MCAT: Psychology & Sociology

What is the lowest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Physiological needs, which include basic survival requirements such as food, water, sleep, and homeostasis.

In classical conditioning, what is the term for a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without prior learning?

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS).

Which of Piaget's stages of cognitive development is characterized by the acquisition of object permanence?

The sensorimotor stage, typically occurring from birth to age two.

What is the term for the tendency of people to perform better on simple or well-rehearsed tasks when in the presence of others?

Social facilitation.

According to Freud's structural model of personality, which component operates based on the pleasure principle?

The Id.

What is the minimum stimulus energy needed to activate a sensory system and be detected 50% of the time?

Absolute threshold.

What demographic metric refers to the average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime in a specific population?

Total fertility rate.

Which cognitive bias involves attributing our own successes to internal factors but our failures to external, situational factors?

Self-serving bias.

Which of Erikson's psychosocial stages occurs during adolescence and involves the conflict between developing a sense of self and confusion about one's future?

Identity vs. Role Confusion.

What is Lev Vygotsky's term for the range of tasks that a learner cannot yet do alone but can accomplish with the guidance of a more knowledgeable other?

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).