Practice Test QuestionsUnit 3a
1.Researchers study the brains of nonhuman animals because
a.it is not ethical to study human brains.
b.human brains are too complex to study meaningfully.
c.the same principles govern neural functioning in all species.
d.it is too expensive to study human brains.
e.the technology is still being developed for the study of human brains.
2.A brief electrical charge that travels down an axon is called a(n)
a.action potential.
b.resting potential.
c.all-or-none impulse.
d.refractory period.
e.myelination response.
3.The basic building block of the nervous system is the
a.neurotransmitter.
b.brain.
c.synapse.
d.neuron.
e.dendrite.
4.Which of the following does the endocrine system rely on to communicate?
a.Action potentials
b.Hormones
c.Agonists
d.Neurotransmitters
e.Reuptake
5.An individual is having trouble with cognitive tasks related to learning and memory. Which of the following neurotransmitters is most likely to be involved with the problem?
a.Acetylcholine
b.Dopamine
c.Serotonin
d.The endorphins
e.GABA
6.The most influential of the endocrine gland is (are) the
a.pituitary.
b.adrenal glands.
c.dendrites.
d.threshold glands.
e.parasympathetic.
7.The purpose of the myelin sheath is to
a.make the transfer of information across synapse more efficient.
b.increase the amount of neurotransmitters available in the neuron.
c.reduce the antagonistic effect of certain drugs.
d.establish a resting potential in the axon.
e.speed the transmission of information within a neuron.
8.The peripheral nervous system
a.connects the brain to the spinal cord.
b.calms the body after an emergency.
c.is limited to the control of voluntary movement.
d.controls the arms and the legs.
e.is the part of the nervous system that does not include the brain and the spinal cord.
9.The cells most important for processing information are
a.interneurons.
b.sensory neurons.
c.motor neurons.
d.endocrine cells.
e.sympathetic nervous system cells.
10.Drugs that amplify neurotransmitter activity are called
a.addictive.
b.excitatory.
c.antagonists.
d.agonists.
e.inhibitory.
11.To walk across a street, a person would rely most directly on his
a.central nervous system.
b.somatic nervous system.
c.peripheral nervous system.
d.autonomic nervous system.
e.parasympathetic nervous system.
12.The nervous system is of critical importance to psychology because
a.all psychological processes depend upon it.
b.it is the largest system in the human body.
c.it is a model for the functioning of other body systems.
d.it is the mechanism by which the endocrine system exerts its functions.
e.it is the most recent human system to have evolved.
13.Phrenology is the study of
a.the bumps on the skull.
b.the influence of neurotransmitters.
c.the function of the peripheral nervous system.
d.endocrine glands and their hormones.
e.heredity’s influence on nervous system development.
14.Understanding people as biopsychosocial systems means that
a.biological factors have the largest influence on people, followed by psychological factors and finally social factors.
b.the nervous system is equal parts biological, psychological, and sociological.
c.to understand people we must study how biological, psychological, and social-cultural systems work and interact.
d.the nervous system is less important in the understanding of people than was believed a decade ago.
e.psychology is the central component in the understanding of human behavior.
15.Opiate drugs such as morphine are classified as
a.antagonists, because they block neurotransmitter receptors for pain.
b.agonists, because they mimic other neurotransmitters’ pain-diminishing effects.
c.excitatory neurotransmitters, because they activate pain control mechanisms.
d.sympathetic nervous system agents, because they prepare the body for a challenge.
e.parasympathetic nervous system agents, because they calm the body.
ANSWERS
1. C
2. A
3. D
4. B
5. A
6. A
7. E
8. E
9. A
10. D
11. B
12. A
13. A
14. C
15. B
Practice Test QuestionsUnit 3b
1.Breathing and heartbeat are controlled by the
a.pons.
b.corpus callosum.
c.parietal lobe.
d.hippocampus.
e.medulla.
