MCAT Sociology Practice Questions
Boost your MCAT Sociology performance with comprehensive practice problems and expert guidance on essential concepts and frameworks.
(Note: This resource also appears in our MCAT Ultimate Guide.)
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Introduction
MCAT Sociology Practice Passage #1
MCAT Sociology Practice Passage #2
MCAT Sociology Practice Passage #3
MCAT Sociology Practice Questions (Standalone)
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Introduction
Sociology makes up a large component of your MCAT psychology/sociology section score. The MCAT is a long exam, and the psych/soc section is the final section of the exam. As a result, many students are burned out and tired when they make it to this section.
In addition, many premeds haven’t yet taken a sociology class before studying for the MCAT. As a result, most students will need to both learn the content and how to apply that content to practice problems for the MCAT. A solid MCAT study schedule will help you achieve both of those goals.
On the psychology/sociology section of the exam (and the other two science sections of the exam as well), the test writers generally take a scientific article, include a few figures, and ask you questions that require you to combine information from the passage with your outside knowledge.
(Suggested Reading: Everything you need to know about MCAT Psychology and Sociology: Everything You Need to Know)
So, how do you improve your performance on the MCAT psych/soc section? Practice! Here, we’ll test your sociology knowledge using MCAT-style passages. Use the following three sociology 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 Sociology Practice Passage #1
Traditionally, individuals with middle to high socioeconomic status (SES) have lived in suburban areas, which tend to have well-funded schooling systems and reduced crime. In recent years, however, major urban areas have seen an increase in the movement of individuals with middle to high SES move back to newly renovated city center neighborhoods. As a result, individuals with low SES who previously lived in those neighborhoods have been displaced.
In a new study, researchers aimed to track house prices in a city center area of Houston, TX over a period of twenty years. The results from the study are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Price per square foot versus time.
The increase in housing costs has forced low SES individuals to seek housing in more industrial areas of town. As a result, these individuals face increased exposure to polluted air and water, thereby increasing the incidence and prevalence of certain health conditions, such as asthma or cancer. In addition, many of these low SES individuals experience an exacerbation of their environment-related health conditions due to a lack of healthcare access.
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 process described in paragraph 1 is best known as:
A) Renovation
B) Gentrification
C) Rejuvenation
D) Intragenerational mobility
2. The exacerbation of health conditions due to a lack of access to healthcare is known as:
A) Absolute poverty
B) Second sickness
C) Environmental justice
D) Medical mistrust
3. Researchers conduct a new study within a US city and find that it is more difficult to find healthy and affordable food options in low SES neighborhoods versus high SES neighborhoods. Which of the following terms best characterizes this observation?
A) Food desert
B) Global inequalities
C) Intersectionality
D) Urban decay
4. Which of the following is LEAST likely to contribute to social reproduction?
A) Cultural capital
B) Social capital
C) Prestige
D) Emigration
Answer key for practice passage #1
1. Answer choice B is correct. Gentrification describes the process of renovating city center neighborhoods, causing middle to high SES individuals to move in while displacing low SES individuals (choice B is correct; choices A, C, and D are incorrect).
Review gentrification and intra- versus intergenerational mobility.
2. Answer choice B is correct. Second sickness describes the worsening of health conditions due to a socioeconomic gradient in healthcare access (choice B is correct). Absolute poverty occurs when an individual does not have enough resources to sustain basic human needs, such as food, water, and shelter (choice A is incorrect). Environmental justice calls for the equal treatment of all people and the right to live in places without environmental or health hazards (choice C is incorrect). Medical mistrust describes the lack of trust of medical providers by an individual or group (choice D is incorrect).
3. Answer choice A is correct. A food desert is a place where it is difficult to find healthy and affordable food options, and this commonly occurs in low-income neighborhoods (choice A is correct). Global inequalities describe different countries with different access to resources, but the question stem is talking only about a single US city (choice B is incorrect). Intersectionality describes the interconnected nature of oppressed groups, which leads to overlapping and compounding disadvantages for individuals (choice C is incorrect). Urban decay describes portions of a city that undergo deterioration over time (choice D is incorrect).
Review food desert, global inequalities, intersectionality, and urban decay.
4. Answer choice D is correct. Cultural capital, social capital, and prestige all contribute to social reproduction, which describes the idea that social inequalities are passed between generations (choices A, B, and C are incorrect). Emigration is the least likely to produce social inequalities between generations (i.e. a low SES parent and a low SES child) as emigrants usually seek more opportunities in a new location (choice D is correct).
