Behavioral Science

EEG

(electroencephalogram)

Protocol: electrodes on scalp and connected to amplifier

Measures: Voltage fluctuation in brain overtime

CT

(Computerized tomography)

Protocol: Computer combines multiple X-rays in different angles

Measures: detailed structure of internal organs and tissue at single point in time

fMRI

(Functional magnetic resonance imaging)

Protocol: scanner that detected differential properties of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin

Measures: changes in blood oxygenation in brain over time

PET

Positron emission tomography

Protocol: scanner that detects radioactive tracer attached to glucose analog

Measures: changes in glucose metabolism in brain over time

Dissonance

State of mental discomfort caused by conflicting attitudes, beliefs, and/or behaviors

Discrimination

unfair treatment/action of individual/group based on social characteristics (race, sex category, gender)

prejudice

internal, unjustified, and often negative attitude or belief toward a specific group

Functional fixedness

cognitive bias that restricts the way one thinks of object’s uses to only typical or traditional uses (ie if you need a hammer, you would not consider a shoe or paperweight to replace it)

stigmatisation

disapproval by others of individuals with deviant or undesirable characteristics

meritocracy

system in which individuals with most merit (talent, effort, ability) progresses and earn rewards. This does not include prestige or social connections

social capital

the value derived from social networks, relationships, norms to help advance, ie knowing a person that works in the hospital that one would like to work at

cultural capital

non-financial assets (knowledge, skills, education, and behaviors (like accent or style)) that confer status and facilitate social mobility, ie prestige of medical program that one graduated from

Formal curriculum

Explicit, planned, official, and documented educational content, including lessons, courses, and learning goals

Hidden curriculum

implicit, unofficial, and often unintended lessons, values, and social norms, such as obedience, gender roles, or social hierarchies, that students learn through the school environment (boys are better in math than girls)

Functionalism

macro-sociological theory comparing society to a biological organism.

Latent function — intended consequences of any social pattern, institution, or action

Manifest function — unintended consequences of any social pattern, institution, or action

material culture

physical items a group of people creat, use, and/or interact with (ie clothing or technology)

symbolic culture

nonmaterial aspects of culture that are intangible (ie language and values)

Common sense theory

James-Lange theory

specific emotions are elicited by stimuli (loud noise) that produces specific physiological reactions which are transmitted as sensory information to brain via spinal cord. If individual has cervical spinal cord injury, it is assumed that they cannot experience emotion as sensory information from body can’t reach the brain (stimuli → arousal → emotion)

Cannon-bard theory

Emotion and physiological arousal are independent and occurs simultaneously

Scchachter-Singer theory

emotions result from physiological arousal followed by cognitive appraisal (ie sensory information and interpretation of environmental cues are required)

Cognitive dissonance theory

the mental discomfort or tension people experience when holding two or more conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes simultaneously, or when their behavior contradicts their beliefs

monoamine hypothesis

biological theory that proposes depression is caused by a functional deficiency of specific neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine) in the brain

amygdala

neural structure part of the limbic system that is involved in emotion regulation and learning (especially for fear-based learning)

hippocampus

neural structure part of the limbic system that is involved in memory formation, learning, and recall

Parkinson’s disease

neurodegenerative disease that

alzheimer’s disease