Chapter 3. Biological Bases of Behavior; Practice Test

A human sperm cell contains a. 23 chromosomes. b. 23 genes. c. 46 chromosomes. d. 46 genes. e. 92 DNA strands.

a. 23 chromosomes.

Sleep researchers who are interested in brain wave activity are likely to use which kind of brain scan? a. EEG b. CT c. fMRI d. PET e. MRI

a. EEG

The reticular formation is located in the a. brainstem. b. limbic system. c. sensory cortex. d. motor cortex. e. cerebellum.

a. brainstem.

Chromosomes are located within human a. cells. b. genes. c. neurotransmitters. d. molecules. e. unconscious.

a. cells.

When looking at a flying bird, we are consciously aware of our cognitive processing ("It's a bird!") but not of our subconscious processing of the bird's form, color, distance, and movement. This illustrates what psychologists call a. dual processing. b. serial processing. c. brain plasticity. d. selective attention. e. cognitive neuroscience.

a. dual processing.

Professor Assad suggested that a cautious attitude toward sexual encounters has proven to be more reproductively advantageous to women than to men because the birth process is time-consuming. This suggestion best illustrates the logic of a(n) ________ theory of sexual behavior. a. evolutionary b. social learning c. Freudian d. behaviorist e. humanistic

a. evolutionary

To identify which specific brain areas are most active during a particular mental task, researchers would be most likely to make use of a(n) a. fMRI. b. hemispherectomy. c. ACh agonist. d. brain lesion. e. MRI.

a. fMRI.

At puberty, the hypothalamus secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormones (GnRH), causing the secretion of gonadotropins by the pituitary gland. These hormones cause the ovaries to produce estrogen and testes to produce testosterone. As the levels of these hormones rise, they shut down the release of GnRH and the gonadotropins. This example illustrates the a. feedback systems connecting the brain and endocrine systems. b. information highway connecting the peripheral nervous system to the brain. c. role of agonists and antagonists in the nervous system. d. reflex pathways running through the spinal cord. e. combined signals of excitatory and inhibitory connections.

a. feedback systems connecting the brain and endocrine systems.

A segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a specific protein is called a a. gene. b. mutation. c. chromosome. d. hormone. e. neurotransmitter.

a. gene.

Twin studies suggest that a strong influence on emotional instability comes from a. genetic predispositions. b. the Y chromosome. c. natural selection. d. the X chromosome. e. mutation.

a. genetic predispositions.

An all-or-none response pattern is characteristic of the a. initiation of neural impulses. b. release of endorphins into the central nervous system. c. release of hormones into the bloodstream. d. activation of either the sympathetic or the parasympathetic system. e. excitation of the antagonistic hormonal system.

a. initiation of neural impulses.

Information travels from the spinal cord to the brain via a. interneurons. b. the circulatory system. c. sensory neurons. d. the sympathetic nervous system. e. the endocrine system.

a. interneurons.

Someone trying to add a long series of three digit numbers is probably experiencing increased brain waves and blood flow to which brain structure? a. left hemisphere b. thalamus c. reticular formation d. right hemisphere e. medulla

a. left hemisphere

Evolutionary psychologists emphasize that environmentally adaptive behaviors are those that have promoted a. reproductive success. b. personal happiness. c. cultural diversity. d. heritability. e. behavior genetics.

a. reproductive success.

Sheelah was able to jerk her hand out of the scalding water before sensing any pain because this withdrawal reflex a. was activated by interneurons in her spinal cord. b. did not involve activity in her central nervous system. c. was activated by the rapidly responding brain. d. was activated by her self-regulating autonomic nervous system. e. was controlled by both her nervous system and impulses from her endocrine system.

a. was activated by interneurons in her spinal cord.

An undersupply of the major inhibitory neurotransmitter known as ________ is linked to seizures. a. glutamate b. GABA c. serotonin d. ACh e. dopamine

b. GABA

The best way to detect enlarged fluid-filled brain regions in some patients who have schizophrenia is to use a(n) a. EEG. b. MRI. c. PET scan. d. brain lesion. e. X-ray.

b. MRI.

