Unit 3 Psych

4. 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

2. Dendrites are branching extensions of a. neurotransmitters. b. endorphins. c. neurons. d. myelin. e. endocrine glands

C

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

C

For you to be able to run, ________ must relay messages from your central nervous system to your leg muscles. a. interneurons b. agonists c. motor neurons d. sensory neurons e. the autonomic nervous system

C

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

C

Someone who has difficulty speaking after a stroke is suffering from which of the following? a. neurogenesis b. lesion c. aphasia d. angular gyrus e. interneurons

C

Evolutionary psychology studies the evolution of behavior and the mind using principles of a. humanism. b. behaviorism. c. naturalisticobservation. d. natural selection. e. genome mapping.

D

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

D

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

Evolutionary psychologists are most likely to be criticized for a. providing hindsight explanations for human behaviors. b. failing to consider unconscious motivations. c. overemphasizing humans' capacity to learn and adapt to a variety of environments. d. underestimating gender differences in mate selection. e. overestimating cultural differences in human sexual behaviors.

A

Males in their ________ are most likely to be sexually attracted to women who are several years older rather than several years younger than themselves. a. teens. b. twenties. c. thirties. d. forties. e. fifties.

A

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

Psychologist Michael Gazzaniga asked split-brain patients to stare at a dot as he flashed HE·ART on a screen. HE appeared in the left visual field, ART in the right. When asked to point to the word with their left hand, patients pointed to a. HE. b. ART. c. HEART. d. EA. e. nothing. They were unable to complete the task

A

Research most clearly suggests that personality traits are more strongly influenced by a. genes than by home environment. b. home environment than by genes. c. genes than by peers. d. home environment than by peers. e. genes than by heredity.

A

Sleep scan 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

Someone skilled at word processing thinks several letters ahead while typing, whereas a beginner must focus on one letter at a time. A novice is most likely using _________ to complete the task. a. conscious serial processing b. the right hemisphere c. thelimbicsystem d. unconscious parallel processing e. the reticular formation

A

To trigger a person's hand to make a fist, José Delgado stimulated the individual's a. motor cortex. b. hypothalamus. c. sensory cortex. d. reticular formation. e. limbic system.

A

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

A

Which cognitive neuroscience term reflects the idea that "much of our everyday thinking, feeling, and acting operates outside our conscious awareness"? a. dual processing b. cerebral cortex c. reticular formation d. interneurons e. limbic system

A

Which lobes of the brain receive the input that enables you to feel someone scratching your back? a. parietal b. temporal c. occipital d. frontal e. cerebral.

A

Which of the following fictional research findings is the best evidence against the idea that "our lives are determined by our experiences"? a. Babies are born with personalities that are relatively stable throughout their lives. b. IQ scores can change drastically (more than one standard deviation) after children are provided enriched environments. c. Reinforcements, like praise from caregivers, are the most powerful motivator for most children. d. The political opinions of adopted children are closer to those of their adopted parents than those of their biological parents. e. Extremely stressful experiences can change overall optimistic explanatory styles into more pessimistic styles.

A

Which statement best reflects current psychology's understanding of the relationship between nature and nurture? a. nature versus nurture b. nature or nurture c. naturealone d. nurture alone e. nature via nurture

A

Why is it incorrect to say that 50 percent heritability of intelligence means that the cause of your intelligence is 50 percent genetic and 50 percent environmental? a. because heritability accounts for variations among people, not in specific individuals b. because nurture controls intelligence levels, not nature c. because unrelated individuals share common genes d. because genes are the basis for our behavior, environment has no impact e. because heritability increases as environments change

A

A person whose hand had been amputated actually felt sensations on his nonexistent fingers when his face was stroked. This best illustrates the consequences of a. tomography. b. brain plasticity. c. lateralization. d. hemispherectomy. e. aphasia.

B

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. hormonally adaptive.

B

Adoptive parents are most likely to influence the ________ of their adopted children. a. adult height b. political attitudes c. adultweight d. extraversion e. personality

B

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 glands tend to act more quickly than the rest of the endocrine system.

B

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

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

B

Endocrine glands secrete hormones directly into a. synaptic gaps. b. the bloodstream. c. dendrites. d. sensory neurons. e. interneurons.

B

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

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

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that travel across the a. cell body. b. synaptic gap. c. axon. d. myelin sheath. e. threshold.

B

Olds and Milner located reward centers in the brain structure known as the a. sensory cortex. b. hypothalamus. c. cerebellum. d. medulla. e. amygdala.

