Boost your MCAT Psychology performance with curated practice problems and detailed guidance on important concepts and exam strategies.
(Note: This resource also appears in our MCAT Ultimate Guide.)
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Introduction
MCAT Psychology Practice Passage #1
MCAT Psychology Practice Passage #2
MCAT Psychology Practice Passage #3
MCAT Psychology Practice Questions (Standalone)
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Introduction
Psychology makes up 65% of the MCAT psychology/sociology section. Many premeds don’t realize that psychology makes up over 16% of their overall MCAT score. That 16% might be the difference between an application that receives “We are pleased to inform you” versus “We regret to inform you” given the importance of the MCAT in medical school admissions.
The MCAT is a long exam, and the psychology/sociology section is the last section you’ll take on the MCAT. As a result, by the time psych/soc rolls around, many premeds begin to tire, their eyelids become heavy, and the words on the computer screen seem to blend together. A solid MCAT study schedule will help you slate in enough practice so that you can endure the exam come test day.
Many students think that they can ace MCAT psychology questions by memorizing the definition of every vocabulary word in every content book. While it is true that this will increase your score, you’ll need a mastery of each word to ace MCAT psychology questions. In addition to the definition of each word, you should know an example of the term and be able to recognize and apply the vocab word in new contexts.
(Suggested Reading: MCAT Psychology/Sociology: Everything You Need to Know)
So, how do you improve your performance on the MCAT psychology/sociology section? In addition to vocab and content knowledge, the simple answer is practice! Here, we’ll test your psychology knowledge using MCAT-style passages. Use the following three psychology passages and five standalone questions to test your knowledge. Each explanation for the passage-based questions will have suggestions for what you should review if you miss a question. Good luck!
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MCAT Psychology Practice Passage #1
Recent studies have shown that television can adversely impact cognitive processes in both children and young adults. In previous studies, researchers found that in individuals ages 6-23, higher than average amounts of television watching lead to an 8-14% decrease in the ability of participants to quickly and correctly solve math problems. In addition, participants were less likely to recall list items or accurately identify emotions on a confederate during an in-person experiment.
A group of researchers is specifically interested in studying the effect of television on memory. The researchers recruit at least fifty participants in each of the following age groups: 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-17. Each of the participants watches 15 hours of TV per week as confirmed by the participants themselves and a guardian. The participants watch a range of television programming throughout the week.
To conduct the experiment, the researchers split up the participants in each age group into Group 1 or Group 2. The Group 1 participants watch 15 hours of TV a week for three consecutive weeks (weeks 1-3). At the end of the third week, the participants are brought into a testing center and given a list of 20 names. Ten minutes later, they are asked to recall as many names as possible. The Group 1 participants then watch 15 hours of TV a week for the next three consecutive weeks (weeks 4-6) and repeat the memory assessment. Group 2 participants follow an identical plan as Group 1 participants for weeks 1 through 3. However, during weeks 4 through 6, Group 2 participants are not allowed to watch any TV during the week. Group 2 participants complete the same memory test as group one students at the end of week 3 and the end of week 6. The results from the experiment are shown in Figure 1 for the 9 to 11-year-old age group.
Figure 1 Memory test performance for 9 to 11-year-old age group.
Note: The information in this passage was created for the sole purpose of presenting an MCAT-style passage and should not be construed to be factually true.
1. In a follow-up study, researchers found that participants are best able to recall names at the end of the list better than names at the beginning of the list. This is known as:
A) Recency effect
B) Proactive interference
C) Primacy effect
D) Retroactive interference
2. Which of the following do the researchers NOT account for in the study?
A) Intergroup variability
B) Amount of TV watched
C) Genre of TV watched
D) Age
3. Which of the following conclusions is NOT supported by the results shown in Figure 1?
A) Group 1 and 2 participants recall a similar number of names when they watch 15 hours of TV a week.
B) Retroactive interference prevents Group 1 participants from performing as well as Group 2 participants on the week 6 test.
C) The ability of Group 2 participants to recall names improved on the week 6 test.
D) The number of names recalled by participants is associated with time spent watching TV.
