AP Psychology - The Brain Quiz and The Neuron and Neural Firing Quiz

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 by the researcher?

Experiment

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

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

It relays most sensory signals to the cortex.

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

Memorizing the layout of a neighborhood

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?

Multiple sclerosis

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

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

Researchers asked subjects to complete various activities and documented the lobe of the cerebral cortex activated for each one. The results are stated in the table. Which of the following is the lobe most likely represented by the activity in "Lobe C"?

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.

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 presented in the MRI images.

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

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 independent variable in an experiment would inflict brain injury, which is unethical.

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

The refractory period of the neural transmission process.

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

processing sensory information

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

reuptake inhibitors

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?

withdrawal

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 to an institutional review board (IRB) to begin animal trials for the drug.

Arjun was diagnosed with epilepsy and struggled with seizures regularly. After trying multiple unsuccessful treatments, his neurologist recommended surgery that severed the connections between the two hemispheres of the brain. Arjun agreed to the surgery. 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