MCAT LATEST ACTUAL UPDATED 2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔In a study about attitudes towards higher education, four subjects are asked to rate
the importance of higher education. All four participants rate higher education as "very
important" or "extremely important" on the survey. Which of the following participants is
most likely to experience cognitive dissonance as a part of this response? - ✔✔A high
school math teacher who encouraged his own son to skip college and focus on learning
a trade to "save all that wasted tuition money"
✔✔Casinos maximize the amount of money that people are willing to put into slot
machines by making sure that the slot machines pay out jackpots on a reinforcement
schedule that is the most resistant to behavior extinction. These machines most likely
use which reinforcement schedule? - ✔✔Variable-ratio
✔✔variable-ratio schedule - ✔✔a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response
after an unpredictable number of responses, most resistant to extinction
✔✔fixed-ratio schedule - ✔✔in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that
reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses. fixed ratio schedules
are less effective than variable schedules.
✔✔variable-interval schedule - ✔✔in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule
that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals
✔✔fixed-interval schedule - ✔✔in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that
reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed
✔✔cones - ✔✔color vision
✔✔rods - ✔✔Specialized visual receptors that play a key role in night vision and
peripheral vision.
✔✔At moderate to high temperatures (including physiological temperature), does
cholesterol make the cell membrane more fluid or more rigid? - ✔✔More rigid
✔✔explicit memory - ✔✔type of long-term memory that refers to specific pieces of
information, including recalling factual knowledge or specific events
✔✔implicit memory - ✔✔type of long-term memory that reflects knowing how to do
something (e.g. being able to ride a bike)
✔✔Working memory - ✔✔mental operations performed on information in short-term
memory. Order of seconds.
,✔✔Sensory memory - ✔✔the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in
the memory system
✔✔construct validity - ✔✔the extent to which variables measure what they are
supposed to measure
✔✔Symbolic interactionism - ✔✔the view that an individual's experiences influence his
or her perceptions
✔✔hindsight bias - ✔✔the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one
would have foreseen it
✔✔Beliefs - ✔✔specific ideas that people hold to be true
✔✔What is a limitation in many observational (non-experimental) studies? -
✔✔confound variables could explain the relationship between the variables of interest
✔✔discrimination vs. stereotyping - ✔✔Discrimination: *actions (behavior!)* against
people due to their race (different treatment of people based on race or color)
Stereotyping: a cognitive *belief* of associating preconceived notions or beliefs with
people based on group membership.
✔✔negative reinforcement - ✔✔Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative
stimuli, such as shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a
response, strengthens the response. (Note: negative reinforcement is not punishment.)
✔✔What best describes the relationship between attribution theory and fundamental
attribution error? - ✔✔Attribution theory relates to an attempt by an individual to
interpret actions by assigning causes to them, while fundamental attribution error is
when an individual interprets another's actions incorrectly by overemphasizing internal
characteristics instead of external events.
✔✔A private school sets up a system by which students may advance to the next grade
solely on the basis of their individual performance on an exam. Given the wide variety of
talents each student has, some students are able to advance to the next grade months
or even years before other students. This system is: - ✔✔a meritocracy
✔✔Alleles - ✔✔different versions of a gene
✔✔homologous chromosomes - ✔✔Chromosomes that have the same sequence of
genes, that have the same structure, and that pair during meiosis.
, ✔✔How many alleles does each gene have? - ✔✔2 one from mom one from dad
✔✔dominant allele - ✔✔An allele whose trait always shows up in the organism when
the allele is present. (i.e. BB or Bb)
✔✔recessive allele - ✔✔An allele that is hidden whenever the dominant allele is present
(i.e. bb)
✔✔Homozygous - ✔✔An organism that has two identical alleles for a trait
✔✔Heterozygous - ✔✔An organism that has two different alleles for a trait
✔✔hemizygous - ✔✔the presence of only one allele for a characteristic (i.e. X)
✔✔wild type - ✔✔the phenotype for a character most commonly observed in natural
populations
✔✔mutant type - ✔✔the uncommon phenotype
✔✔Loss of function mutations tend to be - ✔✔Recessive
✔✔Gain of function mutations tend to be - ✔✔dominant
✔✔Test cross - ✔✔a dominant phenotype of unknown genotype is crossed with a
homozygous recessive organism
✔✔Backcrossing - ✔✔crossing of a hybrid with one of its parents or an individual
genetically similar to its parent, in order to achieve offspring with a genetic identity which
is closer to that of the parent
✔✔dihybrid cross, ratio, depends on...? - ✔✔A cross between two individuals,
concentrating on two definable traits, 9:3:3:1, independent assortment
✔✔Codominance - ✔✔situation in which both alleles of a gene contribute to the
phenotype of the organism (e.g. A, B, AB, and O blood - with AB, one allele doesn't
mask the other, both are codominant)
✔✔Incomplete dominance - ✔✔Heterozygote has blended/gradient phenotype that is in
between dominant and recessive phenotype (i.e. Snapdragons can be red or white, but
have a pink phenotype)
✔✔Complete dominance - ✔✔Dominant allele masks the recessive allele in
heterozygotes
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔In a study about attitudes towards higher education, four subjects are asked to rate
the importance of higher education. All four participants rate higher education as "very
important" or "extremely important" on the survey. Which of the following participants is
most likely to experience cognitive dissonance as a part of this response? - ✔✔A high
school math teacher who encouraged his own son to skip college and focus on learning
a trade to "save all that wasted tuition money"
✔✔Casinos maximize the amount of money that people are willing to put into slot
machines by making sure that the slot machines pay out jackpots on a reinforcement
schedule that is the most resistant to behavior extinction. These machines most likely
use which reinforcement schedule? - ✔✔Variable-ratio
✔✔variable-ratio schedule - ✔✔a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response
after an unpredictable number of responses, most resistant to extinction
✔✔fixed-ratio schedule - ✔✔in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that
reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses. fixed ratio schedules
are less effective than variable schedules.