4. Which of the following best describes the type of study described in the passage?
A) Observational study
B) Experimental study
C) Case study
D) Survey study
MCAT psychology practice passage #1 answers and explanations
1. Answer choice A is correct. The recency effect causes participants to recall names at the end of the list (choice A is correct). Proactive interference describes past memories interfering with new memories (choice B is incorrect). The primacy effect would cause participants to remember words earlier in the list (choice C is incorrect). Retroactive interference describes new memories interfering with the recall of past memories (choice D is incorrect).
Review recency effect, primacy effect, proactive interference, and retroactive interference.
2. Answer choice C is correct. The passage indicates that “the participants watch a range of television programming throughout the week,” meaning the researchers do not control for TV genre (choice C is correct). Intergroup variability is controlled by Group 2 watching TV for weeks 1-3 as the researchers can verify that recall between Groups 1 and 2 is the same after those three weeks (choice A is incorrect). The amount of TV watched is controlled for as participants in the TV-watching condition must watch 15 hours of TV (choice B is incorrect). Age is controlled for as the participants are split into smaller age bins (choice D is incorrect).
Review the text, experimental goals, and experimental setup.
3. Answer choice B is correct. While it is true that Group 1 participants do not perform as well as Group 2 participants on the week 6 test, there is not enough information in Figure 1 to conclude that retroactive interference, which describes new memories interfering with the recall of past memories, led to the weaker performance (choice B is correct). The week 3 test results demonstrate that Group 1 and 2 participants do recall a similar number of names when they watch 15 hours of TV a week (choice A is incorrect). The week 6 test shows that Group 2 participants did improve when they stopped watching TV (choices C and D are incorrect).
Review TAID P method of figure analysis.
4. Answer choice B is correct. Since the researchers are actively manipulating an independent variable (number of hours of TV watched) and measuring a dependent variable, this is an experimental study (choice B is correct). An observational study involves observation without manipulation or intervention (choice A is incorrect). A case study looks at only an individual or a very small number of participants (choice C is incorrect). A survey study involves the distribution of a survey and analysis of results (choice D is incorrect).
Review experimental methods in psychology.
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MCAT Psychology Practice Passage #2
Operant conditioning is a tool that behavioral psychologists often use to shape behavior. Researchers interested in studying operant conditioning decide to test a series of different reinforcement schedules on cats meowing and receiving catnip. Catnip is considered a desirable treat for cats.
The researchers split the cats into four groups. Group 1 receives catnip after every three meows. Group 2 receives catnip an average of every three meows. For example, the catnip might be distributed after two meows or after four meows. Group 3 receives catnip every time a meow occurs after a time period of thirty seconds has passed. Finally, Group 4 receives catnip every time a meow occurs after an average of thirty seconds has passed. For example, the catnip might be distributed when a meow occurs after twenty seconds or when a meow occurs after forty seconds.
After a week without catnip, the researchers discovered that the cats begin to meow less frequently. However, upon reintroduction of catnip, the cats once again begin to meow at their normal rate.
Note: The information in this passage was created for the sole purpose of presenting an MCAT-style passage and should not be construed to be factually true.
1. The reinforcement schedule for Group 2 is known as:
A) Variable ratio
B) Fixed ratio
C) Variable interval
D) Fixed interval
2. Which of the cat reinforcement groups is most likely to have the highest meowing frequency?
A) Group 1
B) Group 2
C) Group 3
D) Group 4
3. In a new experiment, researchers discover that cats tend to walk around a body of water at a much greater distance than other animals. The cats’ behavior is an example of:
A) Avoidance
B) Escape
C) Habituation
D) Facilitation
4. Which of the following is an example of positive punishment?
A) A student receives five dollars
B) A teacher gives a student detention for disrupting a class
C) A teacher gives a student a good grade on an exam
D) A student gives five dollars away
MCAT psychology practice passage #2 answers and explanations
1. Answer choice A is correct. A variable ratio occurs when reinforcement is provided after an average number of responses, such as every two to four times that the cat meows (choice A is correct). A fixed ratio occurs when reinforcement is provided after a certain number of responses, such as Group 1 (choice B is incorrect). A variable interval describes when reinforcement is provided after an average amount of time, such as Group 4 (choice C is incorrect). A fixed interval describes when reinforcement is provided after a fixed amount of time, such as Group 3 (choice D is incorrect).
Review operant conditioning and reinforcement schedules.