Alzheimer's disease is most closely linked to the deterioration of neurons that produce a. dopamine. b. acetylcholine. c. epinephrine. d. endorphins. e. glutamate.

b. acetylcholine.

Research suggests that young men prefer older women, mid-twenties men prefer women their own age, and older men prefer younger women. Based on this finding, evolutionary psychologists suggest that men a. view sex as being more relational. b. are attracted to women with peak fertility. c. prefer mates who are interested in long-term relationships. d. have a higher threshold for perceiving warm responses as sexual. e. are less concerned with sending their genes into the future.

b. are attracted to women with peak fertility.

The longest part of a neuron is likely to be the a. dendrite. b. axon. c. cell body. d. synapse. e. neurotransmitter

b. axon.

Information is most quickly transmitted from one cerebral hemisphere to the other by the a. medulla. b. corpus callosum. c. angular gyrus. d. limbic system. e. reticular formation.

b. corpus callosum.

The ovaries in females and the testes in males are part of the a. peripheral system. b. endocrine system. c. sympathetic nervous system. d. somatic system. e. central nervous system.

b. endocrine system.

Neurosurgeons have severed the corpus callosum in human patients in order to reduce a. aphasia. b. epileptic seizures. c. depression. d. neural plasticity. e. reward deficiency syndrome.

b. epileptic seizures.

According to evolutionary psychologists, behaviors that promote reproductive success are likely to be a. socially prohibited. b. genetically predisposed. c. ecologically disruptive. d. disease-producing. e. learned by association.

b. genetically predisposed.

Because Marla is the first girl in her fourth-grade class to sexually mature, she is sometimes teased and rejected by her classmates. Marla's sense of social isolation and embarrassment result from the interaction of a. chromosomes. b. genetics and environmental factors. c. DNA and genes. d. genomes. e. home environment and school environment.

b. genetics and environmental factors.

Neural networks refer to a. the branching extensions of a neuron. b. interconnected clusters of neurons in the central nervous system. c. neural cables containing many axons. d. junctions between sending and receiving neurons. e. neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body.

b. interconnected clusters of neurons in the central nervous system.

If primed with the flashed word foot, the ________ will be especially quick to recognize the word heel. If primed with foot, cry, and glass, the ________ will be especially quick to recognize the word cut. a. right hemisphere; left hemisphere b. left hemisphere; right hemisphere c. cerebellum; brainstem d. left hemisphere; left hemisphere e. sensory cortex; speech cortex

b. left hemisphere; right hemisphere

When the release of ACh is blocked, the result is a. depression. b. muscular paralysis. c. aggression. d. schizophrenia. e. euphoria.

b. muscular paralysis.

Dmitry Belyaev and Lyudmila Trut successfully domesticated wild foxes by means of a. heritability. b. selective mating. c. gene splicing. d. hormone injections. e. training.

b. selective mating.

An African butterfly that is green in the summer turns brown in the fall thanks to a temperature-controlled genetic switch. This best illustrates that genes are a. DNA. b. self-regulating. c. chromosomes. d. protein molecules. e. evolving.

b. self-regulating.

As you are reading this question, the cells in your eyes are firing in response to the light coming from this paper. Which type of neuron is carrying this message to the brain? a. interneuron b. sensory c. presynaptic d. motor e. efferent

b. sensory

When Mr. Valdez thought his 1-year-old daughter had fallen down the stairs, his heartbeat accelerated, his blood pressure rose, and he began to perspire heavily. Mr. Valdez's state of arousal was activated by his ________ nervous system. a. parasympathetic b. sympathetic c. somatic d. sensorimotor e. central

b. sympathetic

A stroke patient can recognize the sound of his wife's voice but cannot recognize her face when she stands next to him. Which brain region has most likely been damaged? a. the visual cortex in the occipital lobe b. the underside of the right temporal lobe c. Wernicke's area in the left temporal lobe d. the hippocampus in the limbic system e. the reticular formation in the brainstem

b. the underside of the right temporal lobe

The minimum level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse is called the a. reflex. b. threshold. c. synapse. d. action potential. e. refractory period.

b. threshold.

