MCAT Psychology & Sociology Review
Questions and Answers | Latest Version
| 2024/2025 | Already Passed
What is the concept of "social loafing" in group dynamics?
✔✔Social loafing occurs when individuals in a group exert less effort toward achieving a goal
than they would if they were working alone.
Describe the difference between "assimilation" and "accommodation" in Piaget's theory of
cognitive development.
✔✔Assimilation involves incorporating new experiences into existing schemas, while
accommodation is the process of modifying schemas to fit new information.
What is the "fundamental attribution error" in social psychology?
✔✔The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to overemphasize personal
characteristics and underestimate situational factors when judging others' behavior.
1
, Explain the concept of "operant conditioning" in behavioral psychology.
✔✔Operant conditioning is a learning process in which behaviors are influenced by the
consequences that follow them, such as reinforcement or punishment.
What is "confirmation bias," and how does it affect decision-making?
✔✔Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that
confirms one's preexisting beliefs, leading to skewed decision-making.
Describe the "bystander effect" in social situations.
✔✔The bystander effect occurs when individuals are less likely to help in an emergency
situation when others are present, often due to a diffusion of responsibility.
What is the "cognitive dissonance" theory, and how does it impact behavior?
✔✔Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that individuals experience discomfort when holding
conflicting beliefs or behaviors, leading them to change one to reduce the inconsistency.
2
Questions and Answers | Latest Version
| 2024/2025 | Already Passed
What is the concept of "social loafing" in group dynamics?
✔✔Social loafing occurs when individuals in a group exert less effort toward achieving a goal
than they would if they were working alone.
Describe the difference between "assimilation" and "accommodation" in Piaget's theory of
cognitive development.
✔✔Assimilation involves incorporating new experiences into existing schemas, while
accommodation is the process of modifying schemas to fit new information.
What is the "fundamental attribution error" in social psychology?
✔✔The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to overemphasize personal
characteristics and underestimate situational factors when judging others' behavior.
1
, Explain the concept of "operant conditioning" in behavioral psychology.
✔✔Operant conditioning is a learning process in which behaviors are influenced by the
consequences that follow them, such as reinforcement or punishment.
What is "confirmation bias," and how does it affect decision-making?
✔✔Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that
confirms one's preexisting beliefs, leading to skewed decision-making.
Describe the "bystander effect" in social situations.
✔✔The bystander effect occurs when individuals are less likely to help in an emergency
situation when others are present, often due to a diffusion of responsibility.
What is the "cognitive dissonance" theory, and how does it impact behavior?
✔✔Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that individuals experience discomfort when holding
conflicting beliefs or behaviors, leading them to change one to reduce the inconsistency.
2
