MCAT PSYCHOLOGY & SOCIOLOGY REVIEW QUESTIONS
FULLY SOLVED & UPDATED
Name the three main parts of a neuron and the direction in which an action potential
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
travels -- Answer ✔✔ Axons, soma (cell body), and dendrites. Action potentials are
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
received by dendrites and travel from the cell body down the axon
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
What determines the intensity of an electrical signal for an action potential? -- Answer
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
✔✔ Frequency of action potentials
_ _ _ _
List 5 physiological changes that are associated with activation of the sympathetic
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
nervous system. -- Answer ✔✔ Inhibition of digestion, contraction of sphincters,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
inhibition of urination, opening of airways, increased heart rate, increased blood flow
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
to muscles, sweating, vasoconstriction, emotional vasodilation (blushing), pupil dilation,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
release of epinephrine, ejaculation/orgasm
_ _ _
What are the 4 lobes of the cerebral cortex and their primary functions? -- Answer
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
✔✔ Frontal lobes: voluntary movement, higher order thinking
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Parietal lobes: tactile sensations and gustation
_ _ _ _ _
Temporal lobes: audition, olfaction, short-term memory, language comprehension,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
emotion
Occipital lobes: vision _ _
What are the mediums that sound vibrations travel through, from when they enter the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ear to when they are translated into an electrical signal in the auditory nerve? --
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Answer ✔✔ air (sound waves) → bone (malleus, incus, stapes) → fluid (perilymph and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
endolymph in the cochlea) _ _ _
What is Weber's Law? -- Answer ✔✔ Weber's Law says that two stimuli must differ
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
by some constant proportion to be detected as unique from each other
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
, How do peptide hormones and steroid hormones differ in the duration and immediacy
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
of their effects? -- Answer ✔✔ Peptide hormones tend to work rapidly and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
temporarily while steroid hormones tend to work more slowly but have more
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
permanent effects _
In Baddeley's model, what are the four components of working memory? -- Answer
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
✔✔ Phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer, central executive
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Define 'confirmation bias' -- Answer ✔✔ A tendency to only seek information that
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
supports a preconceived conclusion and to ignore information that does not support it
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
What heuristic may lead an ER physician to overestimate the amount of violent crime
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
in his/her community? -- Answer ✔✔ Availability heuristic
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Differentiate dyssomnias from parasomnias -- Answer ✔✔ Dyssomnias are _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
abnormalities in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Parasomnias are abnormal behaviors that occur during sleep _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Describe the role of cognition in the Schachter-Singer theory of emotion -- Answer
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
✔✔ In the Schachter-Singer theory, cognition is the intermediary between physiological
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_sensations and behavioral response. It appraises, or interprets, the physiological
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
response based on the context which informs the behavioral response
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
What is the Language Acquisition Device? -- Answer ✔✔ The Language Acquisition
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Device is an innate structure hypothesized by Noam Chomsky unique to the human
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
mind that allows people to gain mastery of language from limited exposure
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Describe the speech of a patient with Wernicke's aphasia? -- Answer ✔✔ Speech will
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
be fluent with normal rhythm and syntax. However, the content would be unintelligible
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_and meaningless
_
Differentiate between negative reinforcement and punishment. -- Answer ✔✔ Negative
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_reinforcement is when a negative stimulus is removed immediately following a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
behavior. _
FULLY SOLVED & UPDATED
Name the three main parts of a neuron and the direction in which an action potential
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
travels -- Answer ✔✔ Axons, soma (cell body), and dendrites. Action potentials are
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
received by dendrites and travel from the cell body down the axon
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
What determines the intensity of an electrical signal for an action potential? -- Answer
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
✔✔ Frequency of action potentials
_ _ _ _
List 5 physiological changes that are associated with activation of the sympathetic
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
nervous system. -- Answer ✔✔ Inhibition of digestion, contraction of sphincters,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
inhibition of urination, opening of airways, increased heart rate, increased blood flow
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
to muscles, sweating, vasoconstriction, emotional vasodilation (blushing), pupil dilation,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
release of epinephrine, ejaculation/orgasm
_ _ _
What are the 4 lobes of the cerebral cortex and their primary functions? -- Answer
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
✔✔ Frontal lobes: voluntary movement, higher order thinking
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Parietal lobes: tactile sensations and gustation
_ _ _ _ _
Temporal lobes: audition, olfaction, short-term memory, language comprehension,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
emotion
Occipital lobes: vision _ _
What are the mediums that sound vibrations travel through, from when they enter the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ear to when they are translated into an electrical signal in the auditory nerve? --
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Answer ✔✔ air (sound waves) → bone (malleus, incus, stapes) → fluid (perilymph and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
endolymph in the cochlea) _ _ _
What is Weber's Law? -- Answer ✔✔ Weber's Law says that two stimuli must differ
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
by some constant proportion to be detected as unique from each other
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
, How do peptide hormones and steroid hormones differ in the duration and immediacy
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
of their effects? -- Answer ✔✔ Peptide hormones tend to work rapidly and
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
temporarily while steroid hormones tend to work more slowly but have more
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
permanent effects _
In Baddeley's model, what are the four components of working memory? -- Answer
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
✔✔ Phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer, central executive
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Define 'confirmation bias' -- Answer ✔✔ A tendency to only seek information that
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
supports a preconceived conclusion and to ignore information that does not support it
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
What heuristic may lead an ER physician to overestimate the amount of violent crime
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
in his/her community? -- Answer ✔✔ Availability heuristic
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Differentiate dyssomnias from parasomnias -- Answer ✔✔ Dyssomnias are _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
abnormalities in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Parasomnias are abnormal behaviors that occur during sleep _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Describe the role of cognition in the Schachter-Singer theory of emotion -- Answer
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
✔✔ In the Schachter-Singer theory, cognition is the intermediary between physiological
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_sensations and behavioral response. It appraises, or interprets, the physiological
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
response based on the context which informs the behavioral response
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
What is the Language Acquisition Device? -- Answer ✔✔ The Language Acquisition
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Device is an innate structure hypothesized by Noam Chomsky unique to the human
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
mind that allows people to gain mastery of language from limited exposure
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Describe the speech of a patient with Wernicke's aphasia? -- Answer ✔✔ Speech will
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
be fluent with normal rhythm and syntax. However, the content would be unintelligible
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_and meaningless
_
Differentiate between negative reinforcement and punishment. -- Answer ✔✔ Negative
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_reinforcement is when a negative stimulus is removed immediately following a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
behavior. _
