MCAT Sociology 5

Question 1

The 'contact hypothesis' in sociology suggests that prejudice between groups can be reduced when:

Accepted Answer

Members of different groups interact under conditions of equal status toward a common goal

Answer

Gordon Allport's contact hypothesis holds that intergroup contact reduces prejudice most effectively when it occurs under equal status, cooperative, and institutionally supported conditions.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of 'secondary deviance' as defined by Edwin Lemert?

Accepted Answer

A person labeled as a criminal who reorganizes their identity around that label and commits more crimes

Answer

Secondary deviance occurs when a person internalizes a deviant label and builds their identity around it, leading to continued deviant behavior.

Question 3

Studies show that women are more likely to experience depression than men, while men are more likely to be diagnosed with substance use disorders. A sociological explanation for this difference would emphasize:

Accepted Answer

Gender socialization that shapes how distress is expressed and what behaviors are tolerated or labeled

Answer

Gender socialization teaches men and women different ways to express distress, with men more likely to externalize through substance use and women to internalize through depression.

Question 4

A pharmaceutical company disproportionately conducts clinical trials in wealthy nations and then markets drugs to low-income countries without local testing. This illustrates:

Accepted Answer

Global health inequality reinforced by differential access to research resources

Answer

This practice reflects how global structures of inequality shape which populations benefit from medical research and which are treated as secondary markets.

Question 5

The concept of 'social mobility' refers to:

Accepted Answer

The movement of individuals or groups between different levels of the social hierarchy

Answer

Social mobility describes upward or downward movement within a social stratification system, and can be intergenerational or intragenerational.

MCAT - Medical College Admission Test Practice Test

MCAT - Medical College Admission Test Practice Test

MCAT Sociology 5