Psych exam 2 modules 11-21

An 80-decibel sound is about ___________ times louder than a 60-decibel sound.

100

Which of the following hypotheses has been offered for depression using neurotransmitters as the culprit?

A. Depression is thought to be due to fewer neurotransmitters being released by presynaptic vesicles. B. A manipulation that promotes higher amounts of neurotransmitter in the synapse should alleviate depression. C. Blocking the reuptake of unused neurotransmitter will promote higher levels of that neurotransmitter in the synapse. D. All of the above hypotheses have been offered.

Eisenberger and her colleagues conducted research to determine if a person's emotional pain originated in the same brain location as did physical pain. They tested their hypothesis by collecting brain activity data when participants played cyberball with others and then again when participants were excluded from playing cyberbal with othersl. What brain technique did the researchers use to collect the participants brain activity?

A. Single-unit microelectrode B. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) C. Functional MRI (fMRI) D. Electroencephalograph (EEG) E. Positron emission tomography (PET)

What disease is associated with an under supply of acetylcholine?

Alzheimer's

If the signal exceeds threshold, it is pushed out of the cell body and down the ________ toward the _________ between this neuron and the next one.

Axon, synapse

When a neuron receives a signal, it travels down the dendrite to the ___________, where it is processed

Cell body

Jim's friends noticed that he was stumbling around, consistently losing his balance while walking. It's possible that his ___________ has been negatively affected or injured on some way.

Cerebellum

The human brain's more advanced structure, compared to most animal brains, is the __________________.

Cerebral cortex

The sense of touch includes four basic sensations. How do we experience other types of sensations, such as wetness?

Complex sensations arise from the combined stimulation of several basic senses.

The branchlike fibers extending in clusters from the neuron's cell body are called __________.

Dendrites

Signals from other neurons are received at the ___________ and the ____________ of a receiving neuron.

Dendrites, cell body

Serotonin

Involved in many functions, including mood, appetite, sleep, and aggression.

Dopamine

Involved in movement, motivation, and emotion, dopamine produces feelings of pleasure when released by the brain's reward system, and it's also involved in learning.

What is the primary role of the myelin sheath?

It coats the axon and allows the messages transmitted from the axon to move quicker

The reason the area of the brain that includes the brain stem is called the "old brain" is that ____________________.

It's the oldest brain region

What are the gaps in the myelin sheath called?

Nodes of Ranvier

What disease is associated with decreases in dopamine?

Parkinson's

Where would you expect to find vesicles of neurotransmitters?

Presynaptic terminal button

Endorphins

Released in response to behaviors such as vigorous exercise, orgasm, and eating spicy foods.

What disease is associated with increases in dopamine?

Schizophrenia

The function of the ______ is to keep the cell alive.

Soma

Structure of a neuron

Soma (Cell body), Dendrites (Receive information), Axon (long thin fibre transmits signals), Terminal Button, Myelin sheath (covers axon, helps speed)

Cecilia accidentally touched her hot curling iron and immediately withdrew her hand before becoming consciously aware of the sensation or movement. She was able to do this because of a(n) _____________.

Spinal reflex

The space between a sending and receiving neuron is called a ________

Synapse

The signal travels to the end of the axon, called the ____________, where the signal travels across the synapse to the next neuron.

Terminal button

Brian banged his shin against a desk and grimaced with pain. He quickly bent over and began rubbing his leg where he'd banged it and the pain he was experiencing started to subside a bit. This phenomenon can best be explained by ___________.

The gate-control theory

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

The major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

a type of brain scan that uses a magnetic field to create images of brain activity in each brain area.

According to the gate-control theory, a back massage would most likely reduce your physical aches and pains by causing the ____________.

activation of specific neural fibers in your spinal cord

Roberto, who is about to take the final exam for his psychology course, is totally stressed out because it is worth 50 percent of his grade. The endocrine system gland(s) that is (are) likely to be stimulated is (are) the ____________.

adrenal glands

The ____________ produce hormones that regulate salt and water balance and are located on top of the ____________.

adrenal glands and kidneys

What drug inhibits the excitatory channels on the postsynaptic neuron?

alcohol

By stimulating the __________ part of the limbic system in lab animals, researchers found that the animal will display anger/rage instantly.

amygdala

electroencephalograph (EEG)

an instrument that records the electrical activity produced by the brain's neurons through the use of electrodes placed on the surface of the research participant's head.

Terminal buttons are found at the ends of __________.

axons

A difference between the fMRI and the TMS is that ____________________.

casual conclusions about the influence of brain structures can be drawn by TMS but not by fMRI

What is a neuron?

cell in the nervous system whose function it is to receive and transmit information.