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MCAT Sociology Practice Passage #2
CRISPR-Cas9 technology has the potential to edit the genetic code of humans. As a result, several ethical considerations have arisen. For example, is it ethical to edit the genome of a human embryo? A group of scientists are chosen for a committee to evaluate the ethical considerations of CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Before attending the meeting, all of the scientists across believe that the technology has tremendous potential benefits as an investigative tool but are extremely cautious and wary of widespread use of the technology in clinical settings.
The scientists are split into two groups, and each group is to come up with a scientific policy recommendation. Before discussing a new policy recommendation, Group 1 is shown a video that graphically displays the dangers of genome editing. Group 1 does not have a time limit to come to a decision. On the other hand, Group 2 is shown a video from the president of the United States emphasizing the speed with which they must arrive at a decision, and they are told that they have one hour to arrive at a decision.
The evening following the exercise, the groups are asked to present their findings. Group 1 presents a policy entirely denouncing the CRISPR-Cas9 technology and states that the potential negatives significantly outweigh the positives. Group 2, on the other hand, presents an uncreative policy that states regulatory limitations should be created only as problems arise.
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. Which of the following best describes how Group 1 arrived at its policy recommendation?
A) Social loafing
B) Bystander effect
C) Groupthink
D) Group polarization
2. Which of the following best describes how Group 2 arrived at its policy recommendation?
A) Social loafing
B) Bystander effect
C) Groupthink
D) Group polarization
3. A scientist initially rejects the policy recommendation in Group 1 but agrees after she realizes that she is outnumbered. This is an example of:
A) Socialization
B) Obedience
C) Conformity
D) Social facilitation
4. Which of the following is NOT an agent of socialization?
A) Media
B) Peers
C) Hunger
D) Family
Answer key for practice passage #2
1. Answer choice D is correct. Group polarization describes the process by which individuals in a group take a more extreme viewpoint collectively than any one individual would have taken. The scientists were in favor of the technology before the meeting and only cautious of the dangers, but they arrive at a much more extreme final policy recommendation by denouncing the technology as a whole (choice D is correct). Groupthink describes the tendency of groups to arrive at uncreative solutions in order to support harmony (choice C is incorrect). Social loafing and the bystander effect describe the diffusion of responsibility in a group setting (choices A and B are incorrect).
2. Answer choice C is correct. Groupthink describes the tendency of groups to arrive at uncreative solutions in order to support harmony. Group 2 was given a time constraint, meaning consensus between the group members was important. As a result, the group arrived at an “uncreative policy” as stated by the passage (choice C is correct). Social loafing and the bystander effect describe the diffusion of responsibility in a group setting (choices A and B are incorrect). Group polarization describes the process by which individuals in a group take a more extreme viewpoint collectively than any one individual would have taken (choice D is incorrect).
3. Answer choice C is correct. Conformity occurs when an individual changes his or her behavior based on the influence of a group (choice C is correct). Socialization describes the process by which an individual becomes a member of society (choice A is incorrect). Obedience occurs when an individual changes his or her behavior based on the influence of an individual or group with the power to enforce their influence (choice B is incorrect). Social facilitation occurs when an individual performs better on a simple task in front of an audience (choice D is incorrect).
Review conformity, socialization, obedience, and social facilitation.
4. Answer choice C is correct. Hunger is not an agent of socialization (choice C is correct; choices A, B, and D are incorrect).
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MCAT Sociology Practice Passage #3
Social institutions are important for carrying out many social activities. These institutions may include education, family, government, religion, economy, and healthcare. Researchers interested in studying the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on education and vice versa decided to look at school systems across the United States.
Through a series of observational, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies, the researchers identified two commonalities across schooling systems. First, the researchers identified a “hidden curriculum” in education that teaches students more than the literature and math standards needed to progress between grades. The hidden curriculum is a side effect of schooling that teaches students about the social norms of society.
Second, the researchers observed a teacher expectancy effect in which students performed based on the teacher’s expectation of performance. To study this effect in greater detail, researchers conducted an observational study in which they first evaluated a teacher’s expectations about each student in a classroom using a standardized rubric. Then, the researchers measured the percentile performance of the students on their respective state’s standardized exam. The researchers found that students with teachers who had high expectations for their success performed better on their exams than their peers. On the other hand, students with teachers who had low expectations for their success performed worse on their exams than their peers.
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 hidden curriculum can best be characterized as which of the following?
A) Manifest function of education
B) Manifest function of family
C) Latent function of education
D) Latent function of family
2. The results from the observational study described in the last paragraph have what effect on the teacher expectancy theory?
