Skip to content

Psychology & Behavior

Sensation, perception, learning, memory, cognition, motivation, development, and personality

Written and reviewed by the Study Mondo Education TeamLast updated
🎯⭐ INTERACTIVE LESSON

Try the Interactive Version!

Learn step-by-step with practice exercises built right in.

Start Interactive Lesson →

Psychology & Behavior for the MCAT

Sensation & Perception

  • Absolute threshold: Minimum intensity detected 50% of the time
  • Weber's Law: JND is proportional to stimulus magnitude
  • Signal Detection Theory: Sensitivity + response bias

Learning

  • Classical conditioning (Pavlov): CS + UCS → CR
  • Operant conditioning (Skinner): Reinforcement ↑ behavior, Punishment ↓ behavior
  • Memory: Sensory → Short-term (7±2) → Long-term

Cognition

  • Broca's area: Speech production (damage → nonfluent aphasia)
  • Wernicke's area: Comprehension (damage → fluent aphasia)
  • Cognitive biases: confirmation bias, anchoring, framing

Motivation & Emotion

  • Maslow's Hierarchy: Physiological → Safety → Belonging → Esteem → Self-actualization
  • James-Lange: Event → arousal → emotion
  • Schachter-Singer: Arousal + cognitive label = emotion

Development

  • Piaget: Sensorimotor → Preoperational → Concrete → Formal
  • Erikson: 8 psychosocial stages
  • Kohlberg: Pre-conventional → Conventional → Post-conventional
Explain using:

📌 Related Topics in Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is Psychology & Behavior?▾
Sensation, perception, learning, memory, cognition, motivation, development, and personality
How can I study Psychology & Behavior effectively?▾
Start by reading the study notes and working through the examples on this page. Then use the flashcards to test your recall. Regular review and active practice are key to retention.
Is this Psychology & Behavior study guide free?▾
Yes — all study notes, flashcards, and practice problems for Psychology & Behavior on Study Mondo are free to access. No account is needed.
What course covers Psychology & Behavior?▾
Psychology & Behavior is part of the MCAT Prep course on Study Mondo, specifically in the Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations section. You can explore the full course for more related topics and practice resources.