MCAT BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE WITH
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS | GRADED A+ |
GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers | 100% Verified
Exam Prep and Comprehensive Rationales Included
,parallel processing ability to simultaneously analyze and combine information regarding color, shape,
and motion
two point threshold minimum distance necessary between two points of stimulation on the skin such
that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli
gate theory of pain proposes that there is a special gating mechanism that can turn pain signals on or
off, affecting whether or not we perceive pain
Kinesthetic sensation (proprioception) ability to tell where one's body is in space
Bottom up processing refers to object recognition by parallel processing and feature detection- brain
takes individual sensory stimuli and combines them together to create a cohesive
image before determining what the object is
top down processing driven by memories and expectations that allow the brain to recognize the whole
object and then recognize the components based on these expectations (quickly
recognize objects without needing to analyze specific parts)
Gestalt principles law of proximity
law of similarity
law of good continuation
law of closure
law of pragnanz
law of proximity elects close together tend to be perceived as a unit
law of similarity objects that are similar tend to be grouped together
law of good continuation elements that appear to follow in the same pathway tend to be grouped together
law of closure when a space is enclosed by a contour it tends to be perceived as a complete
figure
law of pragnanz perceptual organization will always be as regular, simple, and symmetric as
possible
associative learning creation of pairing, or association, wither between two stimuli or between a
behavior or response
classical conditioning type of associative learning that takes advantage of biological instinctual
responses to create associations between two unrelated stimuli (dog starts to
salivate when he hears a bell ring due to the fact that when the bell rings he is
given a treat)
acquisition training of a conditioned stimulus
extinction loss of conditioned stimulus
spontaneous recovery weak response is exhibited
, generalization broadening effect of a conditions stimulus (little Albert exhibits fear of rat and
generalizes it to a rabbit)
discrimination organism learns to distinguish between two similar stimuli
operant conditioning links voluntary behaviors with consequences in an effort to alter the frequency of
those behaviors
B.F. skinner father of behaviorism
reinforcement process of increasing the likelihood that an individual will perform a behavior
positive reinforcement increase a behavior by adding a positive consequence or incentive
negative reinforcement increase behavior by removing something unpleasant
punishment used to reduce a behavior
positive punishment adds unpleasant consequences in response to a behavior to reduce behavior
negative punishment reduction of a behavior when a stimulus is removed (taking phone away to punish
the child)
latent learning occurs without a reward but this is spontaneously demonstrated once a reward is
introduced
self reference effect learn the best when put the information into context of our own lives
shaping rewarding increasingly specific behaviors
problem-solving analyze the situation and respond accordingly
preparedness reward behaviors that are similar to their natural behaviors
instinctive drift the challenge to teach behavior that is against their natural behaviors
Observational learning -process of learning a new behavior or gaining information by watching others
(Albert Bandura's Bobo doll: children watched an adult in a room and hit the doll,
the children then demonstrated the same actions later)
- also be used to avoid behavior
mirror neurons -located in the frontal and parietal lobes of the cereal cortex and fire both when
an individual performs an action and when hat individual observes someone else
performing that action
- related to empathy
modeling learning acceptable behaviors by watching other perform them
encoding process of putting new information into memory
COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE WITH
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS | GRADED A+ |
GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers | 100% Verified
Exam Prep and Comprehensive Rationales Included
,parallel processing ability to simultaneously analyze and combine information regarding color, shape,
and motion
two point threshold minimum distance necessary between two points of stimulation on the skin such
that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli
gate theory of pain proposes that there is a special gating mechanism that can turn pain signals on or
off, affecting whether or not we perceive pain
Kinesthetic sensation (proprioception) ability to tell where one's body is in space
Bottom up processing refers to object recognition by parallel processing and feature detection- brain
takes individual sensory stimuli and combines them together to create a cohesive
image before determining what the object is
top down processing driven by memories and expectations that allow the brain to recognize the whole
object and then recognize the components based on these expectations (quickly
recognize objects without needing to analyze specific parts)
Gestalt principles law of proximity
law of similarity
law of good continuation
law of closure
law of pragnanz
law of proximity elects close together tend to be perceived as a unit
law of similarity objects that are similar tend to be grouped together
law of good continuation elements that appear to follow in the same pathway tend to be grouped together
law of closure when a space is enclosed by a contour it tends to be perceived as a complete
figure
law of pragnanz perceptual organization will always be as regular, simple, and symmetric as
possible
associative learning creation of pairing, or association, wither between two stimuli or between a
behavior or response
classical conditioning type of associative learning that takes advantage of biological instinctual
responses to create associations between two unrelated stimuli (dog starts to
salivate when he hears a bell ring due to the fact that when the bell rings he is
given a treat)
acquisition training of a conditioned stimulus
extinction loss of conditioned stimulus
spontaneous recovery weak response is exhibited
, generalization broadening effect of a conditions stimulus (little Albert exhibits fear of rat and
generalizes it to a rabbit)
discrimination organism learns to distinguish between two similar stimuli
operant conditioning links voluntary behaviors with consequences in an effort to alter the frequency of
those behaviors
B.F. skinner father of behaviorism
reinforcement process of increasing the likelihood that an individual will perform a behavior
positive reinforcement increase a behavior by adding a positive consequence or incentive
negative reinforcement increase behavior by removing something unpleasant
punishment used to reduce a behavior
positive punishment adds unpleasant consequences in response to a behavior to reduce behavior
negative punishment reduction of a behavior when a stimulus is removed (taking phone away to punish
the child)
latent learning occurs without a reward but this is spontaneously demonstrated once a reward is
introduced
self reference effect learn the best when put the information into context of our own lives
shaping rewarding increasingly specific behaviors
problem-solving analyze the situation and respond accordingly
preparedness reward behaviors that are similar to their natural behaviors
instinctive drift the challenge to teach behavior that is against their natural behaviors
Observational learning -process of learning a new behavior or gaining information by watching others
(Albert Bandura's Bobo doll: children watched an adult in a room and hit the doll,
the children then demonstrated the same actions later)
- also be used to avoid behavior
mirror neurons -located in the frontal and parietal lobes of the cereal cortex and fire both when
an individual performs an action and when hat individual observes someone else
performing that action
- related to empathy
modeling learning acceptable behaviors by watching other perform them
encoding process of putting new information into memory
