Psychology Definitions (Mcat)

Front 1

Piaget's 4 Stages of Cognitive Development

Back 1

1. Sensorimotor Stage

2. Preoperational Stage

3. Concrete Operational Stage

4. Formal Operational Stage

Front 2

Sensorimotor Stage

Back 2

Birth - 2 yr

Understand object continuity: Objects still exist even without touching/looking at it

Have concept that their thoughts and feelings are shared by everyone

Front 3

Preoperational Stage

Back 3

2 - 7 yrs

Symbolic thinking: Ideas can be represented though symbols

They think everyone has the same view point as them

Front 4

Concrete Operational Stage

Back 4

7 - 11 yrs

Develop understanding of conservation

Children develop the realization that there are viewpoints and perspectives besides their own

Front 5

Formal Operational Stage

Back 5

12 - Adulthood

Ability of abstract and moral reasoning

Before thai stage children already know that people do not share their same view points

Front 6

Deductive reasoning

Back 6

Process of solving a problem beginning with a set of rules (top-down reasoning)

Front 7

Inductive reasoning

Back 7

Drawing reason or solution from particular instances (Bottom-up reasoning)

Front 8

Heuristics

Back 8

Mental shortcuts that can help make decisions, but can lead to poor judgment

Front 9

Representativeness heuristics

Back 9

Tendency to make decision based on what we know of them

Front 10

Availability heuristics

Back 10

Making decisions about how likely an action or event will occur based on how really available similar info is in our memories

Front 11

Belief bias

Back 11

Tendency that people have to judge a thing based not upon sound logic, but on already held beliefs

Front 12

Conformation bias

Back 12

Tendency that people focus on info that is in agreement with the beliefs that they already have, rather than the info that is contrary to those beliefs

Front 13

Overconfidence

Back 13

A person overestimates that accuracy and validity of their judgment and knowledge

Front 14

Belief-perseverance

Back 14

Tendency to stick with ones initial beliefs about something even after receiving new info that disproves or nullifies initial belief

Front 15

Intuition

Back 15

Ability developed by experience, to make choices based on ideas that are not evident based on available info

Front 16

Recognition-prined decision model

Back 16

When faced with a problem, the brain can sort through a vast amount of info to find a solution

Front 17

Emotion

Back 17

Instinct state of mind a person has based on mood, circumstances, and relationships. Can often influence a persons problem solving skills/ decisions

Front 18

What part of the brain is involved in long term memory?

Back 18

Hippocampus

Front 19

What is psychoanalytic psychology?

Back 19

Emphasizes focus on unconscious material

Front 20

What are the Five Factor View of Personality ?

Back 20

Personality consists of 5 factors:

1. Outgoingness

2. Conscientiousness

3. Extraversion

4. Agreeableness

5. Neuroticism

(acronym OCEAN)

Front 21

What is the James-Lange Theory?

Back 21

An emotional experience is the result of behavioral and physiological action

(Ex: feeling happy because we laugh, sad because we cry, etc.)

Front 22

What is Cannon-Bard Theory?

Back 22

Cognitive and physiological responses to a stimulus occur concurrently and independently of one another with a behavioral response following them

Front 23

What is Schachter-Singer Theory?

Back 23

Once we experience physiological arousal based on a stimulus, the cognitive aspect is conscious

Front 24

What is distress?

Back 24

Result of an unpleasant stressor

Front 25

What is eustres?

Back 25

Results of a more positive sensor

Front 26

What are Ekman's seven universal emotions?

Back 26

1. Happiness

2. Sadness

3. Contempt

4.Fear

5. Disgust

6. Anger

7. Surprise

Front 27

James-Lange Theory

Back 27

An individual emotionally responds to some stimulus as a result of physiological arousal

Front 28

Cannon-Bard Theory

Back 28

Emotions are arrived at independently of physiological response

Emotion asserts that the physiological arousal and the subjective feeling of an emotion arise from different parts of the brain and are separate and independent of one another.

Front 29

Schachter-Singer Theory of Emotion

Back 29

Physiological responses lead to an emotion.

Front 30

What is an unconditioned stimulus?

Back 30

One for which the subject has not been conditioned, or primed.

Front 31

What is a conditioned stimulus?

Back 31

One that has been associated with another (ex. a bell ringing before feeding)

Front 32

What is a conditioned response?

Back 32

One paired with an unconditioned stimulus

Front 33

What is cognitive dissonance?

Back 33

Involves having a disparity between a person’s beliefs and reality

Front 34

What is a kinship of affinity?

Back 34

One in which individuals are related by choice, such as through marriage, rather than through blood

Front 35

What does anomie refer to?

Back 35

A society feeling fragmented and lacking cohesiveness.

Front 36

What is an ideal bureaucracy?

Back 36

An ideal bureaucracy will make decisions in accordance with its mission

Front 37

What is protectionism?

Back 37

Refers to a country rejecting trade with others and being isolative, which is inversely proportional to globalization

Front 38

What is socialization?

Back 38

The process of internalizing the social norms and values expected in one’s society, and mass media (such as popular music)

Front 39

What is false consciousness?

Back 39

A belief by individuals that doesn’t reflect the reality of the system.

Front 40

What is stereotype threat?

Back 40

When an individual’s behavior changes based on negative stereotypes about that individual.

Front 41

What is affect heuristic?

Back 41

A process of making a judgment about other based on emotions that are evoked

Front 42

What is cognitive dissonance?

Back 42

Occurs when a person’s beliefs and reality do not match.

Front 43

What is anchoring?

Back 43

The act of relying too much on the first information encountered.

Front 44

What is role strain?

Back 44

Involves a problem fitting into an existing role

Front 45

What is role conflict?

Back 45

Involves two roles coming into conflict

Front 46

What is role exit?

Back 46

Involves leaving a role

Front 47

What is availability heuristic?

Back 47

Involves using easily accessible information based on salient characteristics.

Front 48

What is familiarity heuristic?

Back 48

Involves inferring that past behavior will continue to the present.

Front 49

What is representative heuristic?

Back 49

Involves judging that an event occurs at a higher rate than it actually does because of salient characteristics.

Front 50

What is anchoring heuristic?

Back 50

Involves judging subsequent behavior based on an initial behavior.

Front 51

What is a dependent variable?

Back 51

One which is measured as an outcome when other independent variables are introduced

What you are observing

Front 52

What is an independent variable?

Back 52

What you are controlling

Front 53

What is assimilation?

Back 53

A strategy in which the individual seeks to interact with the new culture and reject the native culture.

Front 54

What is separation?

Back 54

Rejecting the new culture and maintaining the native culture

Front 55

What is marginalization?

Back 55

Rejection of both cultures.

Front 56

What is integration?

Back 56

Identifying with both cultures.

Front 57

What is Anomie Theory?

Back 57

Individuals who experience weakened social values are less likely to behave in ways that are helpful to that society.

Front 58

What is Relative Deprivation Theory?

Back 58

Individuals who perceive themselves as having less resources than others will often act in ways to obtain these resources

Front 59

What is General Strain Theory?

Back 59

Individuals who have experienced negative events feel negative emotions, which leads to negative behaviors.