2.Perception, thinking, and language can operate at conscious, deliberate levels and also at unconscious, automatic levels. This best describes
a.cognitive neuroscience.
b.dual processing.
c.selective attention.
d.selective inattention.
e.change blindness.
3.A PET scan best allows researchers to determine
a.the presence of tumors in the brain.
b.electrical activity on the surface of the brain.
c.the size of the internal structures of the brain.
d.the location of strokes.
e. the functions of various brain regions.
4.Damage to the hippocampus would result in
a.difficulties with balance and coordination.
b.memory problems.
c.the false sensation of burning in parts of the body.
d.emotional outbursts.
e.death.
5.Surgical stimulation of the sensory cortex might result in the false sensation
a.of music.
b.of flashes of colored light.
c.that someone is whispering your name.
d.that someone is tickling you.
e.of a bad odor.
6.Awareness of ourselves and our environment best describes
a.consciousness.
b.dual processing.
c.inattentional blindness.
d.change blindness.
e.cognitive neuroscience.
7.The link between the nervous system and the endocrine system is maintained by the
a.hypothalamus.
b.temporal lobe.
c.cerebellum.
d.thalamus.
e.motor cortex.
8.A researcher interested in determining the size of a particular area of the brain would be most likely to use a(n)
a.lesion.
b.EEG.
c.MRI.
d.fMRI.
e.PET scan.
9.The support cells that provide nourishment and help the brain in numerous other ways are called
a.neurons.
b.interneurons.
c.glial cells.
d.endocrine cells.
e.myelin cells.
10.Which of the following is a task more likely to be accomplished by the right hemisphere of the brain?
a.Solving a mathematical equation.
b.Reading.
c.Making a brief oral presentation to a class.
d.Recognizing a friend’s face.
e.Solving a logic problem.
11.If you flashed a picture of a spoon to the left visual field of a person whose corpus callosum had been severed (so it was transmitted to her right hemisphere), she would
a.be able to draw a spoon with her right hand but would not be able to say she had seen a spoon.
b.be confused about whether she had seen a spoon.
c.be able to draw a spoon with her left hand but would not be able to say she had seen a spoon.
d.be able to tell you she had seen a spoon.
e.be able to tell you she had seen something that rhymes with spoon (i.e., the Moon).
12.Brain plasticity refers to the
a.feel of healthy human brain tissue.
b.ability of the brain to transfer information from one hemisphere to the other.
c.way a brain gets larger as a child grows.
d.wide variety of functions performed by the human brain.
e.ability of brain tissue to take on new functions.
13.When Heinrich Kluver and neurosurgeon Paul Bucy surgically lesioned the amygdala of a rhesus monkey’s brain, the monkey
a.lost its ability to coordinate movement.
b.died because its heartbeat became irregular.
c.became less aggressive.
d.lost its memory of where food was stored.
e.sank into an irreversible coma.
14.The reward deficiency syndrome argues that addictive disorders may be partially explained by genetic flaws in the
a.brainstem.
b.cerebral cortex.
c.limbic system.
d.endocrine system.
e.cerebrum.
15.An individual experiences brain damage that produces a coma. Which part of the brain was probably damaged?
a.Corpus callosum
b.Reticular formation
c.Frontal lobe
d.Cerebellum
e.Limbic System
ANSWERS
1. E
2. B
3. E
4. B
5. D
6. A
7. A
8. C
9. C
10. D
11. C
12. E
13. C
14. C
15. B
Practice Test QuestionsUnit 3c
1.One major criticism of the evolutionary perspective in psychology is that
a.it analyzes after the fact using hindsight.
b.it attempts to extend a biological theory into a psychological realm.
c.there is very little evidence to support it.
d.it has not been around long enough to “stand the test of time.”
e.it seems to apply in certain cultures but not in others.
2.Evolutionary psychologists seek to understand how traits and behavioral tendencies have been shaped by
a.natural selection.
b.genes.
c.prenatal nutrition.
d.DNA.
e.chromosomes.
