AP-Psych, nervous systems

Based on its effects on the central nervous system, alcohol can be classified as which of the following concepts?

Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it has a calming effect on the central nervous system.

A researcher studied rats to determine the effectiveness of a new drug on acetylcholine receptor sites. First, the rats were trained to find a reward at the end of a maze. Next, the rats were randomly assigned to two groups. One group of rats were injected with the new acetylcholine-like drug. The second group of rats were injected with a saline solution. Finally, researchers measured how many mistakes the rats made as they navigated the maze. Which of the following research methods was used by the researchers?

Experimental he study manipulates an independent variable and measures the dependent variable to determine its effects while using random assignment of subjects into experimental and control groups.

Which of the following best describes a major role of the thalamus?

It relays most sensory signals to the cortex. All sensory signals, except for olfactory signals, reach the cortex by first passing through the thalamus.

A small sample of living neural tissue is being studied under a powerful microscope. The researcher notices that some of the neural cells have connections to capillaries and seem to nourish and support the other neural cells. What type of research is being conducted?

Naturalistic observation The researcher is simply observing the behavior of the cells under the microscope without any interference.

Kara thinks she sees a spider on the floor of her bathroom. She is extremely afraid of spiders. Upon further inspection, though, she realizes the "spider" is only a ball of hair. Which of the following nervous systems would be responsible for calming her down after she realizes the ball of hair is not a spider?

Parasympathetic NS (calming), serves to calm the body allowing rest and repair.

Pupils contract, heartbeat slows, digestion continues, bladder contracts

Parasympathetic NS he actions listed are typical of rest and digest, functions of the parasympathetic nervous system.

The parietal lobe is most involved in which of the following processes?

Processing sensory information, including taste, hearing, sight, touch, and smell.

Which of the following is a testable hypothesis using operational definitions about people who have undergone split-brain surgery to help control severe epilepsy?

Split-brain patients will not be able to name an object placed in their left visual field.

Pupils dilated, heartbeat accelerates, digestion stops, relaxes bladder

Sympathetic NS

Kara thinks she sees a spider on the floor of her bathroom. She is extremely afraid of spiders. Which of the following nervous systems would be responsible for her fearful reaction to the spider?

Sympathetic NS, helps the body respond to stress.

Tamara's coach reminds the team not to eat for several hours before the basketball game because the digestive process will be slowed down due to the intense activity. Which of the following aspects of the peripheral nervous system is directly responsible for slowing down digestive processes during the game?

Sympathetic NS, the sympathetic nervous system consists of nerves that slow digestive functions, elevate arousal, and prepare the body for action.

Which of the following is the lobe most likely represented by the activity in "Lobe C"? -Understanding words spoken into an earpiece, Recognizing a face in a photograph

Temporal Lobe

Researchers conducted an experiment on baboons by inserting a wire into the reticular activating system (RAS) that produced a mild electrical current. The researchers stimulated the RAS while the baboons were performing different tasks. Which of the following operational definitions would be most easily replicated by other researchers trying to duplicate the experiment?

The baboons' heart rates were measured by a monitor attached to their chest before and after the RAS was stimulated. The variable of a heart rate difference before and after the RAS stimulation has data that could be compared if the experiment were replicated.

Researchers measured changes in neural firing in the frontal lobes for ten rats that were exposed to stimulants. The researchers used an MRI that indicates brain activity with colors. Normal brain activity is indicated by greens and yellows. High brain activity is indicated by reds and oranges. Low brain activity is indicated by grays and blues. All the rat's brains showed normal activity prior to being exposed to the stimulant. What is the operational definition of neural activity in the rats?

The color in the fMRI is the measurable and observable element of the study being described.

Professor Janeja is studying which brain regions are involved in learning to correctly navigate a maze task. She randomly assigns half of a group of mice to get a lesion in one area of the brain. The other half does not get a lesion. Based on the following graph, where in the brain is the most likely site of the lesion?

The hippocampus is associated with spatial learning and navigation, so lesioning it would cause difficulties with navigation.

Which of the following activities most directly relies on the hippocampus?

The hippocampus is most involved in creating cognitive maps (such as a layout of a new neighborhood)

Much of the research regarding the function of brain areas has been gathered from case studies of individuals with brain injury or disease. Which of the following identifies a reason for this?

The independant variable in an experiment would inflict brain injury, which is unethical. An experiment involves manipulation of an independent variable and random assignment to groups. Researchers cannot intentionally cause harm to participants.

What does the graph depict

The process of neural transmission, The graph shows the polarity of the neuron immediately before and after firing.

Which psychological principle is represented in the area highlighted in the graph?

The refractory period of the neural transmission process. The highlighted area shows where the neuron experiences a brief period where the charge is below the threshold needed to fire, known as the refractory period.

Which of the following is a prediction that could be made about the activity of the rats' brains when exposed to the stimulant?

The stimulant would increase brain activity, which is indicated by oranges and reds.

Getting a headache from not having a morning coffee after substantial daily coffee consumption for several months is most likely due to which of the following concepts?

WIthdrawl, After becoming dependent on a drug, abstaining from that drug can cause unpleasant physiological symptoms.

Researchers measured changes in neural firing in the frontal lobes for ten rats that were exposed to stimulants. The researchers used an MRI that indicates brain activity with colors. Normal brain activity is indicated by greens and yellows. High brain activity is indicated by reds and oranges. Low brain activity is indicated by grays and blues. All the rat's brains showed normal activity prior to being exposed to the stimulant. What type of study was being conducted

experiement, his study has an independent variable (stimulants) that are manipulated by the researchers and compared to a control measure to determine the effect on a dependent variable (brain activity).

An institutional review board (IRB) rejected a proposal for research where participants requesting to lesion Wernicke's Area in otherwise healthy individuals to study the resulting speech comprehension issues. Which of the following is the most likely ethical consideration for rejecting the study?

protection from harm, Lesioning a healthy brain for the purposes of a study would harm the patents and therefore violate this ethical principle.

The drugs that block the reabsorption of neurotransmitters in the synapse during neural transmission are best identified as which of the following concepts?

reputake inhibitors, block the reabsorption of neurotransmitters back into the sending neuron.

A researcher discovered a chemical compound that seems to slow down the heart rate of monkeys by targeting an area of the medulla. The researcher believes that the compound could help reduce the symptoms associated with panic disorder. Which of the following is the appropriate next step for the researcher to take after developing the compound into a new drug?

Apply the IRB to get animal testing on the drug, This is the first step in testing a new drug for its effectiveness for treating panic disorder symptoms.

CNS

Brain and spinal cord

Which of the following parts of the brain allowed Arjun to speak the names of the items flashed to his right visual field?

Broca's area is in the left frontal lobe and assists in speech production

The figure shows the myelin sheath, a semipermeable membrane that provides support and helps speed up the action potential in neurons. What condition occurs when the immune system causes the deterioration of the myelin sheath?

Correct. Deterioration of the myelin sheath is the cause of muscular sclerosis.

Arjun was diagnosed with epilepsy and seizures, what part was severed to stop this

Cutting of the Corpus Callosum, it connects two hemispheres of the brain