The two main divisions of the nervous system are ____________.

central and peripheral

The __________ is a fluid-filled chamber that contains the sensory receptors for audition.

cochlea

The two separate hemispheres are connected by the ___________.

corpus callosum

Which of the following sequences accurately reflects the route followed by nerve impulses when one neuron communicates with another?

dendrite, cell body, axon

Lateralization of brain function refers to the ___________ of the brain.

difference between hemispheres

What neurotransmitter is important if there is an injury and pain relief is necessary?

endorphins

Neurogenesis refers to the brain's ability to ______________.

form brand new neurons

Loudness is to amplitude as pitch is to ____________.

frequency

Which of the following theories is currently thought to provide the best explanation for how we perceive low frequencies (below 150 hz)?

frequency theory

A noninvasive technique that uses magnetic fields to map brain activity by measuring changes in the brain's blood flow and oxygen levels is called _________________.

functional MRI (fMRI)

A synapse is a __________.

gap

__________ are the sensory receptors for audition.

hair cells

When your parasympathetic nervous system works to maintain vital bodily functions so that your body is in its natural balance, it is called ____________.

homeostasis

The ______________ functions as the main link between the nervous system and the endocrine system.

hypothalamus

The most common type of neuron in the human body is the ___________.

interneuron

Neurotransmitters

is a chemical that relays signals across the synapses between neurons

The function of the pancreas is to ____________.

keep the body supplied with energy sources such as sugar and insulin

When a person has a stroke, a blood clot prevents oxygen from getting to a part of the brain and causes neurons to die. Which is the best method for scientists to learn more about this kind of damage to the brain?

lesion studies

An axon is a ____________.

long, tubelike structure extending from a neuron's cell body

If a person is shot, and the bullet destroys the part of the brain called the _____________, which maintains basic life functions (heart rate, breathing), there is virtually no chance for surviving that injury.

medulla

The pineal gland secretes ____________, a hormone that helps regulate the _____________.

melatonin; wake/sleep cycle

The vibrations of the eardrum are amplified by three tiny bones: the malleus, the incus, and the stapes. They are located in the _____________.

middle ear

As Mona was searching for her phone in her purse, she accidentally dropped her keys on the floor. She quickly reached down, retrieved them, and put them back in her purse. This voluntary reaction involved _____________ signals that were communicated to her muscles via the ____________ nervous system.

motor; somatic

The ___________ cortex sends signals to move our muscles, whereas the ____________ cortex receives information about bodily sensations.

motor; somatosensory

The difference between a nerve and a neuron is that a ____________.

nerve is made up of a bundle of interconnected neurons

Julie fell during an accident at work and suffered damage that affected her ability to comprehend language. After a few months of therapy, her ability to understand language has improved. This most likely demonstrated ______________.

neuroplasticity

Acetylcholine

neurotransmitter used in the spinal cord and motor neurons to stimulate muscle contractions. It's also used in the brain to regulate memory, sleeping, and dreaming.

Sally was hospitalized after a car accident, and due to injury to her hippocampus, she has trouble with __________________________.

newer memories, but still retains older memories

What are the two most important hormones that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system into action when we are feeling stressed?

norepinephrine and epinephrine

The visual cortex is located in the _________ lobe.

occipital

The sensory system that detects smells is __________.

olfaction

Which of the following would play a role in alerting you to a gas leak in your home?

olfactory receptors

Contralateral control describes ____________________.

one hemisphere's ability to receive sensations and control movement of the opposite side of the body

Which part of the ear contains the pinna and auditory canal?

outer ear

The sense of touch includes the four basic sensations of _______________

pain, pressure, hot, and cold

When Carlos answered the door, he discovered it was the pizza delivery person; before long, he calmed down, and his blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing returned to their normal state. These physical reactions were most likely regulated by his ________________.

parasympathetic nervous system

You answer your cell phone without checking to see who is calling. You recognize your best friend, Maria, from her voice. This is an example of _____________.

perception

The terms autonomic and somatic refer to the two main subdivisions of the ____________.

peripheral nervous system

While asleep, Jesse's heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion are functioning without any conscious effort on his part. This is because a subdivision of the ___________ nervous system called the ____________ regulates these involuntary functions.

peripheral; autonomic nervous system

Before entering 9th grade, Brooks had to have most of his clothes replaced because he had grown almost 3 inches since the previous year. The gland responsible for his growth is the ____________.

pituitary gland

Which gland directly regulates the production of hormones in other endocrine glands?

pituitary gland

Which theory holds that the pitch we hear is determined by the particular location on the cochlea where the hair cells vibrate the most?

place theory

Jack is injected with a small amount of radioactive glucose and then lies in a scanner. He is given a task—to think about his favorite song—as the scanner records the movement and location of the glucose his brain. A computer analyzes the data and produces a color-coded image of his brain activity. Jack is receiving the imaging technique called ___________________

positron emission tomography (PET)

An advantage of the PET scan is that it ___________, and a disadvantage is that it ___________.

