The Biological Bases For Behavior

A human sperm cell contains A) 23 chromosomes. B) 23 genes. C) 45 chromosomes. D) 46 genes. E) 92 DNA strands.

A) 23 chromosomes.

Identical twins originate from the fertilization of A) a single egg cell by a single sperm cell. B) two egg cells by a single sperm cell. C) a single egg cell by two sperm cells. D) two egg cells by two sperm cells. E) either two egg cells or two sperm cells.

A) a single egg cell by a single sperm cell.

If a blind person uses one finger to read Braille, the brain area dedicated to that finger expands as the sense of touch invades the visual cortex. This is an example of A) brain plasticity. B) hemispheric specialization. C) neural prosthetics. D) integrated association areas. E) aphasia.

A) brain plasticity.

Schizophrenia is most linked with excess receptor activity for the neurotransmitter A) dopamine B) epinephrine C) acetylcholine D) serotonin E) GABA

A) dopamine

In a recent car accident, Tamiko sustained damage to his right cerebral hemisphere. This injury is most likely to reduce Tamiko's ability to A) facially express emotions. B) solve arithmetic problems. C) understand simple verbal requests. D) process information in an orderly sequence. E) control his aggression.

A) facially express emotions

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 the 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 system connecting 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 system connecting brain and endocrine systems

The somatic nervous system is a component of the ______ nervous system A) peripheral B) autonomic C) central D) sympathetic E) thresholds

A) peripheral

Males in their ______ are most likely to be sexually attracted to woman who are several years older rather than several years younger than themselves. A) teens B) twenties C) thirties D) forties E) fifties

A) teens

Physical exercise and exposure to stimulating environments are most likely to promote A) phrenology. B) neurogenesis. C) hemispherectomy. D) reward deficiency syndrome. E) plasticity.

B) Neurogenesis

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

According to opinion polls, how do scientists and nonscientists react differently to the idea of evolution? A) scientists are mostly (66%) agreed that evolution is a valid theory, and most nonscientists believe that evolution describes the natal world well. B) There is widespread consensus among scientists that evolution is a scientific fact, but half of the U.S. adults do not believe in evolution. C) Most hard scientists, like physicists and chemist, think that evolution theory is unnecessarily complex, and most nonscientists agree.

B) There is widespread consensus among scientists that evolution is a scientific fact, but half of the U.S. adults do not believe in evolution.

An evolutionary psychologist would be likely to suggest that human preferences for sweet-tasting foods A) have hindered human reproduction. B) are genetically predisposed. C) correlate to climate conditions. D) vary widely across cultures. E) are not passed genetically to children.

B) are genetically predisposed.

The medulla is to the control of ____ as the cerebellum is to the control of ____. A) eating; sleeping B) breathing; walking C) emotion; motivation D) memory; attention E) hearing; seeing

B) breathing; walking

After a car swerves in front of you on the highway, you notice that your heart is still racing even though you know you are no longer in danger. Why do the physical symptoms of fear linger even after we cognitively realize the danger has passed? A) dopamine controls fear, and this chemical takes a certain amount of time to break down in your system B) endocrine messages tend to outlast the effects of neural messages C) excitatory neurotransmitters travel faster than inhibitory neurotransmitters D) the parasympathetic nervous system is less effective than the sympathetic nervous system E) the adrenal glans tend to act more quickly than the rest of the endocrine system

B) endocrine messages tend to outlast the effects of neural messages

When the release of ACh is blocked, the result is A) depression B) muscular paralysis C) aggression D) schizophrenia E) euphoria

B) muscular paralysis

The speed at which a neural impulse travels is increased when the axon is encased by a A) sympathetic nerve B) myelin sheath C) endocrine gland D) pituitary gland E) synaptic vesicle

B) myelin sheath

Deaf people who use sign language typically A) demonstrate greater mathematical competence than hearing persons. B) process language in their left cerebral hemisphere. C) recognize facial expressions of emotion with their left rather than their right cerebral hemisphere. D) have a smaller corpus callosum than hearing persons. E) process language in the right hemisphere rather than the left.