✔✔variable-interval schedule - ✔✔in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule
that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals
✔✔fixed-interval schedule - ✔✔in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that
reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed
✔✔cones - ✔✔color vision
✔✔rods - ✔✔Specialized visual receptors that play a key role in night vision and
peripheral vision.
✔✔At moderate to high temperatures (including physiological temperature), does
cholesterol make the cell membrane more fluid or more rigid? - ✔✔More rigid
✔✔explicit memory - ✔✔type of long-term memory that refers to specific pieces of
information, including recalling factual knowledge or specific events
✔✔implicit memory - ✔✔type of long-term memory that reflects knowing how to do
something (e.g. being able to ride a bike)
✔✔Working memory - ✔✔mental operations performed on information in short-term
memory. Order of seconds.
,✔✔Sensory memory - ✔✔the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in
the memory system
✔✔construct validity - ✔✔the extent to which variables measure what they are
supposed to measure
✔✔Symbolic interactionism - ✔✔the view that an individual's experiences influence his
or her perceptions
✔✔hindsight bias - ✔✔the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one
would have foreseen it
✔✔Beliefs - ✔✔specific ideas that people hold to be true
✔✔What is a limitation in many observational (non-experimental) studies? -
✔✔confound variables could explain the relationship between the variables of interest
✔✔discrimination vs. stereotyping - ✔✔Discrimination: *actions (behavior!)* against
people due to their race (different treatment of people based on race or color)
Stereotyping: a cognitive *belief* of associating preconceived notions or beliefs with
people based on group membership.
✔✔negative reinforcement - ✔✔Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative
stimuli, such as shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a
response, strengthens the response. (Note: negative reinforcement is not punishment.)
✔✔What best describes the relationship between attribution theory and fundamental
attribution error? - ✔✔Attribution theory relates to an attempt by an individual to
interpret actions by assigning causes to them, while fundamental attribution error is
when an individual interprets another's actions incorrectly by overemphasizing internal
characteristics instead of external events.
✔✔A private school sets up a system by which students may advance to the next grade
solely on the basis of their individual performance on an exam. Given the wide variety of
talents each student has, some students are able to advance to the next grade months
or even years before other students. This system is: - ✔✔a meritocracy
✔✔Alleles - ✔✔different versions of a gene
✔✔homologous chromosomes - ✔✔Chromosomes that have the same sequence of
genes, that have the same structure, and that pair during meiosis.
, ✔✔How many alleles does each gene have? - ✔✔2 one from mom one from dad
✔✔dominant allele - ✔✔An allele whose trait always shows up in the organism when
the allele is present. (i.e. BB or Bb)
✔✔recessive allele - ✔✔An allele that is hidden whenever the dominant allele is present
(i.e. bb)
✔✔Homozygous - ✔✔An organism that has two identical alleles for a trait
✔✔Heterozygous - ✔✔An organism that has two different alleles for a trait
✔✔hemizygous - ✔✔the presence of only one allele for a characteristic (i.e. X)
✔✔wild type - ✔✔the phenotype for a character most commonly observed in natural
populations
✔✔mutant type - ✔✔the uncommon phenotype
✔✔Loss of function mutations tend to be - ✔✔Recessive
✔✔Gain of function mutations tend to be - ✔✔dominant
✔✔Test cross - ✔✔a dominant phenotype of unknown genotype is crossed with a
homozygous recessive organism
✔✔Backcrossing - ✔✔crossing of a hybrid with one of its parents or an individual
genetically similar to its parent, in order to achieve offspring with a genetic identity which
is closer to that of the parent
✔✔dihybrid cross, ratio, depends on...? - ✔✔A cross between two individuals,
concentrating on two definable traits, 9:3:3:1, independent assortment
✔✔Codominance - ✔✔situation in which both alleles of a gene contribute to the
phenotype of the organism (e.g. A, B, AB, and O blood - with AB, one allele doesn't
mask the other, both are codominant)
✔✔Incomplete dominance - ✔✔Heterozygote has blended/gradient phenotype that is in
between dominant and recessive phenotype (i.e. Snapdragons can be red or white, but
have a pink phenotype)
✔✔Complete dominance - ✔✔Dominant allele masks the recessive allele in
heterozygotes
