AP Psychology Unit 3 Test MCQs

Two plants are grown under the same environmental conditions, including the same soil conditions and the same amount of light and water, but one grows to 2 feet tall and the other is 1 foot tall. In this case, the heritability would be closest to

95%

Which brain area is primarily involved with controlling speech?

Broca's area

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?

Endocrine messages tend to outlast the effects of neural messages.

Which brain area is primarily involved with understanding and producing meaningful speech?

Wernicke's area

Identical twins originate from the fertilization of

a single egg cell by a single sperm cell

To demonstrate that brain stimulation can make a rat violently aggressive, a neuroscientist should electrically stimulate the rat's

amygdala

The longest part of a neuron is likely to be the

axon

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

brain plasticity

The reticular formation is located in the

brainstem

We are usually least consciously aware of the processes and functions of which brain structure?

brainstem

The medulla is to the control of _________ as the cerebellum is to the control of _________.

breathing, walking

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?

cerebellum

The "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem is called the

cerebellum

Split-brain patients have had their ________ surgically cut.

corpus collusum

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?

frontal lobes

Which of the following is the component of the limbic system that plays an essential role in processing new memories?

hippocampus

The chemical messengers of the endocrine system are called

hormones

The secretions of the pituitary gland are most directly regulated by the

hypothalamus

Your life would be most immediately threatened if you suffered destruction of the

medulla

An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements is called the

motor cortex

The speed at which a neural impulse travels is increased when the axon is encased by a(n)

myelin sheath

The body's speedy, electrochemical information system is called the

nervous system

The chemical messengers released into the spatial junctions between neurons are called

neurotransmitters

While relaxing in a lawn chair enjoying a cool drink, which of the following triggers the "rest-and-digest" response, as your heart rate slows and digestion begins?

parasympathetic nervous system

The somatic nervous system is a component of the _______ system.

peripheral

The master gland of the endocrine system is the

pituitary gland

Which of the following structures in the brainstem helps coordinate movements and lies above the medulla?

pons

Reuptake refers to the

reabsorption of excess neurotransmitter molecules by a sending neuron

The function of dendrites is to

receive incoming signals from other neurons

Evolutionary psychologists emphasize that environmentally adaptive behaviors are those that have promoted

reproductive success

The occipital lobes are to _________ as the temporal lobes are to _________

seeing, hearing

The parietal lobes are to _________ as the occipital lobes are to _________

sensing touch, seeing

Which part of your brain receives information that you are moving your legs?

sensory cortex

While you are hiking in the mountains, a rattlesnake slithers across your trail. Which of the following triggers the "fight-or-flight" response, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure, as you run away?

sympathetic

An accelerated heartbeat is to a slowed heartbeat as the ________ nervous system is to the ________ nervous system.

sympathetic, parasympathetic

Which brain structure relays information from the eyes to the visual cortex?

thalamus

The minimum level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse is called the

threshold.

Heritability refers to the extent to which

trait differences among individuals are attributable to genetic variations

Within a single neuron the action potential

travels in one direction toward the axon terminals

Fraternal twins originate from the fertilization of

two egg cells by two sperm cells