Mcat Psychology Questions
Calfu Baransky
MCAT psychology practice questions test your understanding of psychological, social and biological factors and their influence on your perceptions of the world. Further, this MCAT subject places an emphasis on the importance for future physicians to take into account the human and social side of medicine. In this blog, we provide though MCAT psychology practice passages and share expert tips to help you ace this section of the test!
The MCAT psychology section can be intimidating to students for its similarities to the MCAT CARS section. Fortunately, this means many of the best MCAT CARS strategies can be useful when preparing for this section, too.
Despite the multiple theories that link intense negative emotions to suicidal ideation, the theory may lack enough evidence to assume that negative emotions lead to suicide attempts as suicide attempts do not appear to be related to negative emotions. Depression, anxiety, hopelessness and stress may, therefore, contribute to suicidal ideation, but not insofar as suicide attempt.
Ideation to action framework for suicide believes that suicidal ideation and transition to suicide attempts are separate processes. The capability of suicide may be a mitigating factor in such a transition. This capability outlines that recurrent events of pain, fear or death may allow for such a transition, which may come as recurrent non-suicidal self-injuries, substance use or physical abuse. When included in the analysis, the frequency and number of non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors predict suicide attempt from a history of suicidal ideation.
There may be a gender predisposition in these relationships. The link between negative emotions and suicidal ideation and between non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation was stronger in females, whereas in males, only suicidal ideation acts as a mediator between negative emotional states and suicide attempts. Non-suicidal self-injurious behavior may be a way to escape negative emotional states and may also prevent adolescents from learning adaptive coping strategies leading to long-term concerns with emotional regulation.
What may be leading to such gender differences? It has been considered that females may experience emotional distress more often than males, potentially due to a higher perceived biological and social pressure. They typically resort to avoidance as a way to cope with negative emotional states, which is maladaptive, resulting in the ongoing chase to escape from their life events. This parallels with suicide as a way to escape such negative emotion in a more permanent way. The capability, though, to carry out suicide must mean that a person is able to withstand the pain of their act. This is where non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors come in: a way to practice and assess their ability to withstand the pain in an increasing amount.
For this section, you will have 59 questions to complete in 95 minutes, and it will be a combination of passage-based and discrete questions. Of these, 44 are passage-related questions, while 15 are standalone, non-passage-related questions.
When to start studying for the MCAT depends on whether you have taken the necessary medical school prerequisites and when you would like to apply to medical school. We would advise starting serious MCAT prep about 6 months before your desired MCAT test date.
We strongly advise you to review medical school acceptance rates of your chosen medical schools to see what MCAT score they expect. Make sure to meet or exceed the expected MCAT score of your chosen schools.
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The first three MCAT sections cover basic science concepts taught in such pre-med degree programs as biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and sociology. The last section, CARS, is similar to other reading comprehension tests you may have taken throughout your education. It does not test your knowledge of science, but rather how well you analyze problems and apply reasoning skills to arrive at solutions.
This section tests your knowledge of fundamental concepts that govern processes unique to living organisms (growing, reproducing, responding, metabolizing, and adapting). It also tests your understanding of how cells and organ systems accomplish these processes, as well as your ability to reason about these processes.
This section tests your understanding of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of human tissues, organs, and organ systems. It also tests your knowledge of the basic chemical and physical principles that underlie the mechanisms operating in the human body and your ability to reason about and apply your understanding of these principles to living systems.
This section tests your understanding of how concepts in psychology, sociology, and biology apply to the sociocultural and behavioral aspects of human health. You will also need to demonstrate your ability to use research methods and statistics.
As before, this section will require no specific content knowledge. This MCAT section will ask you to read passages and answer questions to demonstrate critical thinking abilities. Complex, thought-provoking passages will be excerpted from books, journals, and magazines representing a wide range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, including concepts from cultural studies, population health, ethics, and philosophy.
For MCAT sections 1-3: As you complete your prerequisite course work for these three sections, practice applying the concepts. Developing the habit of using challenge questions at the end of your textbook chapters can help you build the stamina and agility needed to conquer these sections.
For MCAT section 4: Become a voracious reader. Digesting and discussing novels, biographies, news, and academic journals will build your critical analysis and reasoning abilities. Even better, practice these skills by joining a discussion group such as a book club or debate team.
Good overall study habits can help get you on the right track as you prepare for this exam. Check out some tried-and-true MCAT study tips from Jamie DeTrinidad, Senior Associate Director of Admissions.
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The Psychology and Sociology section of the MCAT tests your understanding of research methodologies and psychological and sociological principles and your ability to apply this knowledge to data sets, charts, and figures that summarize the research.
This table outlines the disciplines, foundational concepts, and examined skills on the exam. Note: The examined skills are the four types of questions you will find in the behavioral science section, including Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principals, Scientific Reasoning and Problem-Solving, Reasoning About the Design and Execution of Research, and Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning.
One religious group with health-related FBLDs is the Seventh Day Adventist Church, which formed in the 1860s after early leaders broke away from established Protestant churches. Since its formal establishment, Seventh Day Adventist Church membership has grown from 3,500 to over 20 million worldwide. The Seventh Day Adventist Church advocates conservative religious teachings and a holistic approach to health and wellness; members are encouraged to pursue vegetarianism, exercise regularly, and avoid alcohol and tobacco.
Researchers from a variety of fields have examined health-related religious values and FBLDs. Epidemiological research has shown that believers from different religions who follow certain FBLDs (eg, abstaining from smoking and alcohol) experience lower rates of chronic illnesses (eg, heart disease and many types of cancer) than the general population. Sociologists have suggested that as a society increasingly relies on medical professionals, rather than clergy, as legitimate sources of guidance on lifestyle behaviors, membership in religious groups with values that are compatible with medicalization will continue to rise. Some hypothesize that this phenomenon accounts for the seemingly contradictory increase in membership in certain conservative religious groups with strict FBLDs, despite mainstream society becoming less religious.
The dominant culture includes the established set of norms, values, and beliefs that define a society. A subculture is a group of individuals who are characteristically distinct from the dominant culture, but whose values and norms still generally align with the dominant culture.
The sects and churches described in the passage have values and norms (eg, FBLDs) that differ somewhat (ie, are distinctive) from mainstream society, but that are not opposed to it; therefore, they would best be categorized as subcultures.
(Choice A) A counterculture opposes and rejects the norms/values of the dominant culture (eg, much of the antiwar movement of the 1960s). The sects and churches described in the passage are distinct from mainstream culture, but there is no indication that they are opposed to it, making them subcultures, not countercultures.
(Choice B) Utilitarian organizations compensate members for their involvement (eg, money, certification/diploma). The sects and churches described in the passage could be considered normative organizations (ie, membership based on shared values), not utilitarian organizations.
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