B) process language in their left cerebral hemisphere.

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

The knee jerk reflex is controlled by interneurons in the A) action potential B) spinal cord C) resting potential D) endocrine system E) neurotransmitters

B) spinal cord

The personalities of adopted children A) are very similar to the personalities of the other children in their adoptive families. B) are very similar to the personalities of their biologically related siblings. C) are not very similar to the personalities of their adoptive parents. D) are more similar to the personalities of their caregiving adoptive parents than to the personalities of their biological parents. E) are usually not related to their temperaments.

C) are not very similar to the personalities of their caregiving adoptive parents than to the personalities of their biological parents.

Opiate drugs occupy the same receptor sites as A) acetylcholine B) serotonin C) endorphines D) dopamine E) epinephrine

C) endorphines

In 1848, Phineas Gage, a railroad construction foreman, survived when an explosion drove an iron rod through his head. The once friendly, soft-spoken Gage became irritable and dishonest. Gage's case provided evidence that which region of the brain plays a role in personality and behavior? A) temporal lobes B) sensory cortex C) frontal lobes D) parietal lobes E) Broca's area

C) frontal lobes

Gender differences in heritable personality traits cannot necessarily be attributed to male-female genetic differences because A) physical maturation proceeds at a different rate for males and females. B) variations in personality contribute to gender differences. C) heritable traits can be influenced by social environments. D) males and females are also affected by their different sex hormones. E) chromosomal adaptation has not been accounted for.

C) heritable traits can be influenced by social environments.

A football quarterback can simultaneously make calculates of receiver distances, player movements, and gravitational forces. This best illustrates the activity of multiple A) endocrine glands B) endorphine agonists C) neural networks D) endorphin antagonists E) thresholds

C) neural networks

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) neural prosthetics. D) magnetic resonance imaging. E) hemispheric specialization.

C) neural prosthetics.

Migraine headaches are most likely closely linked with an A) oversupply of GABA B) undersupply of serotonin C) oversupply of glutamate D) undersupply of acetylcholine E) oversupply of norepinepherine

C) oversupply of glutamate

The home environment most clearly has a greater influence on children's ____ than on their ____. A) personality; political attitudes B) extraversion; table mannes C) religious beliefs; personality traits D) DNA; genes E) shyness; social group

C) religious beliefs; personality traits

People have always responded so positively to Alyssa's good looks that she has developed a socially confident and outgoing personality. This best illustrates A) the impact of personality on gender identity. B) that ideas about gender and social roles are complementary. C) the interaction of nature and nurture. D) the reciprocal influence of norms and roles. E) the importance of nurture rather than nature.

C) the interaction of nature and nurture.

The surgical removal of a large tumor from Dane's occipital lobe resulted in extensive loss of brain tissue. Dane is most likely to suffer some loss of A) muscular coordination. B) language comprehension. C) visual perception. D) speaking ability. E) pain sensations.

C) visual perception.

Your friend is taking her first psychology class, She comes to you saying, "I don't understand why we are studying the brain; I thought this was a psychology class." Because of your background in psychology, your best response should be A) "It;s been known since Aristotle's time that the brain is the center of intelligence and thought" B) "Phrenologists established the importance of studying the physical brain to understand mental abilities" C) "Science has demonstrated that Plato's belief in the heart as the origin of emotion is correct" D) "Everything psychological is simultaneously biological" E) "Being able to name the parts of the brain helps us understand the basis of behavior"

D) "Everything psychological is simultaneously biological"

When asked to describe a picture that showed two boys stealing cookies behind a woman's back, a patient replied, "Mother is away her working her work to get her better, but when she's looking the two boys looking the other part." Which brain region has most likely been damaged? A) Broca's area B) angular gyrus C) corpus callosum D) Wernicke's area E) parietal lobes

D) Wernicke's area

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 cautions 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.