2. Answer choice B is correct. Group 2 is a variable ratio schedule, which produces the highest response rate (choice B is correct). Group 1 is a fixed ratio schedule, which leads to a lower response rate (choice A is incorrect). Group 3 is a fixed interval schedule, which produces the third highest response rate (choice C is incorrect). Group 4 is a variable interval schedule, which produces the lowest response rate (choice D is incorrect).
Review operant conditioning and reinforcement schedules.
3. Answer choice A is correct. Avoidance is a form of negative reinforcement in which the animal avoids unpleasant situations. In this case, the unpleasant situation for the cat is being near water (choice A is correct). Escape involves removing oneself from an unpleasant situation he or she is already in. In this case, escape would occur if the cat was already in the body of water (choice B is incorrect). Habituation describes the desensitization to a repetitive stimulus (choice C is incorrect). Facilitation is not a commonly used term (choice D is incorrect).
Review negative forms of operant conditioning.
4. Answer choice B is correct. Positive punishment aims to decrease the frequency of an undesired behavior through introducing “more bad.” In this case, the detention is “more bad” as it is more unpleasant time that the student has to spend (choice B is correct). A student receiving or giving five dollars away is not an example of positive punishment (choices A and D are incorrect). The student receiving a good grade on an exam is likely a form of positive reinforcement in which the student will likely study similarly in the future to continue receiving good grades (choice C is incorrect).
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MCAT Psychology Practice Passage #3
Researchers have discovered that childhood exposure to secondhand smoke can have detrimental effects on a child’s health and development. Studies have shown that secondhand smoke can 1) increase adulthood incidence of asthma, 2) decrease dopamine levels during adolescence, 3) affect cognitive processes like decision making, and 4) increase adulthood incidence of cancer.
To study the effect of secondhand smoke during childhood on adult health outcomes, researchers conducted a longitudinal study tracking 938 individuals who lived in homes from ages 0 through 10 with guardians who smoked at least 1 pack/day of cigarettes. As a control, researchers also recruited 912 individuals who lived in homes from ages 0 to 10 with guardians who did not smoke any cigarettes. Beginning at the age of 15 through the age of 60, the researchers sent a survey to the study participants to assess any physical or mental health conditions that the participants had, such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes, schizophrenia, depression, anger issues, or cancer.
In the group that experienced secondhand smoke, researchers found a higher incidence of all seven physical and mental health conditions. The greatest difference between the two groups was found in the incidence of asthma. 54% of the individuals in the group that experienced secondhand smoke developed some form of asthma by the age of 60 compared to 23% of the control group individuals. Researchers also found that individuals in the secondhand smoke condition developed schizophrenia by the age of 60 at a higher percentage than control group individuals.
In a follow-up investigation, researchers decided to broaden the scope of the study to analyze socioeconomic factors. Using average household income and neighborhood public school funding as a proxy for socioeconomic status (SES), researchers found that low SES individuals had poorer health outcomes, irrespective of secondhand smoke during childhood.
Note: The information in this passage was created for the sole purpose of presenting an MCAT-style passage and should not be construed to be factually true.
1. A researcher points out that there is a difference in the size of the secondhand smoke group and the control group, which would invalidate the results of the study. This concern is:
A) Valid because the sample sizes must be equal in order to achieve statistical significance.
B) Valid because these unequal sample sizes will produce bias.
C) Invalid because a difference of twenty-six individuals for two large sample sizes will not be significant.
D) Invalid because statistical significance is not based on sample size.
2. Which of the following most likely explains the increased incidence of schizophrenia in the secondhand smoke group?
A) Dopamine hypothesis
B) Serotonin hypothesis
C) Acetylcholine hypothesis
D) Epinephrine hypothesis
3. In a new study, researchers discovered that individuals with low SES experience worse health outcomes than individuals with high SES. This result is based explained by which of the following?
A) Gender inequality
B) Food deserts
C) Socioeconomic gradient of health
D) Epidemiology
MCAT psychology practice passage #3 answers and explanations
1. Answer choice C is correct. You are not allowed to use a calculator on the MCAT, so questions like this will require a judgment call. In this case, the sample size is large enough that the modest difference of twenty-six individuals will not affect the ability to conduct statistical analysis (choice C is correct; choices A and B are incorrect). Statistical significance does depend on sample size. If the difference was 12 versus 38 individuals, the researcher’s concern would be valid (choice D is incorrect).