How do evolutionary psychologists explain why pregnant women from cultures across the world tend to avoid bitter, strongly flavored foods? a. Most cultures educate women about the dangers of certain foods on a developing fetus. b. Women and men have genetic differences in taste preferences. c. Bitter tastes can be an indication of foods toxic toward a developing baby, so this preference developed through natural selection. d. Pregnant women tend to associate with one another and they acquire similar food preferences through social conformity. e. Historical preferences toward or against certain tastes tend to change as cultures change.

c. Bitter tastes can be an indication of foods toxic toward a developing baby, so this preference developed through natural selection.

Who believed that bumps on the skull reveal mental abilities and character traits? a. Sir Charles Sherrington b. Stephen Kasslyn c. Franz Gall d. Candace Pert e. Solomon Snyder

c. Franz Gall

Research into dual processing provides partial evidence for levels of consciousness similar to the levels first described by which psychologist? a. B. F. Skinner b. Wilhelm Wundt c. Sigmund Freud d. Mary Calkins e. Edward Titchener

c. Sigmund Freud

Transferring messages from a motor neuron to a leg muscle requires the neurotransmitter known as a. dopamine. b. epinephrine. c. acetylcholine. d. insulin. e. endorphin.

c. acetylcholine.

A brief electrical charge that travels down the axon of a neuron is called the a. synapse. b. agonist. c. action potential. d. myelin sheath. e. refractory period.

c. action potential.

A researcher who assesses the heritability of intelligence is most likely a(n) a. humanist. b. evolutionary psychologist. c. behavior geneticist. d. social psychologist. e. behaviorist.

c. behavior geneticist.

Assessing the relative effects of nature and nurture on individual differences in personality would be of most direct interest to a. evolutionary psychologists. b. humanistic psychologists. c. behavior geneticists. d. Freudian psychologists. e. psychometricians.

c. behavior geneticists.

The "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem is called the a. limbic system. b. corpus callosum. c. cerebellum. d. reticular formation. e. thalamus.

c. cerebellum.

By simply thinking about a move, which activates their brain cells, people may be able to move a robotic arm. This best illustrates a. neurogenesis. b. constraint-induced therapy. c. cognitive neural prosthetics. d. magnetic resonance imaging. e. hemispheric specialization.

c. cognitive neural prosthetics.

The ability to simultaneously copy different figures with the right and left hand is most characteristic of those whose ________ has been cut. a. angular gyrus b. reticular formation c. corpus callosum d. motor cortex e. sensory cortex

c. corpus callosum

Mamie is terrified of spiders. She tells her best friend, "Everybody in my family is afraid of spiders, so it must be genetic." Using the biopsychosocial approach to understanding her behavior, Mamie should a. reduce her experiences with spiders to her immediate sensations and feelings. b. focus on possible unconscious motivations for her fears. c. examine additional psychological and social-cultural influences on fear. d. examine how fear is adaptive and has contributed to her ancestors' survival. e. explore how her perceptions affect her fear of spiders.

c. examine additional psychological and social-cultural influences on fear.

Twin studies suggest that Alzheimer's disease is influenced by a. hormones. b. nurture. c. heredity. d. natural selection. e. environment.

c. heredity.

The unique personalities of children evoke predictable responses from their caregivers. This best illustrates the ________ of nature and nurture. a. mutation b. evolution c. interaction d. heritability e. independence

c. interaction

The peripheral nervous system is to sensory neurons as the central nervous system is to a. motor neurons. b. neurotransmitters. c. interneurons. d. the sympathetic nervous system. e. the parasympathetic nervous system.

c. interneurons.

