Everyone who has prepared for the MCAT will agree that there is a lot to learn. Sometimes it seems pretty rewarding to learn new things about yourself. On other occasions, managing the volume of information you are accountable for can be overwhelming.
At its finest, taking on MCAT-related material should feel like an ambitious goal that can be overcome with effort.
Thank heavens there are mnemonics. Mnemonics are your best friend when laying the solid foundation necessary to perform well on the MCAT.
If you are looking for psychology mnemonics to help you study for the MCAT, this article is for you. Read on for more information.
What Do I Need to Memorize for the MCAT Psychology Section?
Psychology topics cover 65 percent of the Psychology and Sociology part of the MCAT.
You need to spend significant time preparing and studying for psychology.
Here are the major psychology topics that you need to study and memorize for the MCAT Psychology and Sociology section:
What are Mnemonics?
Mnemonics, also known as mnemonic devices, are a technique that can be used to help us remember specific concepts and ideas.
Mnemonics can be remembered using various formats, such as rhymes, melodies, and acronyms. Additionally, they can help with learning important data and facts.
Do Mnemonics Work on the MCAT?
One of the main components of the MCAT is sociology, along with psychology. This suggests that learning social and developmental ideas requires memorization.
The good news is that all this information (stored in long-term memory) may already be instantaneously perceived and encoded because of how your brain is organized.
With the use of MCAT mnemonics, larger amounts of information are simpler to remember, especially when presented in lists like attributes, steps, stages, components, phases, etc.
It can be especially helpful for studying for the MCAT Psychology and Sociology and Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems portions, which contain a lot of concepts, cycles, and stages that need to be retained.How Can I Best Utilize Mnemonics for the MCAT?
You can improve your memory by creating mnemonics. Without it, you might have to spend more time trying to remember crucial details. Mnemonics aid in memory retention and speed up test-taking, which will both help you earn a competitive MCAT score.
Here are some tips to help you best employ mnemonics.
Mnemonics for the Psychology Section of the MCAT
You cannot deny that studying for the MCAT psychology section requires significant time and effort.
Psychology mnemonics are one technique to guarantee that you get to keep the facts and knowledge you need, especially with so many other topics to study for.
Here are a few psychology mnemonics that will be useful to you while you study.
Topics | Sub-topics | Mnemonics |
|---|---|---|
Freud’s stages of psychosexual development | Oral Stage Anal Stage Phallic Stage Latent Stage Genital Stage | Old Aged People Love Grandchildren |
Piaget’s stages of cognitive development | Sensorimotor Pre-operational Concrete operational Formal Operational | Some People Can Fly |
Erikson’s psychosocial development stages | Trust vs. Mistrust Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt Initiative vs. Guilt Industry vs. Inferiority Identity vs. Confusion Intimacy vs. Isolation Generativity vs. Stagnation Integrity vs. Despair | Trust Me, Auto Shop In Georgia Is Inferior and Incapable. It Is Generally Stagnant and Insultingly Disappointing |
Kubler-Ross stages of grief | Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance | Death Always Brings Definite Acceptance |
Types of reinforcement | Positive Negative Primary Conditional | People Need Proper Care |
Theories of personality | Psychoanalytic Humanistic Trait Social/Cognitive Behaviorism | Peter Hates Traveling So Bad |
Three components of parallel processing | Color Motion Shapes | Crayons Make Shapes |
Three components of attitude | Affective Behavioral Cognitive | A B C |
Five elements of personality | Openness Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism | O C E A N *It can also be C A N O E, depending on your preference. |
Three most important features of attraction | Similarity Reciprocity Proximity | Special Relationship Partner |
Most common mental and psychiatric disorders | Depression Anxiety Bipolar Disorder Phobia Autism Schizophrenia | Dad And Brother Protect And Save |
Symptoms of major depressive disorder | Loss of: Concentration Appetite Interest Guilt Energy Will to leave Sleep | Can All Individuals Go Everywhere Without Shoes? |
Components of self-determination theory | Competence Autonomy Relatedness | C A R |
Four primary factors for motivation | Drives Arousal Needs Instincts | Does Anyone Need Ice? |
Components of general adaptation syndrome | Alarm Resistance Exhaustion | Alice Reads Everyday |
Four cores of ethical tenets | Beneficence Justice Nonmaleficence Autonomy | Bill and Jill Need Apples |
Sequential order of brain waves | Beta Alpha Theta Delta | Bruce Arrives on Time Daily |
Seven regions of the brain | Anterior Cingulate Cortex Broca's Area Caudate Nucleus Cerebellum Frontal Pole Prefrontal Cortex Primary Visual Cortex | Anyone Caught Bringing Candies and Nuts in Containers From Poland and Peru Can be Punished Very Certainly |
Functions of meninges | Reabsorb CSF Anchor brain Protect brain | R A P |
Layers of meninges | Pia mater Arachnoid space Dura mater | P A D |
Four primary stimuli | Chemical Pressure Light Temperature | Cute Puppies Love Throw and catch |
Stages of sleep | Wake Light Sleep Deep Sleep REMRepeat | We Love Drawing Red Ribbons |
Universal emotions | Anger Surprise Disgust Enjoyment Fear Sadness | Aunt Susan Doesn’t Enjoy Feeding Snakes |
Types of stressors | Nutritional Environmental Emotional Dental | N E E D |
Physiological markers of emotions | Changes in: Pulse Adrenaline Temperature Respiration rate Blood pressure | Put All The Rubbish in the Bin. |
Remember that these psychology mnemonics are meant to aid you in memorizing important ideas for the MCAT.
As we have already indicated, you may always use your imagination and customize them to suit your needs.
Additional FAQs – Mnemonics for the Psychology Section of the MCAT
How Many Psychology Questions are There in the MCAT?
As you prepare for the MCAT psychology, ensure that you devote enough time to acquaint yourself with the different topics that will be covered.
Are Mnemonics Helpful in the MCAT?
It helps you retain necessary information that would otherwise be difficult to remember without mnemonics. You can refer to the MCAT psychology mnemonics above for your reference.
Remember that you may alter them to make it easier for you if you want.
Is MCAT Psychology All Memorization?
The key is to identify which concepts need to be memorized and which ones need application.
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