MCAT Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations Practice Test 2

Tyler is a high school student who is planning on becoming an engineer. In his calculus II class sophomore year, he receives an F on his first test. Which of the following responses to this event would indicate that Tyler has a higher likelihood of improving in subsequent exams?

Human beings require many outside resources in order to survive. An individual will not survive without water, air, etc. Thankfully, the human brain is wired to seek out these resources when they are depleted before harm occurs to the individual. The downside of this, however, is that they can produce too much reward, and become a temptation. Which of the following statements would mean a desire has become a temptation?

A psychology study run on a college campus was set up right outside of the gym on a weekday. Chocolate chip cookies were offered right outside the door, and then a sign was placed 15 feet further down the hall that asked people to avoid using the stairs, forcing them to go around in a longer hallway. There were no barriers to using the stairs other than the sign. The results returned, and it showed that individuals who took a sweet from the tray were twice as likely to use the longer hallway as individuals who refused. This is an example of what psychological concept?

A wrestler attempting to lose weight for a match in December commits himself to dropping 30lbs over 2 months. Which of the following is NOT a good method to restrict his caloric intake?

A young child is brought to a psychologist for evaluation of their home situation. The child is placed in the middle of the floor, with the mother on one side and the psychologist on the other. The mother then leaves for a short while, and then returns. Which of the following would be a concerning sign during this evaluation?

A young man working with a therapist on becoming more productive is expressing many of his desires throughout growing up and how he feels that it has affected him. Through discernment, the therapist states that he believes the young man’s development is stuck in a stage that reflects itself by his inability to keep his house clean. According to Freud’s theory of psychosexual development, what stage would this young man be fixated in?

Vygotsky’s sociocultural development theory attempts to describe the interaction between the mental function children are born with and how they develop those into what they possess as adults. One of the important components of this is the zone of proximal development. Which of the following statements accurately describes an individual in the zone of proximal development?

A young woman comes to the clinic for feeling like her “heart is beating too fast”. When her pulse is recorded it is in normal range. Upon interview, you learn that she is often concerned about lots of things. In fact, she can’t remember many instances in which she has not had some event playing over and over in her head. She says that she often seeks out relationships to comfort her self-esteem, and admits she stays in these relationships too long for fear of being alone. What personality cluster would this person fall under?

A dentist that is performing procedures in his clinic is brought out to the front desk one day to handle a dispute between one of his patients and the clerk. The patient is a middle-aged businessman who is irate and creating a scene because he was told he would have to see the dental hygienist instead of the dentist. The patient loudly rants that he makes too much money to be subjected to treatment by a half-trained associate. The clerk explains to the dentist that the patient was 40 minutes late to his appointment, and the only opening now was with the hygienist. The patient snaps back that his time is worth more than any of the people in the office. What personality disorder is this patient likely exhibiting?

A patient comes into the ER looking extremely agitated. They are acting aggressive, and claiming they need medication or “bad things will happen”. What is the likely state of this patient’s dopamine system?