DNA is a complex a. sex hormone. b. action potential. c. molecule. d. synapse. e. neuron.

c. molecule.

A random error in gene replication is known as a a. DNA. b. genome. c. mutation. d. natural selection. e. heritability.

c. mutation.

The reproductive advantage enjoyed by organisms best suited to a specific environment is known as a. heritability. b. behavior genetics. c. natural selection. d. genome. e. cloning.

c. natural selection.

Recent brain research contradicts previously held beliefs, indicating that new neurons are actually formed in the brain. What is this process called? a. plasticity b. reuptake c. neurogenesis d. reticular formation e. myelin cells

c. neurogenesis

The master gland of the endocrine system is the a. thyroid gland. b. adrenal gland. c. pituitary gland. d. pancreas. e. hypothalamus.

c. pituitary gland.

Which of the following structures in the brainstem helps coordinate movements and lies above the medulla? a. reticular formation b. hippocampus c. pons d. thalamus e. hypothalamus

c. pons

According to evolutionary psychologists, our predisposition to overconsume fatty junk foods illustrates that we are biologically prepared to behave in ways that promoted the ________ of our ancestors. a. mutation b. heredity c. reproductive success d. neuroticism e. intelligence

c. reproductive success

The axon of a resting neuron has gates that do not allow positive sodium ions to pass through the cell membrane. What is this characteristic called? a. myelin sheath b. threshold c. selective permeability d. action potential e. parasympathetic nervous system

c. selective permeability

Which part of your brain receives information that you are moving your legs? a. amygdala b. motor cortex c. sensory cortex d. hypothalamus e. Broca's area

c. sensory cortex

Messages are transmitted from your spinal cord to your digestive system's stomach muscles by the a. endocrine system. b. central nervous system. c. sympathetic nervous system. d. somatic nervous system. e. glands.

c. sympathetic nervous system.

The spatial junctions where impulses are chemically transmitted from one neuron to another are called a. neurotransmitters. b. neural networks. c. synapses. d. axons. e. thresholds.

c. synapses.

The auditory hallucinations experienced by people with schizophrenia are most closely linked with the activation of areas in which brain area? a. motor cortex b. amygdala c. temporal lobes d. hypothalamus e. sensory cortex

c. temporal lobes

Which brain area is primarily involved with controlling speech? a. sensory cortex b. angular gyrus c. association areas d. Broca's area e. hypothalamus

d. Broca's area

Which brain area is primarily involved with understanding and producing meaningful speech? a. sensory cortex b. angular gyrus c. association areas d. Wernicke's area e. hypothalamus

d. Wernicke's area

Epinephrine and norepinephrine are released by the a. thyroid gland. b. pituitary gland. c. parathyroids. d. adrenal glands. e. pancreas.

d. adrenal glands.

When the "Jim twins," identical twins separated at birth, were reunited 38 years later, surprising similarities were discovered. Although they had married women of the same name, named their sons and dogs the same names, one should be cautious before attributing these similarities to genetic factors because a. most twin studies have not been replicated. b. the Jim twins were raised in completely different environments. c. many fraternal twins show greater psychological differences. d. any two strangers are likely to share coincidental similarities. e. genes influence physical not psychological characteristics.

d. any two strangers are likely to share coincidental similarities.

The process of anticipating that you will be punished for misbehaving takes place within the a. limbic system. b. sensory cortex. c. reticular formation. d. association areas. e. sympathetic nervous system.

d. association areas.

The part of a neuron that transmits neural messages to other neurons or to muscles or glands is called the a. dendrite. b. synapse. c. association area. d. axon. e. cell body.

d. axon.