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

A brain lesion refers to ____ of brain tissue. A) electrical stimulation B) X-ray photography C) radioactive bombardment D) destruction E) development

D) destruction

Jose has just played a long, bruising football game but feels little fatigue or discomfort. His lack of pain is most likely caused by the release of A) glutamate B) dopamine C) acetylcholine D) endorphins E) insulin

D) endorphin

If a professor accused you of cheating on a test, your adrenal glans would probably release ______ into your bloodstream. A) endorphines B) acetylcholine C) seratonin D) epinephrine E) insulin

D) epinephrine

In creating more effective treatments for pain, researchers would use which of the following techniques for identifying regions of the brain that handle pain? A) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) B) computed tomography (CT) C) electroencephalogram (EEG) D) functional MRI (fMRI) E) lesion

D) functional MRI (fMRI)

Brittla frequents only the most expensive clubs in an effort to attract a desirable mate. According to evolutionary psychologists, Brittla's behavior is a product of A) mutations B) behaviorism C) her upbringing D) genetic predispositions E) social pressure

D) genetic predisposition

The ability to recognize faces with the right hemisphere but not with the left hemisphere best illustrates A) Parkinson's disease. B) neurogenesis. C) plasticity. D) lateralization. E) aphasia.

D) lateralization.

If Professor Kosiba lesions the amygdala of a laboratory rat, the rat will most likely become A) hungry. B) sexually aroused. C) physically uncoordinated. D) less aggressive. E) aphasic.

D) less aggressive.

Compared with women, men are ____ likely to sacrifice to gain sex and ____ likely to perceive warm responses as a sexual come-on. A) less; more B) more; less C) not; less D) more; more E) not; more

D) more; more

If a genetic predisposition of fear darkness contributes to reproductive success, that trait will likely be passed on to subsequent generations. This best illustrates A) molecular genetics B) behavior genetics C) self-regualtion D) natural selection E) nurture

D) natural selection

Resting potential is to action potential as ______ is to _______. A) adrenal gland; pituitary gland B) sensory neuron; motor neuron C) temporal lobe; occipital lobe D) polarization; depolarization E) dendrite; axon

D) polarization; depolarization

Evolutionary psychologists are most likely to emphasize that human adaptiveness to a variety of different environments has contributed to human A) naturalistic observation. B) genetic mutations C) behavior correlations. D) reproductive success. E) prenatal development.

D) reproductive success.

The brain of patients with Parkinson's disease have little dopamine. Drugs used to treat such patients bind dopamine receptors. thereby stimulating those receptors. These drugs would be considered A) antagonists B) sympathetic C) selectively permeable D) endorphines E) agonists

E) agonists

Put the following terms in order from smallest to largest. A) chromosomes, genes, DNA B) genes, chromosomes, DNA C) DNA, genes, chromosomes D) DNA, chromosomes, genes E) genes, DNA, chromosomes

E) genes, DNA, chromosomes

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

Thinking about sex (in your brain's cerebral cortex) can stimulate a region of the limbic system to secrete hormones. These hormones trigger the pituitary gland to influence hormones released by other glands in the body. Which brain region influences the endocrine system? A) hippocampus B) amygdala C) thalamus D) reticular formation E) hypothalamus

E) hypothalamus

After Kato's serious motorcycle accident, doctors detected damage to his cerebellum. Kato is most likely to have difficulty A) experiencing intense emotions. B) reading printed words. C) understanding what others are saying. D) tasting the flavors of foods. E) playing his guitar.

E) playing his guitar.

Your ability to experience the physical pleasure of a hot shower is most likely to be disrupted by damage to your A) corpus callosum. B) angular gyrus. C) hippocampus. D) amygdala. E) thalamus.

E) thalamus.