MCAT Psychology Syllabus

Psychology syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Psychology in MCAT, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Foundations of Psychology

   2 topics

   • History and Approaches
     • Schools of Thought
     • Major Figures
   • Research Methods
     • Experimental Design
     • Types of Studies
     • Sampling Methods
     • Ethical Guidelines in Psychological Research
2. 2

   Biological Basis of Behavior

   2 topics

   • Neuroanatomy
     • Structure and Function of Neurons
     • Neural Transmission (Action Potential, Neurotransmitters)
     • Central Nervous System (Brain, Spinal Cord)
     • Peripheral Nervous System (Somatic, Autonomic)
   • Brain Structure and Function
     • Lobes of the Brain (Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, Occipital)
     • Subcortical Structures (Hippocampus, Amygdala, Thalamus, Hypothalamus)
     • Brain Imaging Techniques (MRI, CT, PET, EEG)
3. 3

   Sensation and Perception

   2 topics

   • Sensory Processes
     • Vision (Structure of the Eye, Visual Pathway)
     • Audition (Structure of the Ear, Auditory Pathway)
     • Other Senses (Gustation, Olfaction, Somatosensation)
   • Perceptual Processes
     • Gestalt Principles of Perception
     • Depth Perception and Illusions
     • Perceptual Constancy and Adaptation
4. 4

   States of Consciousness

   2 topics

   • Sleep and Dreaming
     • Stages of Sleep (REM, NREM)
     • Sleep Disorders (Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy)
     • Theories of Dreaming (Freudian, Activation-Synthesis)
   • Altered States of Consciousness
     • Meditation
     • Hypnosis
     • Substance Use and Abuse (Effects on the Brain, Addiction)
5. 5

   Cognition

   3 topics

   • Memory
     • Encoding
     • Storage
     • Retrieval
     • Types of Memory (Sensory, Short-Term, Long-Term)
     • Forgetting and Memory Disorders (Amnesia, Alzheimer's Disease)
   • Thinking and Problem-Solving
     • Types of Thinking (Divergent, Convergent)
     • Heuristics and Biases
     • Decision-Making Processes
   • Language
     • Theories of Language Acquisition (Behaviorist, Nativist, Interactionist)
     • Components of Language (Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics)
6. 6

   Developmental Psychology

   2 topics

   • Theories of Development
     • Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory
     • Erikson's Psychosocial Development Theory
     • Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory
   • Life-Span Development
     • Prenatal Development
     • Infancy and Childhood
     • Adolescence
     • Adulthood (Early, Middle, Late)
7. 7

   Social Influence

   2 topics

   • Socialization and Social Identity
     • Social Norms and Roles
     • Self-Concept and Identity Formation
     • Theories of Personality (Trait, Psychodynamic, Humanistic)
   • Social Interactions
     • Group Dynamics (Conformity, Obedience, Groupthink)
     • Interpersonal Attraction and Relationships
     • Aggression and Altruism
8. 8

   Psychological Disorders and Treatment

   2 topics

   • Classification of Disorders
     • DSM-5 Criteria
     • Anxiety Disorders
     • Mood Disorders
     • Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
   • Therapies
     • Psychotherapy Approaches
     • Biomedical Therapies
     • Alternative and Complementary Therapies

Psychology flashcards for MCAT

22 of 52 cards from the Psychology deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Who is considered the father of psychology, and what did he establish in 1879?

   Wilhelm Wundt, who founded the first experimental psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, marking psychology's start as a distinct science.

2. Contrast structuralism and functionalism as early schools of psychology.

   Structuralism (Wundt/Titchener) used introspection to break consciousness into its basic elements. Functionalism (William James) focused on how mental processes help organisms adapt and function in their environment.

3. List the major theoretical approaches (perspectives) in psychology.

   Biological/neuroscience, behaviorist, cognitive, psychodynamic (psychoanalytic), humanistic, evolutionary, and sociocultural perspectives.

4. In an experiment, distinguish the independent variable from the dependent variable.

   The independent variable is the factor deliberately manipulated by the researcher; the dependent variable is the outcome measured to see if it changes in response.

5. Define reliability versus validity in research measurement.

   Reliability is the consistency/reproducibility of a measure. Validity is whether the measure actually assesses what it claims to measure. A test can be reliable without being valid.

