Manuel G. Saldivar, Ph.D.
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MCAT Preparation - Psychology and Sociology of Human Behavior


MEETING DATES/TIMES - Spring 2017
Monday Group: 11a on 2/20 - 2/27 [canceled] - 3/6 - 3/20 - 3/27 - 4/3 - 4/10 - 4/17 [newly added meeting]
Tuesday Group: 9a on 2/28 - 3/7 - 3/21 - 3/28 - 4/4 - 4/11 - 4/18
Thursday Group: 8a on 2/23 - 3/2 - 3/9 - 3/23 - 3/30 - 4/6 - 4/13



Recommended review text:
Johnston, J. E. (2014). Psychology, 5th Ed. New York: Alpha.


​Listing of MCAT psychology/human behavior topics is here.

Listing of ALL MCAT topics (128 pages!) is here.





Session 1 - Critical Reasoning, Part 1
  • MCAT review question - CARS Passage 1
  • Evaluating an Empirical Study
  • Reading: Cola taste test (empirical study)


Session 2 - Critical Reasoning, Part 2
  • MCAT review question - CARS Passage 2
  • Reading: Dvorsky - Cognitive biases
  • Optional reading - Logical fallacies


Session 3 - How do psychologists and other social scientists study human behavior?
  • MCAT review question - Human Behavior Passage 1
  • Slideshow
  • Podcast
  • Reading: Johnston - Research methods in psych (Ch. 1)


Session 4 - Biological basis for human behavior AND Nature vs. nurture
  • Slideshow
  • Podcast
  • Reading: Johnston - Biological basis of psychology (Ch. 3)
  • Reading: Johnston - Nature vs. nurture (Ch. 4)


Session 5 - Sensation and perception
  • Slideshow
  • Podcast (coming soon)
  • Reading: Johnston - Perception (Ch. 6)


Session 6 - Learning, decision-making, and higher-order cognition
  • Slideshow
  • Podcast (coming soon)
  • Reading: Johnston - Learning (Ch. 8)
  • Reading: Blake & Pope - Piaget and Vygotsky


Session 7 - Social and cultural influences on human behavior
  • Slideshow
  • Podcast (coming soon)
  • Reading: Rogoff (Ch. 1)
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