A) Strengthen because the students whose teachers have high expectations perform poorly on the exam
B) Strengthen because the students whose teachers have high expectations perform well on the exam
C) Weaken because the students whose teachers have high expectations perform poorly on the exam
D) Weaken because the students whose teachers have high expectations perform well on the exam
3. In a new study, researchers decide to experimentally measure test scores at a single point in time. This new study can be classified as:
A) An observational study
B) A longitudinal study
C) A case-control study
D) A cross-sectional study
Answer key for practice passage #3
1. Answer choice C is correct. The hidden curriculum occurs in the educational setting (choices B and D are incorrect). A manifest function is the intended function of something (choice A is incorrect). A latent function is an unintended function, or a side effect. The hidden curriculum is a latent function of education (choice C is correct)
Review hidden curriculum and manifest versus latent functions.
2. Answer choice B is correct. The teacher expectancy effect states that students whose teachers have high expectations tend to perform better and vice versa (choice A is incorrect). The observational study from the last paragraph of the passage has the same effect, meaning it supports the teacher expectancy effect (choice B is correct; choices C and D are incorrect).
Review teacher expectancy effect.
3. Answer choice D is correct. A cross-sectional study occurs at a single point in time (choice D is correct). The study is not observational as the question stem states that it is experimental (choice A is incorrect). A longitudinal study takes multiple measurements over a period of time (choice B is incorrect). A case-control study follows a single individual or a small number of individuals, but the number of individuals is not indicated by the question stem (choice C is incorrect).
Review types of studies in psychology and sociology.
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MCAT Sociology Practice Questions
1. Which of the following best describes the inability of a company’s board to brainstorm a creative solution to a business problem and instead settle on an ineffective solution in favor of maintaining group harmony?
A) Group polarization
B) Conflict theory
C) Groupthink
D) Symbolic interactionism
2. A teacher tells a student to stop distracting others during class, and the student changes his behavior. Which of the following best describes this change in behavior?
A) Obedience
B) Conformity
C) Social loafing
D) Bystander effect
3. Which of the following scenarios best describes belief perseverance?
A) An individual believes the most convincing argument after knowing nothing initially about an issue
B) An individual changes her opinion after hearing a persuasive argument
C) An individual continues to believe something after hearing a viewpoint against his belief
D) Individuals in a group tend to strongly stick to their own beliefs
4. Which of the following factors has NOT contributed significantly to globalization?
A) Communication
B) Technology
C) Economic interdependence
D) Subsistence farming
5. A task force of leaders from different sectors of a large economy is assembled to brainstorm solutions to an emergent public health crisis. This group is best characterized as a:
A) Out-group
B) Reference group
C) Primary group
D) Secondary group
Answer key for standalone practice questions
1. Answer choice C is correct. Groupthink is the tendency for groups to produce uncreative or ineffective solutions in favor of creating harmony between the group members and avoiding conflict (choice C is correct). Group polarization describes the tendency for a group to come up with a solution that is much more extreme than any individual group member would have chosen by themselves (choice A is incorrect). Conflict theory is a macrosociological theory that describes the competition between different aspects of society for finite resources (choice B is incorrect). Symbolic interactionism states that meaning is based on a shared understanding of symbols (choice D is incorrect).
2. Answer choice A is correct. Obedience describes a change in behavior due to an individual who has the authority to change the behavior (choice A is correct). Conformity is a change in behavior due to an individual who does not have the authority to change the behavior, such as a peer (choice B is incorrect). Social loafing describes the ability to not work as hard in a group setting (choice C is incorrect). Bystander effect describes the tendency of bystanders to not act and believe that someone else will step in (choice D is incorrect).
3. Answer choice C is correct. Belief perseverance describes an individual continuing to believe something following new information that contradicts the belief (choice C is correct; choices A and B are incorrect). Individuals in a group tend to either think what the group wants in order to maintain harmony (groupthink) or adopt a more extreme viewpoint than any one individual would have (group polarization) (choice D is incorrect).
4. Answer choice D is correct. Subsistence farming occurs when an individual or family grows enough food to survive, and it has therefore not likely contributed to globalization, which is the expansion of economies and communication systems worldwide (choice D is correct). Communication, technology, and economic interdependence have significantly contributed to globalization (choices A, B, and C are incorrect).
5. Answer choice D is correct. Secondary groups are generally impersonal and goal-oriented. A team assembled to solve a crisis has a clear goal in mind (choice D is correct). An out-group is a group to which an individual does not belong (choice A is incorrect). A reference group is a group that an individual compares him or herself to (choice B is incorrect). A primary group is a group with which an individual shares close and long-term ties, such as family (choice C is incorrect).
