MCAT Psych/Sociology Comprehensive Study Guide 100% Correct Verified 2024
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Biopsychosocial approach to health and illness - Illness is determined by a variety of influences,
rather than a single cause(NOT just biological factors). . The causes and effects of illness can be examined
at multiple levels in the life of an individual, and no single level provides the whole p...
MCAT Psych/Sociology Comprehensive
Study Guide | 100% Correct | Verified |
2024 Version
Biopsychosocial approach to health and illness - ✔✔Illness is determined by a variety of influences,
rather than a single cause(NOT just biological factors). . The causes and effects of illness can be examined
at multiple levels in the life of an individual, and no single level provides the whole picture. Collecting
info about psychosocial context is key to the understanding of physical health and illness.
How would a BPS approach look at a kidney vs how a BM approach would? - ✔✔BPS- treat the
alcoholism but also look at the persons living situation and stress level
BM- would just treat the alcoholism
Biomedical approach to health and illness - ✔✔Disease is studied by examining only the biological
factors of illness, neglecting contributing factors of psychological life and sociological context.
ex- looking just at cardiac at muscle and genetic factors as to why someone has a heart attack and not
looking at diet, exercise, stress at work
what two types of therapy does the biopsychsocial model like to do? - ✔✔direct therapy-treatment that
acts directly on the individual (medicine)
indirect therapy- aims to increase social support by educating and empowering family and friends
Models - ✔✔Provide an approximation (physical/conceptual representation) of a scientific phenomenon
that cannot be observed directly
Theories - ✔✔Provides the conceptual framework for understanding objects of study
,example of framework? - ✔✔How people behave in groups and why they do
What else does a theory describe? - ✔✔Explain the results of a study and help design new studies
What are the two categories that sociological theories can be placed into? - ✔✔1. Macrosociology-
focuses on broad social structures that affect society. Large scale perspective, looking at big phenomena
that affect big portion of population. Social structures and institutions, whole civilizations/populations.
Looking for patterns and effects the big picture has on lives on small groups. Broad social trends in cities
and statistical data. Deals with matters like poverty, war, health care, world economy
2. Microsociology- focuses on the smaller scale of social interaction between individuals
Face to face interactions, families, schools, other social interactions. Interpretive analysis of society,
looking at sample of society and how individual interactions would affect larger groups in society
Social constructionism - ✔✔Macrosocial
reflects on how we as a society construct concepts and principles. The beliefs and shared understandings
of individuals create social realities.
ex- coins didn't have value until we as peope constructed them value
In the context of illness, there is a gap b/t the biological reality of a medical condition and the societally
created meaning of the condition. (ex. changing conceptualizations of mental illness results in changes to
the DSM). It is a dynamic, ongoing process.
Social Construct from Khan Academy - ✔✔Social constructionism is a theory that knowledge and many
aspects of the world around us are not real in and of themselves. They only exist because we give them
reality through social agreement. Things like nations, books, even money don't exist in the absence of
human society. Even Natural occurring phenomenon they think still has some human implication.
What are the two categories a constructionist divides reality into? - ✔✔1. brute facts
2. Institutional facts
Brute facts vs Institutional Facts - ✔✔-Part of WEAK social constructionism
-Brute facts are physical realities that exist outside of human input(a fact that has no explanation it just
naturally occurs and can't be explained with another fact)
,-Institutional facts only exist as a function of society's structures and beliefs (contingent on another fact)
Explain the two concepts with using gravity? - ✔✔Brute- objects seems to fall to earths surface when
dropped from above
Institutional- gravitational force on the entire planet can be used to mathematically describe other
occurrences in the world
Symbolic interactionism - ✔✔Microsocio
Focuses on the smaller scale interactions between individuals in small groups(just a single interaction
between the physician and patient rather than the entire society and healthcare). symbols are the key to
understanding how we view the world and communicate with one another.
Social Interactionism Kahn - ✔✔Our intersection with people and materials shape how we think about
them. For instance when I see a tree I think of shade but another person could see a tree and see
dangerous falling branches depending on what kind of situation they have been in before. If when I sit
under the tree a limb starts to break down my idea of the tree might change and become the idea the
other person had on the tree
An example? - ✔✔A symptom might be very scary to the patient at first but after doctor explains by end
of conversation it doesn't seem that scary anymore.
Symbols - ✔✔Terms, concepts, or items that represent specific meanings by accepted convention.
Meanings ascribed to symbols are determined by social norms and cultural values.
What does symbols allow for? - ✔✔Allows for smooth interactions my permitting expectations on how
people will behave and what responses are correct.
Functionalism - ✔✔Founder: Emile Durkheim
Macrosocial perspective
-Factions of society work together to maintain stability. Society is a system that consists of different
components working together, with distinct institutions that contribute to functioning. Seeks to
understand what different structures in society contribute to society at large. When disruptions occur,
the interacting systems respond to get back to a stable state. Explains societal stability but NOT societal
change (assumes stability is the ideal)
, Conflict Theory - ✔✔Founder: Karl Marx
Macrosocial perspective- social disruption
Views society in terms of competing groups that act according to their own self-interests, rather than
according to the need for societal equilibrium. this groups are in constant conflict because of
competition for limited resources. Explains societal changes but NOT societal societal stability (assumes
stability is undesirable to societal groups that are oppressed) Views human actions in terms of larger
forces of inequality, but leaves motivations choices of individuals unexamined. Ignores the non-forceful
ways in which people reach agreement, and approaches society more from those who lack power. Tends
to be too economically focused.
Conflict Khan Academy - ✔✔Conflict theory is a way of studying society that focuses on the inequalities
of different groups in a society. The wealthy will try to maintain power even if that means surpassing the
poor. Such as when healthcare resources are limited the more powerful groups have greater access.
Feminist theory? - ✔✔macrosocial- social disruption
a theoretical approach that looks at gender inequities in society and the way that gender structures the
social world. A type of conflict theory.
women are "objectified" - ✔✔seen as a sexual object rather than a person.
glass ceiling - ✔✔an invisible limit on women's climb up the occupational ladder. we are less frequently
promoted in workplace.
Rational choice theory? - ✔✔Microsocio and Macro
Individuals choose the action that is most likely to bring some type of profit
Exchange theory? - ✔✔Microsocio and Macro
Application of rational choice theory to social interactions. Interactions are determined by weighing
rewards and punishments of each action. so we act in a certain way that will bring befits and not
punishments for others.
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