1|Page
MCAT Psych/Sociology Exam 2025/2026 Complete Questions with
Detailed Answers and Explanations | Graded A+ | Guaranteed Pass
Acute stress disorder - ANSWER=PTSD symptoms that appear for a month or less
Obsessions vs compulsions - ANSWER=Obsessions: repeated intrusive uncontrollable
thoughts/impulses that cause distress
Compulsions: repeated physical/mental behaviors that are done in RESPONSE to an obsession
Conversion disorder - ANSWER=Somatoform disorder where a person experiences a change in
sensory/motor function that has no discernible physical or physiological cause, but seems
affected by psychological factors
Pain disorder - ANSWER=Somatoform disorder where a person suffers clinically important pain
whose onset or severity seems significantly affected by psychological factors
Somatization disorder - ANSWER=Somatoform disorder where a person experiences a variety of
physical symptoms over an extended period of time. The person needs to have many somatic
symptoms (pain, GI stress, sexual stress, and neurological)
Body dysmorphic disorder - ANSWER=Somatoform disorder where a person is preoccupied with
a slight physical anomaly or imagined defect in appearance
Positive symptoms of psychosis - ANSWER=Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and
disorganized/catatonic behavior
Negative symptoms of psychosis - ANSWER=Reduced/absent emotional expression, reduced
quantity/fluency of speech, reduced initiative or will to do things (avolition)
twin study - ANSWER=-analysis of heritability through measuring characteristics of twins
-S: offers insight into how nature and nurture might interact to lead various characteristics
,2|Page
-W: difficult to find participants who meet criteria, difficult to analyze the complex variables
involved and how they interact
longitudinal study - ANSWER=-long-term analysis that intermittently measures the evolution of
some behavior or characteristics, usually non-experimental
-S: scientists can understand how trait of interest changes over time
-W: logistically demanding, expensive, and difficult to implement, high attrition rate
case study - ANSWER=-deep analysis of a single case or example
-S: offers comprehensive details about the single case
-W: results may not be generalized, does not offer points of reference or comparison
phenomenological study - ANSWER=-self-observation of a phenomenon by researcher or small
groups of participants
-S: introspection can provide insight into behaviors and occurrences that are difficult to measure
-W: lacks objectivity due to results coming from self-analysis, difficult to generalize results to
other circumstances or individuals
survey - ANSWER=-use of a series of questions to allow participants to self-report behaviors or
tendencies
-S: easy to administer, can provide quantitative date that can be compared to large participant
pols
-W: self-reporting creates limitations in objectivity
trait theory (the big 5) - ANSWER=O-openness to experience (embraces new ideas, experiences
and values differences in people)
C-conscientiousness (values competence and order)
E-extraversion (gregarious, outgoing)
,3|Page
A-agreeableness (thinks of others)
N-neuroticism (consumed with negative emotions)
max weber - ANSWER=-best known for refining and critiquing many of Marx's tenets of conflict
theory
-asserted there could be more than one source of conflict, not just income
-several factors can moderate people's reaction to inequality such as agreement with authority
figures, high rates of social mobility, and low rates of class difference
-defining transformation of western cultures was increasing rationalization, societies' trend
toward increasing efficiency and away from traditional religious standards of spirituality and
morality
-rationalization promotes proliferation of highly impersonal bureaucracies (agencies of non-
elected officials that administer the laws of society)
-believed ideas and beliefs can exert a very powerful effect on society
-people base their actions on their personal interpretation of the meaning of the world around
them
symbolic interactionism - ANSWER=-people act towards things based on meaning
-meanings derived from social interactions and adapted through individual interpretation
-symbols are culturally derived social objects that have shared meanings, which are created and
maintained through social interaction
-central theme is that human life in lived in the symbolic domain
-through language and communication, symbols provide the means by which reality is
constructed
-micro level theory
george herbert mead - ANSWER=-founder of social psychology
-the generalized other: organized and generalized attitude of a large social group
-individuals develop a social self which he called the "me" and a response to that social self
which he called the "I"
, 4|Page
-"me" develops through interactions with others and consists of our interpretations of how the
"generalized other" views us
-"I" arises in response to the "me"
-the actual self consists of the balance of "I" and "me"
-thinking simply an ongoing discussion between the "I" and "me"
looking-glass self - ANSWER=-the self is shaped by others and interaction with others and
perception of others
-individuals shape themselves on this perception, tending to confirm expectations
charles cooley asserted that one's concept of oneself is developed in three stages - ANSWER=1.