B

Our lips are more sensitive than our knees to sensations of touch due to which of the following? a. More neurotransmitters are released when the lips are touched. b. A larger area of the sensory cortex is associated with our lips. c. The dendrites connected to the lips are especially sensitive. d. The medulla routes impulses from the lips directly to our brainstem. e. Our lips are directly connected to the sensory cortex, but our knees are not.

B

Professor Seif conducts research on the relationship between the limbic system and sexual motivation. Her research interests best represent the psychological speciality known as a. behaviorism. b. biological psychology. c. psychoanalysis. d. myelin. e. behavior genetics

B

Psychologist Michael Gazzaniga asked split-brain patients to stare at a dot as he flashed HE·ART on a screen. HE appeared in the left visual field, ART in the right. When asked, patients said they saw a. HE. b. ART. c. HEART. d. EA. e. nothing. They were unable to complete the task.

B

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

The chemical messengers released into the spatial junctions between neurons are called a. hormones. b. neurotransmitters. c. synapses. d. sensory neurons. e. motor neurons.

B

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

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

The neural system located at the border between the brainstem and the cerebral hemispheres is known as the a. sensory cortex. b. limbic system. c. reticular formation. d. peripheral nervous system. e. cerebellum.

B

The parietal lobes are to ________ as the occipital lobes are to ________. a. hearing; speaking b. sensing touch; seeing c. sensing pleasure; sensing pain d. tasting; smelling e. speaking; seeing

B

The prevalence of genetically predisposed traits that have a reproductive advantage is best explained in terms of a. epigenetics. b. natural selection. c. behavior genetics. d. self-regulation. e. environment.

B

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

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

B

A failure to recognize that one's arm or leg is part of one's self is most likely to be associated with damage to the a. amygdala. b. hypothalamus. c. righthemisphere. d. sympathetic nervous system. e. left hemisphere.

C

A football quarterback can simultaneously make calculations of receiver distances, player movements, and gravitational forces. This best illustrates the activity of multiple a. endocrine glands. b. endorphin agonists. c. neuralnetworks. d. endorphin antagonists. e. thresholds.

C

Although identical twins have been shown to have some amazing psychological similarities, one should be cautious about attributing these similarities to genetic factors because a. the twins may have been raised in completely different environments. b. genetic factors influence physical, not psychological, characteristics. c. any two strangers are likely to share a string of coincidental similarities. d. many fraternal twins have been shown to be psychologically different from each other. e. most twin studies have not been replicated or validated.

C

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

C

Critics of evolutionary psychology are most likely to suggest that it underestimates the a. impact of genetic predispositions on human sexual behavior. b. impact of cultural expectations on human sexual behavior. c. variety of traits that contribute to reproductively successful behaviors. d. extent to which certain gender differences in sexual behavior are common to all cultures. e. number of human traits influenced by genetics.

C

Heritability refers to the extent to which a. unrelated individuals share common genes. b. genetic mutations can be transmitted to one's offspring. c. trait differences among individuals are attributable to genetic variations. d. adult personality is determined by infant personality. e. nurture controls a trait rather than nature.

C

Opiate drugs occupy the same receptor sites as a. acetylcholine. b. serotonin. c. endorphins. d. dopamine. e. epinephrine.

C

Our adaptive flexibility in responding to different environments contributes to our fitness, which refers to a. random errors in the replication of genes. b. the extent to which variation among individuals can be attributed to their differing genes. c. our ability to survive and reproduce. d. the interaction of our genes with the environment. e. our resistance to genetic mutations.

C

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

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

Sir Charles Sherrington observed that impulses took more time to travel a neural pathway than he might have anticipated. His observation provided evidence for the existence of a. endorphins. b. hormones. c. synapticgaps. d. interneurons. e. neural networks.

C

Split-brain patients have had their ________ surgically cut. a. hippocampus b. limbic system c. corpuscallosum d. sensory cortex e. reticular formation

C

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

The genome is the complete a. collection of sexual characteristics regulated by the X and Y chromosomes. b. range of traits that contribute to reproductive success. c. set of genetic material in an organism's chromosomes. d. set of interactions between genes and environments. e. collection of genetic and hormonal influences on behavior.

C

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

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

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

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

C

Which of the following fictional research findings is the best evidence against the idea that "biology is destiny"? a. Early humans gradually developed aversions to bitter-tasting foods because many poisons were bitter. b. Babies are born with the ability to turn away from frightening stimuli. c. Cognitive therapy can help people change unwanted personality traits. d. Testosterone levels are associated with incarceration rates. e. Women have larger and more active brain structures than men.

