MCAT Behavioral Sciences Question 250: Answer and Explanation
Home > MCAT Test > MCAT behavioral sciences practice tests
Test Information
- Use your browser's back button to return to your test results.
- Do more MCAT behavioral sciences practice tests.
Question: 250
7. What part of the brain is responsible for procedural memories for skills?
- A. Hypothalamus
- B. Parietal lobe
- C. Occipital lobe
- D. Basal ganglia
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
The basal ganglia are the part of the brain most commonly associated with procedural memory for skills. They do this by receiving input from the cortex and storing it, but they do not send that information back to the cortex for conscious awareness. This is why one does not typically recall consciously reminding oneself how to pedal a bicycle after having learned as a child (choice D is correct). The hypothalamus is not implicated in memory, but is instead responsible for many of the autonomic functions that keep us alive, such as body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep, et cetera (choice A is wrong). The parietal lobe is responsible for integrating sensory information, and in particular helps with determining spatial sense and navigation (choice B is wrong). The occipital lobe is the visual processing center of the brain, and is not associated with memory (choice C is wrong).