3.Which of the following is not one of the main criticisms of the evolutionary psychology explanation of human sexuality?
a.This perspective start with an effect and works backward to propose an explanation.
b.This perspective discounts important genetics influences.
c.Unethical and immoral men could use such explanations to rationalize their behavior toward women.
d.This explanation overlooks the effects of cultural expectations and socialization.
e.This explanation does not consider the importance of individual choices in any given situation.
4.Thomas Bouchard’s study of twins is notable, because
a.it demonstrated that peer influence is more important than parental influence in the development of personality traits.
b.it proved that the influence of parental environment becomes more and more important as children grow into adults.
c.he discovered almost unbelievable similarities between adult identical twins who had been separated near birth.
d.fraternal twins showed almost as much similarity as identical twins when they reached adulthood.
e.it provided evidence that heritability is less important than researchers previously suspected.
5.The extent to which variation among members of a group can be attributed to genes is called
a.fraternal genetics.
b.maternal genetics.
c.behavior genetics.
d.interaction.
e.heritability.
6.Your genetic code
a.exists only in the cells of the nervous system.
b.disappears gradually as the developmental processes it governs are completed.
c.is influenced by early environmental experiences.
d.exists in its entirety in every cell of your body.
e.exists only in the cells of the reproductive system.
7.Which of the following statements has been supported by the research of evolutionary psychologists?
a.Women are attracted to men who appear virile.
b.Men are attracted to women who appear fertile and capable of bearing children.
c.The connection between sex and pleasure is mostly determined by culture.
d.The same factors determine sexual attraction in both males and females.
e.Mot adults are attracted to partners that in some way remind them of their parents.
8.Which of the following is an example of a phenomenon that could be explained by natural selection?
a.A squirrel discovers that if it hides food in a particular tree it will not be discovered by other animals.
b.Women tend to seek men who can provide protection for their children because this has increased the survival rate of children in the past.
c.World records are set at every Olympic competition, suggesting that human athletic performance continues to improve.
d.Children in some countries are much less likely to die from childhood diseases than are children in other countries.
e.After several months, children are likely to select well-balanced diet if they are allowed to plan their own menus without adult supervision.
9.When the mother’s egg and the father’s sperm unite, each contributes
a.23 chromosomes.
b.1 chromosome pair.
c.23 chromosome pairs.
d.30,000 chromosome pairs.
e.30,000 chromosomes.
10.Researchers find the study of fraternal twins important, because
a.they share similar environments and the same genetic code.
b.data collected concerning their similarities is necessary for calculating heritability.
c.they are the same age and are usually raised in similar environments, but they do not have the same genetic code.
d.results allow us to determine exactly how disorders ranging from heart disease to schizophrenia are inherited.
e.they are typically raised in less similar environments that non-twin siblings.
11.Heritability refers to the percentage of
a.group variation in a trait that can be explained by environment.
b.traits shared by identical twins.
c.traits shared by fraternal twins.
d.traits shared by adopted children and their birth parents.
e.group variation in a trait that can be explained by genetics.
12.Threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes are called
a.cell nuclei.
b.deoxyribonucleic acids.
c.genomes.
d.chromosomes.
e.mutations.
13.The study of specific genes and teams of genes that influence behavior is called
a.molecular genetics.
b.evolutionary psychology.
c.behavior genetics.
d.heritability.
e.natural selection.
14.The interplay of environment and heredity is called
a.heritability.
b.mutation.
c.interaction.
d.molecular genetics.
e.behavior genetics.
15.In an effort to reveal genetic influences on personality, researchers use adoption studies mainly to
a.compare adopted children with nonadopted children.
b.study the effect of prior neglect on adopted children.
c.study the effect of a child’s age at adoption.
d.evaluate whether adopted children more closely resemble their adoptive parents or their biological parents.
e.consider the effects of adoption on a child’s manners and values.
ANSWERS
1. A
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. E
6. D
7. B
8. B
9. A
10. C
11. E
12. D
13. A
14. C
15. D