MCAT Psychology 5

Question 1

The phenomenon where people perform better on well-practiced tasks in the presence of others but worse on novel or complex tasks is called:

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation

Answer

Social facilitation (Zajonc) describes increased arousal in the presence of others that enhances dominant (well-learned) responses but impairs non-dominant (complex) responses.

Question 2

A doctor notices that patients in a clinical trial who received a sugar pill improved as much as those on the active drug. This improvement in the placebo group is best attributed to:

Accepted Answer

Placebo effect driven by expectancy and conditioning

Answer

The placebo effect involves expectancy (patients anticipate improvement) and classical conditioning (treatment context triggers learned healing responses).

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a negative reinforcement schedule?

Accepted Answer

Removing a loud alarm when a driver buckles their seatbelt

Answer

Negative reinforcement increases a behavior by removing an aversive stimulus; buckling the seatbelt (behavior) is reinforced by stopping the alarm (removal of aversive stimulus).

Question 4

According to the gate control theory of pain, which neural mechanism can reduce the perception of pain?

Accepted Answer

Stimulation of large-diameter A-beta fibers that activate inhibitory interneurons

Answer

Large-diameter A-beta fibers activate inhibitory interneurons in the dorsal horn that 'close the gate,' reducing transmission of pain signals to the brain.

Question 5

A person who has experienced a traumatic car accident now feels intense anxiety whenever they hear screeching brakes, even in safe contexts. From a behavioral perspective, this anxiety represents:

Accepted Answer

A classically conditioned fear response (CR) to a conditioned stimulus (CS)

Answer

The screeching brakes (CS) were paired with the trauma (UCS), producing a conditioned fear response (CR) through classical conditioning.

MCAT - Medical College Admission Test Practice Test

MCAT - Medical College Admission Test Practice Test

MCAT Psychology 5