In which brain structure are nerves from the left side of the brain routed to the right side of the body? a. thalamus b. cerebellum c. amygdala d. brainstem e. hippocampus

d. brainstem

Which kind of psychological researcher would be most interested in the research question, "Do people who lose most of their cerebral cortex in an accident still exhibit signs of consciousness?" a. behaviorist b. developmental psychologist c. social-cultural researcher d. cognitive neuroscientist e. biopsychosocial researcher

d. cognitive neuroscientist

In transmitting sensory information to the brain, an electrical signal travels from the _______ of a single neuron. a. cell body to the axon to the dendrites b. dendrites to the axon to the cell body c. axon to the cell body to the dendrites d. dendrites to the cell body to the axon e. axon to the dendrites to the cell body

d. dendrites to the cell body to the axon

A brain lesion refers to ________ of brain tissue. a. electrical stimulation b. X-ray photography c. radioactive bombardment d. destruction e. development

d. destruction

Which of the following are located exclusively within the brain and spinal cord? a. sensory neurons b. motor neurons c. myelin sheath d. interneurons e. axons

d. interneurons

In 1861, Paul Broca studied a stroke patient he called "Tan." He was called this because as a result of brain damage it was the only word he could pronounce. Based on Broca's early work, which of the following brain regions is involved in speech production? a. angular gyrus b. left temporal lobe c. sensory cortex d. left frontal lobe e. auditory cortex

d. left frontal lobe

Compared with identical twins, fraternal twins are a. less likely to be the same sex and more likely to be similar in extraversion. b. more likely to be the same sex and more likely to be similar in extraversion. c. more likely to be the same sex and less likely to be similar in extraversion. d. less likely to be the same sex and less likely to be similar in extraversion. e. less likely to be the same sex and equally likely to be similar in extraversion.

d. less likely to be the same sex and less likely to be similar in extraversion.

Women are most likely to be sexually attracted to men who seem a. shy and reserved. b. emotionally reactive and intense. c. interested in recreational sex. d. mature and affluent. e. extraverted and dependent.

d. mature and affluent.

Direct stimulation of the motor cortex would be most likely to result in a. feelings of anger. b. acceleration of heartbeat. c. a sensation of being touched on the arm. d. movement of the mouth and lips. e. intense pain.

d. movement of the mouth and lips.

Evolutionary psychology studies the evolution of behavior and the mind using principles of a. humanistic psychology. b. psychotherapy. c. self-regulation. d. natural selection. e. interaction.

d. natural selection.

The body's speedy, electrochemical information system is called the a. circulatory system. b. threshold. c. action potential. d. nervous system. e. endocrine system.

d. nervous system.

Consciousness is a. the ability to solve problems, reason, and remember. b. the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information. c. effortless encoding of incidental information into memory. d. our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment. e. brain waves that indicate we are not reacting to a stimulus.

d. our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.

A behavior geneticist would be most interested in studying hereditary influences on a. skin color. b. sexual anatomy. c. physical attractiveness. d. personality traits. e. emotional stability.

d. personality traits.

Which endocrine gland regulates body growth? a. parathyroid b. adrenal c. thyroid d. pituitary e. pancreas

d. pituitary

At the age of 22, Mrs. Tamimi was less than 4 feet tall. Her short stature was probably influenced by the lack of a growth hormone produced by the a. pancreas. b. thyroid. c. adrenal gland. d. pituitary gland. e. myelin.

d. pituitary gland.

After Terry lost a finger in an industrial accident, the area of his sensory cortex devoted to receiving input from that finger gradually became very responsive to sensory input from his adjacent fingers. This best illustrates a. phrenology. b. lateralization. c. hemispherectomy. d. plasticity. e. tomography.

d. plasticity.

Which of the following techniques would surgeons use in mapping the areas of the brain responsible for specific activities, such as movement or speech? a. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) b. computed tomography (CT ) c. electroencephalogram (EEG) d. positron emission tomography (PET) e. lesion

d. positron emission tomography (PET)

A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus is called a(n) a. neural network. b. action potential. c. neurotransmitter. d. reflex. e. threshold.

d. reflex.

