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?
- Reading: Johnston - Research methods in psych (Ch. 1)
Session 4 - Biological basis for human behavior AND Nature vs. nurture
- Reading: Johnston - Biological basis of psychology (Ch. 3)
- Reading: Johnston - Nature vs. nurture (Ch. 4)
Session 5 - Sensation and perception
- 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