MCAT Behavioral Sciences Question 202: Answer and Explanation

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Question: 202

6. A researcher studying several patients gives each of them the same maze to solve. Although each works independently on it for 30 minutes – with varying degrees of success - none of them recalls seeing the maze when presented with it the next day. Nonetheless, their overall speed and success in solving it has improved significantly. These patients are likely experiencing impairment in:

I. procedural memory

II. episodic memory

III. echoic memory

  • A. I only
  • B. II only
  • C. I and II
  • D. II and III

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

Item I is false: the subjects have no recall of the maze, meaning that their declarative memory (long-term, concerning specific facts, details, situations, and context) is not functioning properly; procedural memory, which concerns development of specific skills for how to do something, is biologically distinct from declarative memory, and must be functioning if they display improvement on the maze (choices A and C can be eliminated). Note that both remaining answer choices include Item II, so Item II must be true: episodic memory, (part of declarative memory) includes memory of events that have been experienced personally. Amnesic patients with hippocampal damage may not have declarative memory for a skill they have recently learned (due to amnesia), and yet may be able to demonstrate the skill, indicating that implicit (procedural) memory exists, much like the patients described in the question stem. Item III is false: echoic memory, part of the short-term sensory memory system, is brief memory for sound. The question stem does not provide any information about the patients' ability to process or remember sound information (choice D can be eliminated and choice B is correct).

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