6. What does a correlation coefficient $r$ indicate, and what is its range?

   It measures the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables, ranging $-1 \leq r \leq +1$. Values near $\pm 1$ indicate strong relationships; $0$ indicates none. Correlation does not imply causation.

7. In hypothesis testing, what is the conventional threshold for statistical significance and what does the p-value represent?

   The threshold is $p < 0.05$. The p-value is the probability of obtaining the observed result (or more extreme) if the null hypothesis were true; below the threshold, we reject the null hypothesis.

8. Differentiate a Type I from a Type II error.

   A Type I error ($\alpha$) is a false positive: rejecting a true null hypothesis. A Type II error ($\beta$) is a false negative: failing to reject a false null hypothesis.

9. Name the three main parts of a neuron and the direction of signal flow.

   Dendrites receive signals, the soma (cell body) integrates them, and the axon transmits the signal away toward the axon terminals. Flow: dendrite → soma → axon → terminal.

10. What is the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron, and which ions dominate?

    About $-70\ \text{mV}$. High extracellular $\ce{Na+}$ and high intracellular $\ce{K+}$, maintained by the $\ce{Na+}/\ce{K+}$-ATPase pump (3 $\ce{Na+}$ out per 2 $\ce{K+}$ in).

11. Describe the sequence of an action potential.

    A stimulus reaches threshold (~$-55\ \text{mV}$); voltage-gated $\ce{Na+}$ channels open (depolarization to ~$+40\ \text{mV}$); $\ce{Na+}$ channels close and $\ce{K+}$ channels open (repolarization); brief hyperpolarization; return to resting potential.

12. Divide the nervous system into its major anatomical and functional branches.

    Central nervous system (brain + spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system. The peripheral divides into somatic (voluntary) and autonomic; the autonomic divides into sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest).

13. What are the three main subdivisions of the brain and their embryonic origins?

    Hindbrain (medulla, pons, cerebellum), midbrain (inferior/superior colliculi), and forebrain (thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, limbic system). They derive from the rhombencephalon, mesencephalon, and prosencephalon.

14. Match brain structure to function: hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, cerebellum.

    Hippocampus—forming new long-term memories; amygdala—fear and emotional processing; hypothalamus—homeostasis, hunger, thirst, endocrine control (the 'four F's'); cerebellum—balance, coordination, motor learning.

15. Name the four lobes of the cerebral cortex and one primary function of each.

    Frontal—executive function, motor control, personality; parietal—somatosensation, spatial processing; temporal—hearing, language (Wernicke's), memory; occipital—vision.

16. Compare Broca's and Wernicke's areas.

    Broca's area (frontal lobe) controls speech production; damage causes non-fluent (expressive) aphasia. Wernicke's area (temporal lobe) governs language comprehension; damage causes fluent (receptive) aphasia with nonsensical speech.

17. Distinguish the sympathetic from the parasympathetic nervous system effects.

    Sympathetic mobilizes 'fight-or-flight': increases heart rate, dilates pupils, inhibits digestion, releases epinephrine. Parasympathetic promotes 'rest-and-digest': slows heart rate, constricts pupils, stimulates digestion.

18. Define sensation and transduction.

    Sensation is detection of physical stimuli by sensory receptors. Transduction is the conversion of that physical stimulus energy (light, sound, pressure) into an electrochemical neural signal the brain can interpret.

19. What is an absolute threshold versus a difference threshold (just-noticeable difference)?

    Absolute threshold is the minimum stimulus intensity detectable 50% of the time. The difference threshold (JND) is the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli.

20. State Weber's law.

    The just-noticeable difference is a constant proportion of the original stimulus intensity: $\frac{\Delta I}{I} = k$, where $k$ is the Weber fraction (constant for a given sensory modality).

21. Trace the path of light through the eye to phototransduction.

    Light passes cornea → pupil → lens → vitreous humor → retina, where photoreceptors (rods and cones) transduce it. Signals travel via bipolar and ganglion cells, whose axons form the optic nerve.

22. Contrast rods and cones.

    Rods: high sensitivity, function in dim light, no color, concentrated in periphery. Cones: lower sensitivity, function in bright light, mediate color and fine detail, concentrated in the fovea.

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