Psychology is the biggest share of the Psych/Soc section, and a lot of it comes as lists, like stages, theories, symptoms and needs. MCAT psychology mnemonics turn those lists into short phrases you can recall in seconds 🙂
Below you’ll find a mnemonic for each big list, each one checked against what it decodes to. You’ll also find tips for building your own as you prepare for the MCAT. Let’s get started!
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What Do I Need to Memorize for MCAT Psychology?
The AAMC puts introductory psychology at about 65% of the Psych/Soc section, per its P/S section overview. Introductory sociology is about 30% and introductory biology about 5%.
The section has 59 questions, so that’s roughly 38 psychology questions. The AAMC rounds its percentages to the nearest 5%, and the mix changes from one test to the next.
These are the MCAT psychology topics to cover, each linked to our review page. Our MCAT psychology hub has the rest.
About two of every three Psych/Soc questions draw on psychology. You’ll use every list you learn here across a big part of the section!
What Is a Mnemonic in Psychology?
A mnemonic, or mnemonic device, is a memory aid that links new information to something easier to recall, like a phrase, a picture or a rhyme. Psychologists group them by how they work:
- Acronyms. Each letter stands for one item, like OCEAN for the Big Five personality traits.
- Acrostic phrases. Each word starts with the letter of one item, like Some People Can Fly for Piaget’s four stages.
- The method of loci. You picture each item at a spot along a route you know well, like the rooms of your home.
- Peg-words. You link each item to an image for a number you’ve memorized, like one-bun and two-shoe.
- Rhymes and songs. The rhythm carries the list for you.
These are MCAT psychology content too, since the exam tests them as ways to encode memories. Learn the types once and they help you twice! Our MCAT memorization guide covers the other memory tools.
In MCAT psychology, mnemonics help most with lists and orders that have no logic you can reason out. Erikson’s eight stages and Maslow’s five levels both fit.
When a fact follows from an idea you already know, reason it out each time instead. Whether a behavior was reinforced or punished, for example, comes straight from whether it went up or down.
Recalling a list fast also leaves you more time to reason through passages, and that reasoning drives your MCAT score. That’s a nice trade!
Developmental Psychology Mnemonics
Four theorists map how people develop, and these MCAT psychology mnemonics give you each one’s stages in order. Our theories of identity formation review covers Freud, Erikson and Kohlberg, and theories of cognition covers Piaget.
Cover the right column, say the phrase, and see how many you can name. You’ll be surprised how fast it comes :)
Personality and Motivation Mnemonics
Personality questions ask which perspective explains a behavior, and motivation questions ask why someone acts. For more depth, see our theories of personality and motivation reviews. These five MCAT psychology mnemonics cover the lists!
Psychoanalytic is Freud, humanistic is Maslow and Rogers, trait is Allport and the Big Five, social cognitive is Bandura, and behaviorist is Skinner. The biological perspective looks at genes and the brain.
Emotion Mnemonics and the Theories of Emotion
Emotion has three parts, a physiological response, a behavioral response and a cognitive response. On test day, you’ll see questions on which emotions are universal and how the three theories order those parts.
The three theories of emotion differ in what comes first. Our theories of emotion review walks through each one, and this picture lays them side by side.
Arousal first and then the feeling points to James-Lange. Both at once points to Cannon-Bard. A person reading the situation to name their arousal points to Schachter-Singer :)
Physiological markers of emotion come from sympathetic arousal. Heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure go up, so you can reason those out from fight or flight.
Stress and Psychological Disorder Mnemonics
Stress questions follow the body’s response over time, and disorder questions ask you to name a diagnosis from its symptoms. These two MCAT psychology mnemonics handle the lists, and our stress and psychological disorders reviews cover the rest.
The AAMC lists these types of psychological disorders. They’re categories to recognize, so there’s no phrase for them:
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Trauma- and stressor-related disorders
- Somatic symptom and related disorders
- Bipolar and related disorders
- Depressive disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Dissociative disorders
- Personality disorders
Stressors include significant life changes (a move, a new job), catastrophic events (a natural disaster) and daily hassles (a lost key, a long line). How stressful each one feels depends on how you appraise it!