When the cat's amygdala is electrically stimulated the cat prepares to attack by hissing and arching its back. Which division of the autonomic nervous system is activated by such stimulation? a. somatic b. parasympathetic c. central d. sympathetic e. sensorimotor

d. sympathetic

Psychoactive drugs interfere with normal neural transmission. Where does this interference take place? a. axon b. cell body c. myelin sheath d. synapse e. hormones

d. synapse

An axon is a. a cell that serves as the basic building block of the nervous system. b. a layer of fatty tissue that encases the fibers of many neurons. c. an antagonist molecule that blocks neurotransmitter receptor sites. d. the extension of a neuron that carries messages away from the cell body. e. a junction between a sending and receiving neuron.

d. the extension of a neuron that carries messages away from the cell body.

The sensory cortex is most critical for our sense of a. taste. b. sight. c. hearing. d. touch. e. smell.

d. touch.

Within a single neuron the action potential a. is generated in the dendrites. b. will be slower if myelin is present. c. depends on the movement of charged calcium atoms. d. travels in one direction toward the axon terminals. e. crosses the synapse to the adjacent neurons.

d. travels in one direction toward the axon terminals.

A picture of a dog is briefly flashed in the left visual field of a split-brain patient. At the same time a picture of a boy is flashed in the right visual field. In identifying what she saw, the patient would be most likely to a. use her left hand to point to a picture of a dog. b. verbally report that she saw a dog. c. use her left hand to point to a picture of a boy. d. verbally report that she saw a boy. e. communicate that she saw a picture of a boy with a dog.

d. verbally report that she saw a boy.

The brains of patients with Parkinson's disease have little dopamine. Drugs used to treat such patients bind to dopamine receptors, thereby stimulating those receptors. These drugs would be considered a. antagonists. b. sympathetic. c. selectively permeable. d. endorphins. e. agonists.

e. agonists.

The region of your cerebral cortex that most likely enables you to recognize a person as your own mother is a. Wernicke's area. b. the limbic system. c. the angular gyrus. d. Broca's area. e. an association area.

e. an association area.

Ellen volunteers during her AP psychology class to try to balance a yardstick on her two fingers. While her eyes are open, she finds the task quite easy. However, when she closes her eyes, she finds the same task almost impossible. Which brain region relies on visual information in coordinating our voluntary movements? a. hypothalamus b. reticular formation c. thalamus d. amygdala e. cerebellum

e. cerebellum

Your conscious awareness of your own name and self-identity depends primarily on the normal functioning of your a. cerebellum. b. amygdala. c. hypothalamus. d. sympathetic nervous system. e. cerebral cortex.

e. cerebral cortex.

Studies of identical twins who had been reared apart most clearly highlight the importance of ________ in personality development. a. natural selection b. mutation c. adoptive relatives d. home environments e. genetic predispositions

e. genetic predispositions

Your life would be most immediately threatened if you suffered destruction of the a. amygdala. b. hippocampus. c. angular gyrus. d. corpus callosum. e. medulla.

e. medulla.

Stimulated digestion is to inhibited digestion as the ________ nervous system is to the ________ nervous system. a. somatic; autonomic b. autonomic; somatic c. central; peripheral d. sympathetic; parasympathetic e. parasympathetic; sympathetic

e. parasympathetic; sympathetic

Motor neurons are to the ________ nervous system as interneurons are to the ________ nervous system. a. sympathetic; parasympathetic b. central; peripheral c. autonomic; somatic d. parasympathetic; sympathetic e. peripheral; central

e. peripheral; central

The nineteenth-century theory that bumps on the skull reveal a person's abilities and traits is called a. evolutionary psychology. b. behavior genetics. c. molecular biology. d. biological psychology. e. phrenology.

e. phrenology.

Which brain structure might be most active when answering the question "What do the following words have in common: plane, butter, insect?" a. amygdala b. reticular formation c. brainstem d. left hemisphere e. right hemisphere

e. right hemisphere