MCAT (Psychological, Social, and Biological) 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A sociologist observes that people in higher socioeconomic classes have better access to healthcare, education, and nutrition. This pattern is best explained by which concept?
- Social mobility
- Social stratification (Correct answer)
- Relative deprivation
- Social loafing
Correct answer: Social stratification
Social stratification refers to the hierarchical ranking of individuals or groups in society based on wealth, power, and prestige, leading to differential access to resources.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the 'fundamental attribution error'?
- Attributing others' failures to situational factors while attributing one's own failures to dispositional factors
- Overestimating dispositional factors and underestimating situational factors when explaining others' behavior (Correct answer)
- Believing that one's own views are more widely shared than they actually are
- Attributing positive outcomes to one's own effort and negative outcomes to external causes
Correct answer: Overestimating dispositional factors and underestimating situational factors when explaining others' behavior
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overweight internal (dispositional) factors and underweight situational factors when judging others' behavior.
Question 3: The autonomic nervous system's parasympathetic branch is characterized by which neurotransmitter at the target organ?
- Norepinephrine
- Epinephrine
- Acetylcholine (Correct answer)
- Dopamine
Correct answer: Acetylcholine
Parasympathetic postganglionic neurons release acetylcholine onto target organs, mediating 'rest-and-digest' functions.
Question 4: According to Erikson's psychosocial stages, the central conflict of adolescence is:
- Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
- Industry vs. Inferiority
- Identity vs. Role Confusion (Correct answer)
- Intimacy vs. Isolation
Correct answer: Identity vs. Role Confusion
During adolescence (ages 12–18), Erikson's stage centers on forming a coherent identity versus experiencing confusion about one's role in society.
Question 5: A study finds that people perform better on simple tasks when others are present, but worse on complex tasks. This phenomenon is called:
- Social loafing
- Deindividuation
- Social facilitation (Correct answer)
- Groupthink
Correct answer: Social facilitation
Social facilitation refers to the tendency for the presence of others to enhance performance on well-learned tasks and impair performance on difficult or novel tasks.
Question 6: Which of the following hormones is released by the adrenal medulla during the acute stress response?
- Cortisol
- Aldosterone
- Epinephrine (Correct answer)
- Testosterone
Correct answer: Epinephrine
The adrenal medulla releases epinephrine (and norepinephrine) as part of the fight-or-flight response, rapidly mobilizing energy and increasing heart rate.
Question 7: Which sensory system is primarily responsible for detecting the body's position and movement in space?
- Vestibular system
- Somatosensory system
- Proprioceptive system (Correct answer)
- Olfactory system
Correct answer: Proprioceptive system
Proprioception involves sensory receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints that signal body position and movement to the central nervous system.
MCAT (Psychological, Social, and Biological) 3
A sociologist observes that people in higher socioeconomic classes have better access to healthcare, education, and nutrition.
This pattern is best explained by which concept?