MCAT Psych/Sociology (from 132
scorer) | Latest Update | 2024/2025 |
100% Verified
How does cognitive dissonance affect an individual's behavior?
✔✔Cognitive dissonance creates psychological discomfort when a person holds conflicting
beliefs or attitudes, often leading them to change one of the beliefs or behaviors to reduce the
discomfort.
What is the function of mirror neurons in social learning?
✔✔Mirror neurons fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe
someone else performing the same action, playing a key role in imitation and empathy.
Describe the concept of social loafing in group dynamics.
✔✔Social loafing occurs when individuals put in less effort when working in a group compared
to when working alone, often because they feel less personally accountable.
1
,What is the role of the prefrontal cortex in decision-making?
✔✔The prefrontal cortex is involved in executive functions, including decision-making,
planning, and impulse control, helping individuals weigh the consequences of their actions.
Explain the difference between role strain and role conflict.
✔✔Role strain occurs when there are conflicting demands within a single role, while role
conflict arises when there are conflicting demands between multiple roles an individual holds.
What is the impact of stereotype threat on performance?
✔✔Stereotype threat can negatively impact an individual's performance by causing anxiety and
self-doubt when they fear confirming a negative stereotype about their social group.
How does the concept of the "looking-glass self" explain self-identity?
✔✔The "looking-glass self" suggests that an individual's self-identity is shaped by how they
believe others perceive them, reflecting and internalizing others' judgments.
2
,What is the bystander effect in social psychology?
✔✔The bystander effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help
in an emergency situation when there are more people present, often due to diffusion of
responsibility.
Describe the concept of social facilitation.
✔✔Social facilitation is the tendency for people to perform tasks better or more efficiently when
they are in the presence of others, especially for simple or well-practiced tasks.
How does the theory of symbolic interactionism explain human behavior?
✔✔Symbolic interactionism explains human behavior by emphasizing the importance of
symbols and language in social interactions, where individuals create and interpret meanings
based on social context.
What is the concept of the "general adaptation syndrome" in stress response?
3
, ✔✔The general adaptation syndrome describes the body's physiological response to stress in
three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion, reflecting how the body attempts to cope with
and adapt to stress.
How does the theory of operant conditioning explain behavior?
✔✔Operant conditioning explains behavior as a function of its consequences, where behaviors
followed by rewards are reinforced and likely to be repeated, while behaviors followed by
punishments are less likely to occur.
What is the difference between material and symbolic culture?
✔✔Material culture refers to physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define
their culture, while symbolic culture includes the ideas, beliefs, values, and norms that shape a
society's way of life.
How does groupthink affect decision-making in groups?
4
scorer) | Latest Update | 2024/2025 |
100% Verified
How does cognitive dissonance affect an individual's behavior?
✔✔Cognitive dissonance creates psychological discomfort when a person holds conflicting
beliefs or attitudes, often leading them to change one of the beliefs or behaviors to reduce the
discomfort.
What is the function of mirror neurons in social learning?
✔✔Mirror neurons fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe
someone else performing the same action, playing a key role in imitation and empathy.
Describe the concept of social loafing in group dynamics.
✔✔Social loafing occurs when individuals put in less effort when working in a group compared
to when working alone, often because they feel less personally accountable.
1
,What is the role of the prefrontal cortex in decision-making?
✔✔The prefrontal cortex is involved in executive functions, including decision-making,
planning, and impulse control, helping individuals weigh the consequences of their actions.
Explain the difference between role strain and role conflict.
✔✔Role strain occurs when there are conflicting demands within a single role, while role
conflict arises when there are conflicting demands between multiple roles an individual holds.
What is the impact of stereotype threat on performance?
✔✔Stereotype threat can negatively impact an individual's performance by causing anxiety and
self-doubt when they fear confirming a negative stereotype about their social group.
How does the concept of the "looking-glass self" explain self-identity?
✔✔The "looking-glass self" suggests that an individual's self-identity is shaped by how they
believe others perceive them, reflecting and internalizing others' judgments.
2
,What is the bystander effect in social psychology?
✔✔The bystander effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help
in an emergency situation when there are more people present, often due to diffusion of
responsibility.
Describe the concept of social facilitation.
✔✔Social facilitation is the tendency for people to perform tasks better or more efficiently when
they are in the presence of others, especially for simple or well-practiced tasks.
How does the theory of symbolic interactionism explain human behavior?
✔✔Symbolic interactionism explains human behavior by emphasizing the importance of
symbols and language in social interactions, where individuals create and interpret meanings
based on social context.
What is the concept of the "general adaptation syndrome" in stress response?
3
, ✔✔The general adaptation syndrome describes the body's physiological response to stress in
three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion, reflecting how the body attempts to cope with
and adapt to stress.
How does the theory of operant conditioning explain behavior?
✔✔Operant conditioning explains behavior as a function of its consequences, where behaviors
followed by rewards are reinforced and likely to be repeated, while behaviors followed by
punishments are less likely to occur.
What is the difference between material and symbolic culture?
✔✔Material culture refers to physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define
their culture, while symbolic culture includes the ideas, beliefs, values, and norms that shape a
society's way of life.
How does groupthink affect decision-making in groups?
4
