Psych/Soc/Neuro MCAT #6 (social reproduction-

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social reproduction
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the structures and activities in place in a society that serve to transmit and reinforce social inequality from one generation to the next. Cultural capital and social capital are two mechanisms by which social reproduction occurs
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social roles
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expectations for people of a given social status
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social stratification
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the way that people are categorized in society; people can be categorized by race, education, wealth, and income
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social support
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the perception that one is cared for a part of a social network; supportive resources can be tangible or emotional
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society
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a group of people who share a culture and lives/interact with each other within a definable area
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sociobiology
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the study of how biology and evolution have affected human social behavior. Primarily, it applies Darwin's principle of natural selection to social behavior, suggesting there is a biological basis for many behaviors
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socioeconomic status
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often defined in terms of power, property, and prestige, because these three concepts tend to be related in U.S. society
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sociology
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the study of how individuals interact with, shape, and are subsequently shaped by, the society in which they live
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soma
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the cell body of a neuron
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somatization disorder
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a psychological disorder characterized by a variety of physical symptoms over an extended time period, including: pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, sexual symptoms, and pseudoneurological symptoms
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somatoform disorder
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a psychological disorder characterized primarily by physical symptoms and concerns, which may mimic physical disease. However, the symptoms are not explainable medically and do not improve with medical treatment
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somnambulism
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sleepwalking
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source monitoring error
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a specific type of error of recollection where a memory is incorrectly attributed to the wrong source
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source traits
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the factors underlying human personality and behavior
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spatial summation
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integration by a postsynaptic neuron of inputs (EPSPs and IPSPs) from multiple sources
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specific phobia
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a persistent, strong, and unreasonable fear of a certain object or situation. Specific phobias are classified into four types depending on the types of triggers they involve, including: situational type, natural environment type, blood-injection injury type, and animal type
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spontaneous recovery
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in classical conditioning, a reoccurrence of a previously extinct conditioned response in the presence of a conditioned stimulus. Often occurs after a period of time has passed since the initial extinction of the response
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spotlight model
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model for visual attention, with a spotlight representing one's attention and its ability to unlock from a current target, move focus, and lock into a new target
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spreading activation theory
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a theory of information retrieval that involves a search process where specific nodes are activated, which leads to the activation of related nodes, which leads to the activation of related nodes, and so one. A node does not become activated until it receives input signals from its neighbors that are strong enough to reach a response threshold. The effect of input signals is cumulative: the response threshold is reached by the summation of input signals from multiple nodes.
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state
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situational factors that can influence personality and behavior; states are unstable, temporary, and variable
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state capitalism
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a system in which companies are privately run, but works closely with the government in forming laws and regulations
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status
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a socioeconomic term that refers to all the socially defined positions within a society
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stereotype threat
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refers a to self-fulfilling fear that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype
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steroid hormone
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a hormone derived from cholesterol. Steroids are generally hydrophobic and can easily cross the plasma membrane of cells, thus receptors for steroids are found intracellularly. Once the steroid binds to the receptor, the receptor-steroid complex acts to regulate transcription in the nucleus
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stigma
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extreme disapproval of a person or group based on the person or groups actual or perceived deviance from society
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stranger anxiety
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developmentally typical anxiety displayed by children from approximately eight to twelve months of age toward close contact with strangers. May be expressed by crying and clinging to familiar caregivers
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subculture
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a segment of society that shares a distinct pattern of traditions and values that differs from that of the larger society
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sucking relfex
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in response to anything touching the roof of the baby's mouth, it will begin to suck
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summation
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the integration of input (EPSPs and IPSPs) from many presynaptic neurons by a single postysynaptic neuron, either temporarily or spatially. Summation of input can either stimulate the postysynaptic neuron and possibly lead to an action potential, or it can inhibit the neuron, reducing the likelihood of an action potential
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superego
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according to Freud, the superego inhibits the id and influences the ego to follow moralistic rather than realistic goals. based on societal values as learned from one's parents, the superego makes judgments of right and wrong and strives for perfection. The superego seeks to gain psychological rewards such as feelings of pride and self-love, and to avoid psychological punishment such as feelings of guilt and inferiority
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symbolic culture
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consists of symbols that carry a particular meaning and are recognized by people of the same culture. These symbols can communicate the values and norms of the culture
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symbolic interactionism
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a micro-level theory in sociology, which examines the relationship between individuals and society by focusing on communication, the exchange of information through language and symbols. Symbolic interactionism suggests that the mind and self emerge through the social process of communciation or use of symbols
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sympathetic nervous system (SNS)
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subdivision of the autonomic nervous system directing what is known as the \"fight or flight\" response to prepare the body for action. It increases heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels and directs the adrenal glands to release stress hormones
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synapse
