Into to Psychology Ch. 2 & 3

Which of the following best describes a synapse?

A tiny gap separating one neuron from another through which messages are carried

______ is the visual process by which the lens changes its shape to focus images more clearly on the retina.

Accommodation

Shalanda's daughter touches her hand. Sensory receptors in Shalanda's skin transmit information about this sensation to Shalanda's spinal cord and brain. Which type of neuron is responsible for this process?

Afferent

Regarding the skin senses, which of the following statements is FALSE?

All skin receptors respond to more than one type of stimulation.

Signal detection theory predicts all but which of the following?

Arturro more often notices the aroma wafting from his neighbor's apartment after he has eaten than when he is hungry.

Regarding the relationship between the nervous system and the endocrine system, which of the following statements is best described as FALSE?

Both convey their messages through a network of nerves.

Regarding vision, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Cones, which are more sensitive to light than rods, are responsible for peripheral vision and vision in dim light.

During his first three years of life, Jason has developed many motor skills like crawling, walking, and running that require his muscles to move efficiently and smoothly. In terms of brain function, Jason's motor development is the result of which process?

Development of the myelin sheath

Rebecca tells Tom that he is singing "off pitch." Rebecca is referring to which physical property of sound?

Frequency

Regarding the sense of taste, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Genetic factors play a role in taste sensitivity, but not in taste preferences.

Regarding the sense of smell, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Humans have about 10 million odor receptors in the nostrils.

According to the carpentered-world hypothesis, people living in cultures in which right-angled structures are rare are less prone to which visual illusion?

MüllerLyer illusion

On a camping trip, Eleni accidentally steps on a hot coal from the campfire. Upon touching the coal, her foot reflexively withdraws from the coal. What is the sequence of response in Eleni's neurons?

Sensory neuron - interneuron - motor neuron

Regarding terminal buttons, which of the following is FALSE?

Terminal buttons are the most common type of neuron in the nervous system.

Regarding the organization of the cerebral cortex and cerebrum, which of the following statements is FALSE?

The cerebral cortex is divided into four parts, with the occipital and parietal lobes in the right hemisphere and the frontal and temporal lobes in the left hemisphere.

Regarding the absolute and difference thresholds, which of the following statements is FALSE?

The difference threshold is the same for each of the senses.

Regarding subliminal perception, which of the following statements is FALSE?

The effects of subliminal perception are strong.

Regarding the frontal cortex, which of the following statements is FALSE?

The frontal lobes contain the motor cortex and the somatosensory cortex.

Two psychologists debate the nature-nurture problem. What is the topic of their debate?

The influence of genetics versus environment in human behavior

Which of the following describes the pupil?

The opening through which light enters the eye

In a split-brain research study, what will happen when a pencil is presented in the patient's visual field?

The patient will be able to say "pencil" when the pencil is presented to the right visual field, but not when presented to the left visual field.

Regarding extrasensory perception (ESP), which of the following statements is TRUE?

We lack compelling evidence to support the existence of any form of ESP.

Hans and Franz lift weights at their local gym. When their trainer adds a two-pound weight to Hans's normal fifty-pound load, Hans immediately notices. However, when the same two-pound weight is added to Franz's normal two-hundred-pound load, he isn't aware of the extra weight. The difference in Hans's and Franz's experience is consistent with

Weber's Law

During the past hour, nine-month-old Heather has engaged in each of the following actions. Which action was NOT controlled by her medulla?

Wind caused her mobile to move, and she smiled.

Regarding the experience of sound, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Women's voices are usually higher than men's because their vocal cords are longer and tend to vibrate more slowly than men's.

The smallest amount of a stimulus that a person can reliably detect is called

absolute threshold.

______ are also called neural impulses.

action potentials

After a motorcycle accident in which she wasn't wearing a helmet, Vanessa has difficulty responding emotionally to unpleasant stimuli. Vanessa most likely experienced damage to which brain structure?

amygdala

Damage to Broca's area can lead to

aphasia

Which part of a neuron may range in size from a few thousandths of an inch to several feet long?

axon

The basis of the place theory of pitch detection is that pitch is determined by the place along the _______ that vibrates the most.

basilar membrane

Recent research suggests that hand preference begins to develop

before birth

Depth cues that require the use of both eyes are called

binocular cues.

In contrast to agonists, antagonists are drugs that

block receptor sites.

When you are presented with the following visual information, "A," your brain sees a series of lines and angles in a particular format and interprets this visual information as the letter "A." This is an example of which concept from perception?

bottom-up processing

The forebrain contains all of the following structures EXCEPT the

cerebellum

Which part of the brain controls balance and coordination?

cerebellum

Rico is shown the following stimulus: X. When asked what he sees, Rico reports that he sees two intersecting lines rather than saying he sees four separate lines. Rico's response demonstrates which Gestalt principle?

continuity

All but which of the following are examples of monocular cues for depth perception?

convergence

Shaun holds his finger up in front of his eyes at arm's length and focuses on the image. He slowly moves the finger toward his eyes, focusing his eyes to maintain a single image. As he does this, Shaun experiences muscular tension in his eyes. This is an example of which depth perception cue?

convergence

Which brain structure is described as the connection between the two cerebral hemispheres?

corpus callosum

The process of sensation enables us to _________, where the process of perception enables us _________.

detect the world around us; make sense of the world around us

In human audition, the vibration of the ossicles is triggered by vibration of the _____ and transmitted directly to the ______.

eardrum; oval window

Mercedes just stubbed her toe on the edge of her bedpost. In response, her brain will most likely signal the release of

endorphins

Sharon is a long-distance runner. After a certain point in her workout, she begins to feel a natural "high" instead of pain. This feeling is likely the result of chemicals in her brain called

endorphins

Adoptee studies describe efforts to

examine similarities between adopted children and their biological or adoptive parents.

