision has greater sensitivity to fine detail than black and white does
Parallel Processing - Answers-the ability to simultaneously analyze and combine info
regarding color, shape, and motion
-these features can then be compared to our memories to determine what is being
viewed
Feature Detection - Answers-(neuroscience correlate of parallel processing)
-our visual pathways contain cells specialized in detection of color, shape, or motion
Parvocellular cells - Answers-detect shape; have a very high spatial resolution; low
temporal resolution (only respond to stationary or slow moving objects)
,Magnocellular cells - Answers-detect motion; high temporal; low spatial (provide blurry
but moving image of object)
The ___ of a sound wave determines the rate at which the tympanic membrane
vibrates. - Answers-frequency; vibrates in phase with incoming sound waves
Endolymph is filled with a fluid rich in ___ - Answers-Potassium
The actual hearing apparatus is the: - Answers-organ of Corti
Why is the round window necessary? - Answers-Because fluids are essentially
incompressible so the round window allows the perilymph to actually move within the
cochlea when sound causes vibrations in the perilymph.
Utricle and Saccule - Answers-linear acceleration; otoliths cover hair cells
Semicircular Canals - Answers-rotational acceleration; hair cells located at ampulla
LGN is for ___, MGN is for ____. - Answers-vision ; sound
Pitches of what frequency cause vibrations of the basilar membrane very close to the
oval window? - Answers-High-frequency
Pitches of what frequency cause vibrations of the basilar membrane at the apex of the
cochlea, away from the oval window? - Answers-Low-frequency
-Pacinian Corpuscles:
-Meissner's Corpuscles:
-Merkle's Discs:
-Ruffini Endings:
-Free Nerve Endings: - Answers--deep pressure and vibration
-light touch
-deep pressure and texture
-stretch
-pain and temp
The size of the two-point threshold depends on what? - Answers-the density of nerves
in the particular area of skin being tested
Physiological Zero - Answers-refers to the judgment of temperature relative to the
normal temp of the skin (physiological zero)
Gate Theory of Pain - Answers--proposes a gating mechanism that can affect our
perception of pain as the spinal cord preferentially forwards signals from other touch
modalities instead of pain
, -explains why rubbing an injury reduces the pain
Bottom-Up Processing - Answers-(data driven) object recognition by parallel processing
and feature detection; brain takes individual sensory stimuli and combines them to
create cohesive image
Top-Down Processing - Answers-(conceptually driven) driven by memories and
expectations that allow the brain to recognize the whole obj and then recognize the
components based on these expectations
Perceptual Organization - Answers-the ability to use both top-down and bottom-up
processing in tandem with all other sensory clues about an object to create a complete
picture or idea
Gestalt Principles - Answers-ways for the brain to infer missing parts of a picture when a
picture is incomplete:
-proximity
-similarity
-continuation
-subjective contours
-closure
Dishabituation refers to: - Answers-the recovery of a response to a stimulus over time,
usually after a different stimulus has been presented
-temporary, refers to response to the original stimulus, not the new one
Associative Learning - Answers-the creation of a pairing, or association, either between
2 stimuli or between a behavior and a response
-classical conditioning
-operant conditioning
Classical Conditioning - Answers-type of associative learning that takes advantage of
biological, instinctual responses to create associations between 2 unrelated stimuli
-works because some still causes an innate or reflexive physiological response
Generalization - Answers-a broadening effect by which a stimulus similar enough to the
conditioned stimulus can also produce the conditioned response
Discrimination - Answers-an organism learns to distinguish between two similar stimuli
Operant Conditioning - Answers-links voluntary behaviors with consequences in an
effort to alter the frequency of those behaviors
Reinforcement - Answers-process of increasing the likelihood that an individual will
perform a behavior
-Positive or Negative