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a neuron-to-neuron, neuron-to-organ or muscle cell-to-muscle cell junction
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synaptic cleft
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a microscopic space between the axon of one neuron and the cell body or dendrites of a second neuron, or between the axon of a neuron and an organ
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telenceophalon
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the cerebral hemisphere
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temperament
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dispositional emotional excitability. Tends to be fairly stable through the life span
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temporal summation
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summation by a postsynaptic cleft of input from a single source over time
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thalamus
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the central structure of the diencephalon of the brain. The thalamus acts as a relay station and major integrating area for sensory impulses
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thermoreceptor
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a receptor that responds to changes in temperature
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theta waves
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waves of low to moderate intensity and intermediate frequency present during stage 1 of lseep
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tonic neck reflex
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in response to its head being turned to one side, a baby will stretch out its arm on the same side and the opposite arm bends up at the elbow. This reflex lasts about six to seven months
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top-down processing
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a type of information processing that occurs when the brain applies experience and expectations to interpret sensory information; note that the brain in fact uses a combination of bottom-up processing and top-down processing
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traditional authority
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a form of leadership where power is due to custom, tradition, or accepted practice
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tropic hormone
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a hormone that controls the release of another hormone
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tympanic membrane
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the membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear. The tympanic membrane is also known as the eardrum
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unconditioned response
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a response that automatically follows and unconditioned stimulus, without necessitating learning and conditioning to create the link
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unconditioned stimulus
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a stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response automatically, without necessitating learning and conditioning to create the link
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undifferentiated-type schizophrenia
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a psychological disorder characterized by the basic criteria for schizophrenia, but symptoms that do not fit into one of the other subtypes
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universal emotions
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six major emotions that appear to be universal across cultures: happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, disgust and anger
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universal grammar
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basic rules of language, presumed to be innate, that allow the human mind to gain mastery of language from limited exposure during sensitive developmental years in early childhood
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upward mobility
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an increase in social class
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urbanization
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the growth of urban areas as the result of global change. Urbanization is tied to industrialization, and industrialized countries have more people living in urban areas than non-industrialized countries do
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utilitarian organization
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an organization in which members get paid for their efforts, such as business
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vagus nerves
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cranial nerve pair X. The vagus nerves are very large mixed nerves (carry both sensory input and motor output) that innervate virtually every visceral organ. They are especially important in transmitting parasympathetic input to the heart and digestive smooth muscle
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values
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a culture's standards for evaluating what is good or bad
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variable-interval schedule
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reinforcement schedule in which reward is offered after an unpredictable number of occurrences of a behavior
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variable-ratio schedule
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reinforcement schedule in which reward is offered after an unpredictable time interval
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visual cortex
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the area of the occipital lobe responsible for processing visual information
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visuospatial sketchpad
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part of Alan Baddeley's model of working memory hat allows for the repetition of visuospatial info to aid with encoding it into memory
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vitreous humor
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posterior segment of the eye. Only produced during fetal development
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walking/stepping reflex
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in response to the soles of a baby's feet touching a flat surface, they will attempt to \"walk\" by placing one foot in front of the other. This reflex disappears around six weeks and reappears around 8-12 months when a baby learns to walk
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Weber, Max
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Weber agreed with Marx's ideas about conflict theory, but he did not believe that the collapse of capitalism was inevitable; rather, he argued that there could be more than one source of conflict, such as conflict over inequalities in political power and social status. Max Weber, along with Emile Durkeim and Karl Marx, is considered a founding father of sociology
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Weber's law
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this law pertains to sensory perception and dictates that two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion in order for their difference to be preceptible
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welfare capitalism
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a system in which most of the economy is private with the exception of extensive social welfare programs to serve certain needs within society
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Wernicke's area
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the are of the brain, located in the posterior section of the temporal lobe in the language-dominant hemisphere of the brain, that is involved with the comprehension of speech and written language. Individuals with damage to this area are unable to understand language and produce nonsensical sounds with the same rhythm and syntax as speech
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white matter
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myelinated axons
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working memory
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short-term memory for information in immediate awareness. According to Alan Baddeley, working memory consists of four components: central executive phonological loop visuospatial sketchpad episodic buffer
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Yerkes-Dodson Law
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law that describes an upside down U-shaped relationship between arousal and performance. It asserts that a moderate level of arousal creates optimal performance. Too little arousal leads to complacency and too much arousal can be overwhelming
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Zimbardo, Philip
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a psychologist best known for his prison study, which elucidated the extreme effects of role-playing in human behavior. A group of 24 male students were isolated and asked to play the roles of prisoners and guards; the participants adapted to their roles well beyond Zimbardo's expectations
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