Sebastian's eyeball is shorter than normal. Light from nearby objects is focused behind his retina instead of on his retina. What condition does Sebastian have?

farsightedness

Among pitch theories, place theory best explains _______ frequency sounds, frequency theory best explains ______ frequency sounds, and volley principle best explains ______ frequency sounds.

high; low; mid-range

The ______ is located just behind the amygdala and can be described as playing an important role in the formation of memories.

hippocampus

Juan eats a meal full of sugar and starches. In response, his pancreas releases insulin into the bloodstream which stimulates his cells to draw more glucose from his blood. This decreases the level of glucose in Juan's body and, eventually, the pancreas reduces its insulin secretion. Juan's endocrine system is engaging in which process?

homeostasis

Which brain structure regulates such bodily functions as thirst and hunger, fluid concentrations, and body temperature?

hypothalamus

Your heartbeat, digestion, and pupil contractions are ______ processes regulated by the ______ nervous system.

involuntary; autonomic

Receptors for kinesthesis are located in

joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

Wernicke's area is associated with _____, whereas Broca's area is associated with _____.

language comprehension; language production

Scientists use the term ______ to describe the division of functions between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

lateralization

All but which of the following techniques are used for recording and/or imaging the brain?

leisioning

In the human eye, rods are to _____ as cones are to _____.

light; color

All of the following are components of a neuron EXCEPT the

medulla

In deafness, conduction deafness is to _____ as nerve deafness is to _____.

middle ear; inner ear

When the full moon appears near the horizon, 6-year-old Mallory says, "The moon is bigger tonight than last night." Last night, Mallory saw the moon later in the night, when it was high in the sky. Mallory's experience is an example of the

moon illusions

In neural communication, ______ is to key as ______ is to lock.

neurotransmitter; receptor site

Chemical messengers that transport nerve impulses from one nerve cell to another are called

neurotransmitters

Gaps in myelin that create non-insulated areas along an axon are called

nodes of Ranvier

In the cerebral cortex, ______ is to vision as ______ is to hearing.

occipital; temporal

Evelyn walks past the cafe, which is emitting odors of fresh brewed coffee. Evelyn smells the odors, and her brain tells her she wants a cup of the delicious brew. Which of the following is responsible for carrying impulses from odor receptors in Evelyn's nose to her brain?

olfactory nerve

After a neuron fires, about how long is its refractory period?

one-thousandth of a second

The existence of afterimages provides support for the ________ theory of color vision.

opponent-process

The tendency to perceive properties of an object as remaining the same despite changes in its retinal image is called

perceptual constancy.

When Clara interacts with her sister, Shirley, Clara's interpretations of Shirley's behavior and comments are influenced by preconceptions and expectations from their previous experiences. Which term describes this dynamic?

perceptual set

______ is the brain's ability to adapt and reorganize itself following trauma or surgical alteration.

plasticity

Scientists consider the ______ to be the "seat of intelligence."

prefrontal cortex

Phineas Gage showed severe personality changes following an accident that damaged his

prefrontal cortex.

Glial cells do all but which of the following?

produce neurotransmitters

The sympathetic nervous system does each of the following EXCEPT ________

promote digestion.

Jack has the most common form of color blindness. What type of color blindness does he have?

red-green

Prolonged neurotransmitter activity is prevented by all of the following functions EXCEPT

release of excitatory neurotransmitters.

To see a dimly lit object at night, the image must fall on your

rods

Limiting attention to certain stimuli and filtering out other stimuli is called

selective attention

Sensations of hotness result from

simultaneous stimulation of warm and cold receptors.

In a neuron, _____ is to sending as ______ is to receiving.

terminal button; dendrite

Which brain structure is best described as a "relay station"?

thalamus

In a twin study, an investigator compares concordance rates of fraternal and identical twins. A concordance rate is best described as

the percentage of shared traits or disorders.

Which gland is best described as the "master gland"?

the pituitary

Trichromatic theory suggests that

the retina has three types of color receptors—red, green, and blue-violet.

Which portion of the central nervous system serves as the link between the brain and the peripheral nervous system?

the spinal cord

Other factors being equal, which sensory stimulus is least likely to lead to sensory adaptation?

the wail of a car alarm.

Charlize is excessively anxious and irritable. Charlize probably has an excess of which type of hormone?

thyroid

People with normal color vision are described as

trichromats

Which sense monitors the position of your body in space and helps maintain balance?

vestibular