we imagine how we appear to others
2. we imagine what others must think about us based on their observations of us
3. we develop our feelings about ourselves based on our (truly or falsely) imagined judgements
of others, this can cause us to behave in ways that confirm these imagined judgements
social constructionism - ANSWER=-asserts people actively shape their reality through social
interactions
-reality is something that is socially constructed rather than inherent
-ex: childhood - certain biological differences between children and adults, but different
societies and different times have conceptualized childhood in very different ways
-socialization - the dynamic, ongoing process by which an individual internalizes the values,
beliefs, and norms of their society and learns to function as a member of that society; helps to
explain how social constructs are maintained, reaffirmed, and passed along to future
generations
-can either be macro or micro level
MCAT Psych/Sociology Exam 2025/2026 Complete Questions with
Detailed Answers and Explanations | Graded A+ | Guaranteed Pass
Acute stress disorder - ANSWER=PTSD symptoms that appear for a month or less
Obsessions vs compulsions - ANSWER=Obsessions: repeated intrusive uncontrollable
thoughts/impulses that cause distress
Compulsions: repeated physical/mental behaviors that are done in RESPONSE to an obsession
Conversion disorder - ANSWER=Somatoform disorder where a person experiences a change in
sensory/motor function that has no discernible physical or physiological cause, but seems
affected by psychological factors
Pain disorder - ANSWER=Somatoform disorder where a person suffers clinically important pain
whose onset or severity seems significantly affected by psychological factors
Somatization disorder - ANSWER=Somatoform disorder where a person experiences a variety of
physical symptoms over an extended period of time. The person needs to have many somatic
symptoms (pain, GI stress, sexual stress, and neurological)
Body dysmorphic disorder - ANSWER=Somatoform disorder where a person is preoccupied with
a slight physical anomaly or imagined defect in appearance
Positive symptoms of psychosis - ANSWER=Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and
disorganized/catatonic behavior
Negative symptoms of psychosis - ANSWER=Reduced/absent emotional expression, reduced
quantity/fluency of speech, reduced initiative or will to do things (avolition)
twin study - ANSWER=-analysis of heritability through measuring characteristics of twins
-S: offers insight into how nature and nurture might interact to lead various characteristics
,2|Page
-W: difficult to find participants who meet criteria, difficult to analyze the complex variables
involved and how they interact
longitudinal study - ANSWER=-long-term analysis that intermittently measures the evolution of
some behavior or characteristics, usually non-experimental
-S: scientists can understand how trait of interest changes over time
-W: logistically demanding, expensive, and difficult to implement, high attrition rate
case study - ANSWER=-deep analysis of a single case or example
-S: offers comprehensive details about the single case
-W: results may not be generalized, does not offer points of reference or comparison
phenomenological study - ANSWER=-self-observation of a phenomenon by researcher or small
groups of participants
-S: introspection can provide insight into behaviors and occurrences that are difficult to measure
-W: lacks objectivity due to results coming from self-analysis, difficult to generalize results to
other circumstances or individuals
survey - ANSWER=-use of a series of questions to allow participants to self-report behaviors or
tendencies
-S: easy to administer, can provide quantitative date that can be compared to large participant
pols
-W: self-reporting creates limitations in objectivity
trait theory (the big 5) - ANSWER=O-openness to experience (embraces new ideas, experiences
and values differences in people)
C-conscientiousness (values competence and order)
E-extraversion (gregarious, outgoing)
,3|Page
A-agreeableness (thinks of others)
N-neuroticism (consumed with negative emotions)
max weber - ANSWER=-best known for refining and critiquing many of Marx's tenets of conflict
theory
-asserted there could be more than one source of conflict, not just income
-several factors can moderate people's reaction to inequality such as agreement with authority
figures, high rates of social mobility, and low rates of class difference
-defining transformation of western cultures was increasing rationalization, societies' trend
toward increasing efficiency and away from traditional religious standards of spirituality and
morality
-rationalization promotes proliferation of highly impersonal bureaucracies (agencies of non-
elected officials that administer the laws of society)
-believed ideas and beliefs can exert a very powerful effect on society
-people base their actions on their personal interpretation of the meaning of the world around
them
symbolic interactionism - ANSWER=-people act towards things based on meaning
-meanings derived from social interactions and adapted through individual interpretation
-symbols are culturally derived social objects that have shared meanings, which are created and
maintained through social interaction
-central theme is that human life in lived in the symbolic domain
-through language and communication, symbols provide the means by which reality is
constructed
-micro level theory
george herbert mead - ANSWER=-founder of social psychology
-the generalized other: organized and generalized attitude of a large social group
-individuals develop a social self which he called the "me" and a response to that social self
which he called the "I"
, 4|Page
-"me" develops through interactions with others and consists of our interpretations of how the
"generalized other" views us
-"I" arises in response to the "me"
-the actual self consists of the balance of "I" and "me"
-thinking simply an ongoing discussion between the "I" and "me"
looking-glass self - ANSWER=-the self is shaped by others and interaction with others and
perception of others
-individuals shape themselves on this perception, tending to confirm expectations
charles cooley asserted that one's concept of oneself is developed in three stages - ANSWER=1.
we imagine how we appear to others
2. we imagine what others must think about us based on their observations of us
3. we develop our feelings about ourselves based on our (truly or falsely) imagined judgements
of others, this can cause us to behave in ways that confirm these imagined judgements
social constructionism - ANSWER=-asserts people actively shape their reality through social
interactions
-reality is something that is socially constructed rather than inherent
-ex: childhood - certain biological differences between children and adults, but different
societies and different times have conceptualized childhood in very different ways
-socialization - the dynamic, ongoing process by which an individual internalizes the values,
beliefs, and norms of their society and learns to function as a member of that society; helps to
explain how social constructs are maintained, reaffirmed, and passed along to future
generations
-can either be macro or micro level