C

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

.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. corpuscallosum d. Wernicke's area e. parietal lobes

D

A PET scan of a patient looking at a photograph of a painting would most likely indicate high levels of activity in which brain structure? a. sensory cortex b. Broca's area c. corpuscallosum d. occipital lobes e. frontal lobes

D

A patient who suffered a stroke says that she no longer recognizes herself in a mirror. Which brain structure was likely damaged in the stroke? a. occipital lobes b. temporal lobes c. lefthemisphere d. right hemisphere e. reticular formation

D

After he suffered a stroke, Mr. Santore's physical coordination skills and responsiveness to sensory stimulation quickly returned to normal. Unfortunately, however, he began to experience unusual difficulty figuring out how to find his way to various locations in his neighborhood. It is most likely that Mr. Santore suffered damage to his a. cerebellum. b. thalamus. c. hypothalamus. d. association areas. e. autonomic nervous system.

D

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. mutation. b. behaviorism. c. her upbringing. d. genetic predispositions. e. social pressure.

D

Evolutionary psychologists would be most likely to predict that men will marry women who are ________ than they are. a. less wealthy b. less physically attractive c. more sexually experienced d. younger e. more aggressive toward sexual rivals

D

Fraternal 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. a divided egg cell and one sperm cell.

D

If a genetic predisposition to fear darkness contributes to reproductive success, that trait will likely be passed on to subsequent generations. This best illustrates a. epigenetics. b. behavior genetics. c. self-regulation. d. natural selection. e. nurture.

D

If a professor accused you of cheating on a test, your adrenal glands would probably release ________ into your bloodstream. a. endorphins b. acetylcholine c. seratonin d. epinephrine e. insulin

D

Nerves are neural cables containing many a. hormones. b. endorphins. c. interneurons. d. axons. e. lesions.

D

People can simultaneously process many aspects of sensory information such as color, shape, and size. This best illustrates the functioning of multiple a. ACh agonists. b. dendrites. c. endorphins. d. neural networks. e. ACh antagonists.

D

Resting potential is to action potential as ________ is to ________. a. adrenal gland; pituitary gland b. sensory neuron; motor neuron c. temporallobe;occipitallobe d. polarization; depolarization e. dendrite; axon

D

Reuptake refers to the a. movement of neurotransmitter molecules across a synaptic gap. b. release of hormones into the bloodstream. c. inflow of positively charged ions through an axon membrane. d. reabsorption of excess neurotransmitter molecules by a sending neuron. e. the ending of the refractory period.

D

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

D

Surgical destruction of brain tissue is called a(n) a. endorphin. b. EEG. c. synapse. d. lesion. e. MRI.

D

The occipital lobes are to ________ as the temporal lobes are to ________. a. hearing; sensing movement b. seeing; sensing touch c. sensing pleasure; sensing pain d. seeing; hearing e. speaking; hearing

D

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

The slowdown of neural communication in multiple sclerosis involves a degeneration of the a. thresholds. b. dendrites. c. endocrinegland. d. myelin sheath. e. pituitary gland.

D

The thin surface layer of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebrum is called the a. cerebellum. b. corpus callosum. c. reticular formation. d. cerebral cortex. e. sensory cortex.

D

To estimate trait heritability, researchers are most likely to make use of a. cloning. b. natural selection. c. interaction. d. twin studies. e. DNA.

D

We are usually least consciously aware of the processes and functions of which brain structure? a. cerebral cortex b. motor cortex c. sensory cortex d. brainstem e. Broca's area

D

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

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

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-culturalresearcher d. cognitive neuroscientist e. biopsychosocial researcher

D

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

Adopted children are more likely to demonstrate levels of agreeableness and extraversion, more similar to that of their biological parents than their adoptive parents. This finding suggests that personality traits are more strongly influenced by a. genes than by heredity. b. home environment than by genes. c. environmental relatives than by genetic relatives. d. nurture than by nature. e. genes than by the home environment.

E

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

For you to experience the pain of a sprained ankle, ________ must first relay messages from your ankle to your central nervous system. a. endocrines b. interneurons c. glands d. motor neurons e. sensory neurons

E

If a genetic predisposition to fear darkness contributes to reproductive success, that trait will likely be passed on to subsequent generations. This best illustrates a. mutation. b. psychopathology. c. behavior genetics. d. environment. e. natural selection.

E

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

The association areas are located in the a. spinal cord. b. brainstem. c. thalamus. d. limbic system. e. cerebral cortex.

E

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

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

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