Review statistical significance.
2. Answer choice A is correct. Changes in dopamine levels are associated with schizophrenia, and the first paragraph of the passage indicates that decreased dopamine levels have been observed in the secondhand smoke group (choice A is correct). The serotonin hypothesis states that changes in serotonin are associated with depression (choice B is incorrect). The acetylcholine and epinephrine hypotheses are not commonly used (choices C and D are incorrect).
Review biological basis of psychological disorders.
3. Answer choice C is correct. The socioeconomic gradient of health describes a correlation in health outcomes based on SES (i.e. low SES individuals have worse outcomes) (choice C is correct). Gender inequality describes differences between males and females (choice A is incorrect). While food deserts may be relevant in the observed trend, they do not explicitly explain the observed trend (choice B is incorrect). Epidemiology is a tool for the study of human disease; epidemiology itself does not explain the correlation between SES and poor health outcomes (choice D is incorrect).
Review social inequalities.
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MCAT Psychology Practice Questions (Standalone)
1. Which statement best illustrates the concept of symbolic interactionism?
A) An individual recognizes a co-worker’s tardiness is due to a recent family event.
B) Two friends greet each other with a signature handshake.
C) A physical therapist provides more comprehensive treatment to family members.
D) After interacting with another political group, a group decides to pursue a more extreme policy.
2. A researcher finds that children can hear a just-noticeable difference between pitch at 4 Hz and 6 Hz. According to Weber’s law, if researchers start a noise at 12 Hz, at what point will the children notice a difference in pitch?
A) 14 Hz
B) 16 Hz
C) 18 Hz
D) 24 Hz
3. A researcher finds that adults tend to view other cultures through the lens of their own culture. Which of the following theories best supports this observation?
A) Cultural relativism
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Stereotype threat
D) Cultural absolutism
4. John presents himself as confident and composed while answering questions in class, but at home, he is quiet and reserved. Which of the following theories best explains John’s behavior?
A) Outgroup
B) Dramaturgical approach
C) Hidden curriculum
D) Fundamental attribution error
5. Researchers find that elderly individuals are slower at solving logic puzzles when compared to young adults. Which type of intelligence do elderly individuals likely have less of?
A) Crystal
B) Fluid
C) Unrealized
D) Hidden
Answers and explanations for MCAT psychology practice questions (standalone)
1. Answer choice B is correct. Symbolic interactionism is a term that appears again and again on AAMC material. The best definition to use is as follows: meaning is based on interaction and the shared understanding of symbols. In answer choice B, the interaction is the handshake, which symbolizes friendship. Answer choice A describes the fundamental attribution error. Answer choice C describes discrimination. Answer choice D describes group polarization.
2. Answer choice C is correct. Weber’s Law states that the just noticeable difference of a stimulus is based on a constant proportion of the initial stimulus value. In other words, the proportion must be maintained. So, 4/6 = 12/18, or 2/3rds.
3. Answer choice B is correct. Ethnocentrism describes viewing another culture through the lens of the culture an individual is a part of (choice B is correct). Cultural relativism is the opposite of ethnocentrism and states that cultures must be viewed through the lens of the culture itself and not through the lens of other cultures (choice A is incorrect). Stereotype threat describes the tendency of individuals to think or behave in a way that confirms stereotypes (choice C is incorrect). Cultural absolutism is not a commonly used term (choice D is incorrect).
4. Answer choice B is correct. The dramaturgical approach involves a front stage (how John presents himself to others) versus a backstage (who John truly is). An outgroup is a group that someone is not a part of (choice A is incorrect). The hidden curriculum describes the role of school in developing skills outside of academics for students (choice C is incorrect). Fundamental attribution error describes the tendency of individuals to attribute actions to a person’s disposition instead of to the situation (choice D is incorrect).
5. Answer choice B is correct. Elderly individuals have more crystallized intelligence, or intelligence about facts and things (i.e. wisdom). Younger individuals have more fluid intelligence, or problem-solving ability (choice B is correct; choice A is incorrect). Choices C and D are not types of intelligence.
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