MCAT Practice Exam UPDATED
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Which of the following reflects the researchers' attempt to minimize adaptation effects during
the experiment?
A. Using wild mice rather than domesticated mice
B. Using sugar water rather than pond water during the training stage
C. Rearranging the bottles after a human subject detected sulfur
D. Limiting the human subjects' inhalation time to two seconds - CORRECT ANSWER- An
adaptation effect is the phenomenon by which an organism becomes accustomed to a sensory
stimulus, which results in a higher threshold for detection of that stimulus. Since the
experiment in this study was designed to measure detection thresholds, it was necessary to
limit participants' inhalation time to two seconds so that they would not become accustomed
to the smell of sulfur. Otherwise, their olfactory thresholds for the detection of sulfur may
have measured higher than their actual levels (choice D is correct; choices A, B, and C are
wrong).
adaptation effect - CORRECT ANSWER- is the phenomenon by which an organism becomes
accustomed to a sensory stimulus, which results in a higher threshold for detection of that
stimulus.
positive reinforcer - CORRECT ANSWER- the event that is perceived by the subject as
desirable and which follows the target behavior
negative reinforcement - CORRECT ANSWER- refers to the removal of a negative (or
undesirable) stimulus in response to the target behavior
Suppose Subject 405 returned home after the experiment and watched a television program
about mammalian predators. Before a commercial break, the program's narrator explained
that bears secrete kairomones and challenged viewers to think of the primary chemical
contained in bear kairomone. During the break subject 405 confidently told her roommate
that "no doubt the primary chemical is sulfur!" Assuming that subject 405 has no familiarity
with kairomones other than through her experience as a study participant, her assertion
exemplifies which of the following?
,A. The availability heuristic
B. The optimistic bias
C. The representativeness heuristic
D. The central route to persuasion - CORRECT ANSWER- A. The availability heuristic
refers to people's tendency to solve problems or estimate probabilities based on information
that is most readily available, or accessible, to their minds. Thus, Subject 405's assertion
reflects her recent experience as a participant in the study rather than a logical approach
toward problem solving (choice A is correct). The optimistic bias is people's tendency to
assess the probability of personal success in future endeavors with more optimism than is
warranted by actual facts (choice B is wrong). The representativeness heuristic refers to a
problem-solving strategy by which people make choices based on their perception of which
option is most characteristic of the issue in question. Since the question stem assumes that
Subject 405 has no familiarity with kairomones other than through her participation in the
study, there is no basis for Subject 405 to consider sulfur to be more representative of
mammalian kairomones than any other substance (choice C is wrong). When people use logic
or information-based arguments to persuade others, they are considered to be using the
central route of persuasion. Subject 405, however, did not offer any such arguments to
substantiate her claim (choice D is wrong).
The availability heuristic - CORRECT ANSWER- refers to people's tendency to solve
problems or estimate probabilities based on information that is most readily available, or
accessible, to their minds.
optimistic bias - CORRECT ANSWER- is people's tendency to assess the probability of
personal success in future endeavors with more optimism than is warranted by actual facts
The representativeness heuristic - CORRECT ANSWER- refers to a problem-solving strategy
by which people make choices based on their perception of which option is most
characteristic of the issue in question.
All of the following biological developmental milestones that change the brain occur during
the adolescent years EXCEPT:
A. Cell proliferation (particularly in the limbic system and prefrontal lobes)
B. Myelination
C. Synaptic pruning (of unused or unnecessary connections)
, D. Codification of neural networks for basic motor skills - CORRECT ANSWER- D. Neural
network development for motor skills is part of early brain development and is essentially
complete for basic motor skills (such as crawling, walking, jumping, and writing) before
adolescence (choice D does not occur during adolescence and is therefore correct). Cell
proliferation, particularly in the prefrontal lobes and in the limbic system, is one of the
changes to the brain that occurs during adolescence, as the prefrontal cortex is required for
abstract thinking (choice A is wrong). Myelination, the creation of myelin sheaths around
neurons in the brain to strengthen connections, is another change that occurs during
adolescence (choice B is wrong). Synaptic pruning, which clears the brain of unnecessary
connections, is the third major developmental change in the brain during adolescence (choice
C is wrong).
Eriksons stages of development - CORRECT ANSWER-
One advantage of using a longitudinal study design, such as the one described in the passage,
is:
A. the ability to conduct in-depth analyses of a few participants to get very rich and detailed
data samples.
B. the opportunity to follow a cross-section of participants of different types at the same
time.
C. the opportunity to follow one group of participants over an extended period and track
their changes.
D. the ability to see how many participants remain in the study and how many people
withdraw. - CORRECT ANSWER- C. Longitudinal studies in developmental psychology
research, such as the one in the passage, allow researchers to follow one group of participants
over time. In this study, they were able to follow participants over a six-year period and track
their changes (choice C is correct). Case study design (not a longitudinal study design) allows
researchers the opportunity to conduct in-depth analyses of a few select participants, then
emerge with very detailed data (choice A is wrong). Cross-sectional research (not a
longitudinal study design) gives researchers a variety of participants of different types (e.g.,
different ages) that they can track at the same time (choice B is wrong). A drawback (not an
advantage) of longitudinal research is that sometimes participants will withdraw from the
research over the period of the study for a variety of reasons, including moving away, lack of
interest, or even illness or death (choice D is wrong).
Case study design - CORRECT ANSWER- (not a longitudinal study design) allows
researchers the opportunity to conduct in-depth analyses of a few select participants, then
emerge with very detailed data
, longitudinal study design - CORRECT ANSWER- allow researchers to follow one group of
participants over time
Cross-sectional research - CORRECT ANSWER- (not a longitudinal study design) gives
researchers a variety of participants of different types (e.g., different ages) that they can track
at the same time
lawrence kohlberg six stages of moral development - CORRECT ANSWER-
According to Lawrence Kohlberg, what is the highest level of morality that the average adult
tends to achieve?
A. She or he will acknowledge a sense of duty to uphold the laws of the land and maintain
basic social conventions.
B. He or she will strive for social justice—the greatest good for the greatest number.
C. He or she will focus on the approval (or disapproval) of others, acting in accordance with
the views of his or her community or peer group.
D. She or he will act in such a way as to avoid punishment at all costs. - CORRECT
ANSWER- A. Lawrence Kohlberg postulated six stages of moral development, but said that
the average person generally does not pass beyond the fourth stage, in which he or she
acknowledges a sense of duty to uphold the law and maintain social conventions (choice A is
correct). Striving for social justice, wherein one acts for the greatest good for the greatest
number, is the fifth stage in Kohlberg's schema and one that he proposed that few people
reach (choice B is wrong). A focus on receiving approval from one's peers along with a need
to conform is the third stage of development, usually seen in older children and adolescents
(choice C is wrong). Acting to avoid punishment is the earliest stage of moral development,
typical of very young children (choice D is wrong).
An individual's description of her behavior at work earlier that day is an example of retrieval
from:
A. episodic memory.
B. semantic memory.
C. procedural memory.
D. olfactory memory. - CORRECT ANSWER- A. Episodic memory refers to memory of
one's personal experiences (choice A is correct). Semantic memory is memory of concepts
and information (choice B is wrong), while procedural memory is memory of how to execute