Learning and Social Psychology Mnemonics
Operant conditioning terms are easy to mix up, since positive and negative sound like good and bad. Our associative learning review covers it in depth, and this grid sorts all four cases.
Reinforcement schedules come in four kinds, fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval and variable-interval. A variable-ratio schedule, like a slot machine, is the hardest to extinguish.
For attitudes, attraction and medical ethics, these three MCAT psychology mnemonics do the job:
Sleep and Brain Mnemonics
On an EEG, each sleep stage has its own brain waves, and the MCAT asks you to pair them. Our sleep and consciousness review has the full cycle, and the picture below shows each wave.
Older books split N3 into stages 3 and 4, so a source may call deep sleep stage 4.
Visual parallel processing handles color, form and motion at the same time, and some books add depth. That list is short enough to learn as it is.
How to Make Your Own MCAT Psychology Mnemonics
The mnemonics above are a starting point, and you can always tailor them. A phrase you wrote yourself often sticks better than one you borrowed, and it’s more fun to make! Here’s how to build one:
- Make it yours. Use family, friends, places or a favorite movie. Personal, funny or a little outrageous is easier to remember.
- Keep it short. One phrase per list, and every word should map to one item.
- Say it out loud. Hearing yourself say it helps the phrase stick.
- Put it on a flashcard. The phrase goes on the front and the decoded list on the back. Our MCAT flashcards guide and best Anki decks list cover the setup.
- Test your recall. Our free MCAT mnemonics practice page lets you quiz yourself section by section.
- Let it go once you know the list. When you can name the items without the phrase, you’re done with it!
If you’d like more memory strategies, our Psych/Soc Mastery Course covers memorization and strategic flashcard use, taught by 130+ Psych/Soc scorers. We’d love to help!
Our main MCAT mnemonics page links the mnemonics for every section, including sociology.
A mnemonic is only as good as the list behind it. Decode yours against your review notes once, so you’re not memorizing a wrong list!
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MCAT Psychology Mnemonics FAQs
How many psychology questions are on the MCAT?
The AAMC puts introductory psychology at about 65% of the Psych/Soc section. The section has 59 questions, so you’ll see roughly 38 on psychology. The exact number changes from test to test.
Are mnemonics helpful on the MCAT?
Yes, for lists and orders like Erikson’s stages or the Big Five. Feel free to change any phrase on this page so it sticks better for you :)
Is MCAT psychology all memorization?
You need the terms, and many questions then ask you to apply them to a study or a situation in a passage. Learn the lists with mnemonics, then practice spotting each idea in a new example.
How do I memorize Erikson’s stages for the MCAT?
Learn the first word of each stage with TA IIII GI, for trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, identity, intimacy, generativity and integrity. Then add the opposite of each one and the life stage it belongs to.
Is there a mnemonic for Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
Please Save Lunch for Every Student gives the five levels from the bottom up, physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization.
Is there an MCAT psychology mnemonics PDF?
Yes! Our free 17-page MCAT mnemonics PDF covers MCAT psychology mnemonics and the other three sections, and the download box near the top of this page sends it to you :)
Put Your MCAT Psychology Mnemonics to Work
Pick one table of MCAT psychology mnemonics tonight and learn it cold. Then add a new table each day until you can do them all without looking :)
If you’d like a plan for the whole exam, our 6-Week Live MCAT Accelerator includes 12 live classes taught by a 520+ scorer and seven 60-minute 1:1 sessions with a 515+ scorer. The Psych/Soc Mastery Course comes with every live course registration.
If the cohort dates don’t line up with your test, 1:1 MCAT tutoring with a 515+ scorer fits around your schedule, and we’ll match you to your weakest section.
You’ve got this, one list at a time. We’re rooting for you!
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