provides good images of brain activity; is an invasive imaging technique

An advantage of the EEG is that it ____________, and a disadvantage of the EEG is that it ___________.

provides good information on electrical brain activity; does not provide clear pictures of brain structure

What is the branch of psychology that studies the effects of physical stimuli on sensory perceptions and mental states?

psychophysics

Reflexes are _______________________.

quick, involuntary responses that are not processed in the brain

Dendrite is to axon as _________ is to _________.

receiving; sending

The electroencephalograph is a method of studying the brain that _____________.

records electrical activity produced by the brain's neurons by using electrodes

The part of the brain stem called the _________ has been shown to be related to arousal in lab animals; when this part is stimulated, the animal is awake; when it's severed (cut), the animal goes into a coma.

reticular formation

Detection of energy from the environment and initiating neural action in response to it is called ____________.

sensation

Hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noise is known as __________ .

sensorineural hearing loss

Researchers discovered that the hypothalamus helps to regulate basic drives, like hunger, thirst, and sexuality. Another interesting aspect of the hypothalamus is that it ___________________.

serves as a reward center

Laboratory scientists want to study the effects of a specific neuron in the brains of mice. What brain technique are they most likely to use?

single-unit microelectrode

The key components of the peripheral nervous system are

somatic and autonomic nervous systems

Christopher Reeve was accidentally thrown from his horse while riding. Unfortunately, he landed on his head and was paralyzed from the shoulders down. Although his mental abilities were intact, he was unable to move the lower part of his body, which was a result of permanent damage to his ______________.

somatic nervous system

The _________ cortex is part of the parietal lobe.

somatosensory

Brains of cadavers have provided helpful information about the _____________.

structures of the brain

The heightened physical arousal that characterizes the fight-or-flight response involves the __________ division of the nervous system.

sympathetic

The two branches of the autonomic nervous system are ________________.

sympathetic and parasympathetic

At home alone late one night, Carlos had just finished watching a very frightening movie when there was a knock on the door. His heart rate suddenly increased, his breathing accelerated, and he began to sweat. These physiological changes were most likely triggered by his __________________.

sympathetic nervous system

The brain region that receives signals from all of the senses except smell is the ____________.

thalamus

Which part is not considered part of the brain stem?

thalamus

The term absolute threshold refers to ________________________.

the intensity of a stimulus where we can just barely detect it

The term JND refers to ________________________.

the smallest difference between two stimuli that you can detect

The single-unit recording method

thin microelectrode is surgically inserted in or near an individual neuron, used primarily with animals

What is a lesion?

tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

Which of the following senses is best described as a chemical sense?

to taste

Melanie is suffering from severe depression, and medication has not seemed to help. Her physician suggests that she try a new, noninvasive brain technique to relieve her symptoms. This technique is called __________________

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Which neuroimaging technique can be used as a treatment for certain physical and psychological disorders?

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Diamond's study of Albert Einstein's brain attempted to provide evidence that intelligence is determined by the number of glial cells in an individual's brain. What brain method did she use for her study?

Cadavers

Which method used to study the human brain has not enabled psychologists to get a good picture of human brain functions?

Cadaver studies

What neurotransmitter is a natural pain reliever?

Endorphins

True or False: Signal detection analysis is a technique to determine the ability of a perceiver to make signals.

False

Excess _________ can cause overstimulation, migraines, and seizures.

Glutamate

The pituitary gland is the body's master gland, which is responsible for __________ and hormones that influence feelings of __________ and signal the sexual reproduction hormones.

Growth; pain

In a signal detection task, which of the following two outcomes both involve a "YES" response from the person being tested?

HIT and FALSE ALARM

Glutamate

The most common neurotransmitter, it's released in more than 90% of the brain's synapses. Glutamate is found in the food additive MSG (monosodium glutamate).

What happens to neurotransmitters that are unused in the synapse?

They are taken up into the presynaptic neuron and reused.

What can a lack of GABA lead to?

Tremors and seizures, anxiety

It is easy to detect the difference between a 1 lb weight and a 2 lb weight, however, it is much more difficult to detect the difference between a 51 lb weight and a 52 lb weight, even though the difference is the same: 1 lb. This is consistent with _______________.

Weber's Law

What best describes the process of neuroplasticity?

When parts of the brain compensate for damages to another part of the brain

Imagine an individual who had a virus destroy the receptor cells involved in proprioception, forcing the person to control muscle movements with visual compensation. That is, they must guide the movement of their arm by watching it move through space to a targeted location. Now imagine this person in a room where the lights have been turned off. What would most likely happen to this person?

Without visual input to aid in correcting his posture, the individual will likely collapse in a heap on the floor.

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

a procedure in which magnetic pulses are applied to the brain of living persons with the goal of temporarily and safely deactivating a small brain region