Deck 15: How Does the Brain Think 

Question 1

In a study by Newsome and associates, monkeys were trained to discriminate directions of motion while researchers recorded from single neurons in area V5 that were sensitive to a specific direction of motion. According to the results of this experiment, which of the following options would result in the highest firing rate in a V5 neuron?

A)random dot movement
B)no dot movement
C)semicoordinated dot movement
D)The firing rate of the neuron would be the same in all conditions.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

If a patient who has had his corpus callosum severed is asked to make patterns using blocks, he will probably perform the task better with his:

A)left hand.
B)right hand.
C)dominant hand.
D)He will not be able to perform the task at all.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following brain regions is NOT considered to be part of the prefrontal association cortex?

A)dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
B)ventromedial prefrontal cortex
C)anterior cingulate cortex
D)posterior parietal cortex

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following aspects of language gives humans an advantage in thinking?

A)It provides a means with which to categorize information.
B)It provides a means of organizing time.
C)Language has a syntax (i.e., a set of rules) that allows meaningful utterances to be generated.
D)All of the answers are correct.

Question 5

Humans with damage to visual area V4 can no longer see:

A)distance.
B)size.
C)color.
D)movement.

Question 6

Conscious visual knowledge of objects (e.g., shape, size, texture) is stored in the:

A)parietal cortex.
B)occipital cortex.
C)temporal cortex.
D)frontal cortex.

Question 7

A key difference between human language and language in chimpanzees is that:

A)humans can communicate with one another, whereas chimpanzees cannot.
B)human language can be used to warn others about danger, whereas chimpanzee language cannot.
C)human language has syntax, whereas chimpanzee language does not.
D)All of the answers are correct.

Question 8

The inability to perceive motion often results from damage to the visual area _____ of the occipital lobe of the brain.

A)V5
B)V2
C)V1
D)V4

Question 9

Oliver Sacks describes an 11-year-old boy who was deaf and was never taught sign language. The purpose of this example was to illustrate the importance of:

A)normal hearing in language development.
B)syntax in the development of complex thought.
C)normal hearing in emotional development.
D)normal hearing in thought development.

Question 10

Novel sequences of thoughts most likely arise in the:

A)parietal lobes.
B)frontal lobes.
C)temporal lobes.
D)limbic lobes.

Question 11

Choreography of a new dance is likely a function of the:

A)parietal lobes.
B)temporal lobes.
C)frontal lobes.
D)limbic lobes.

Question 12

The development of language in humans might have stemmed from:

A)our development of complex visual abilities.
B)our ability to perform movements in series.
C)the enlargement of the medial temporal lobes.
D)the enlargement of the cingulate cortex.

Question 13

Which of the following tests would Alex the parrot most likely have been able to accomplish?

A)counting the number of items on a tray
B)indicating the color of an object
C)identifying when an incorrect object was given to him
D)All of the answers are correct.

Question 14

A man who once had knowledge about certain objects now loses visual knowledge of those objects and also other objects when his _____ association cortex is destroyed.

A)parietal
B)temporal
C)frontal
D)occipital

Question 15

Psychological constructs (e.g., attention) can be difficult to localize in the brain because:

A)psychological constructs are often complex and not localized to one area of the brain.
B)we tend to think of constructs as unitary, but they are actually made up of a number of distinct processes.
C)the brain is not organized around psychological constructs.
D)All of the answers are correct.

Question 16

The association cortex makes up about _____ of the total cortex.

A)one-third
B)one-half
C)two-thirds
D)three-quarters

Question 17

Syntax is the same as:

A)grammar.
B)the stringing together of phonemes to make a word.
C)literal language.
D)oral language.

Question 18

Cells in visual area V5 are most sensitive to:

A)color.
B)shape.
C)size.
D)movement.

Question 19

Throwing a rock or a spear is a(n):

A)guided movement.
B)ballistic movement.
C)feedback movement.
D)oscillatory movement.

Question 20

Throwing an object accurately at a moving object is unique to:

A)humans.
B)humans and chimpanzees.
C)humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas.
D)all primates.

Question 21

Your ability to imagine what an object would look like from a different viewpoint relies most heavily on the _____ cortex.

A)parietal
B)temporal
C)frontal
D)occipital

Question 22

Alex has recently had a stroke in his right parietal lobe. Which of the following is likely to describe the deficits he might have?

A)He no longer eats food from the right side of his plate.
B)He can no longer imagine the left side of his own mental images.
C)He routinely bumps into things on his right side.
D)All of the answers are correct.

Question 23

Since Henry's recent stroke, he has had a great deal of difficulty navigating around unfamiliar environments such doctor's offices and shopping malls. Henry most likely has damage to his:

A)occipital lobe.
B)right parietal lobe.
C)left parietal lobe
D)ventral stream.

Question 24

How we combine multiple sources of input (e.g., visual, auditory, motor) into a unified conscious experience is known as the _____ problem.

A)temporal
B)sensory
C)binding
D)association

Question 25

Which of the following tasks would be difficult for someone with a prefrontal cortex injury?

A)planning a dinner party
B)understanding a joke
C)recognizing a friend's face
D)driving to a friend's house

Question 26

Extinction is a form of:

A)apraxia.
B)neglect.
C)aphasia.
D)preservation.

Question 27

The temporal organization of behavior is the general function of the _____ lobes.

A)parietal
B)temporal
C)frontal
D)limbic

Question 28

The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test is an excellent measure to examine:

A)neglect.
B)extinction.
C)the ability to shift strategy.
D)parietal lobe function.

Question 29

A person who can localize objects and describe their location from memory but cannot identify objects or describe them from memory most likely has a lesion in the _____ cortex.

A)parietal
B)temporal
C)frontal
D)occipital

Question 30

Which of the following best describes the type of problem that a patient with a prefrontal cortex injury might have on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test?

A)The patient has difficulty learning to sort according to a rule.
B)The patient has difficulty switching strategies to use a new sorting rule.
C)The patient is never able to remember the categories.
D)All of the statements are correct.

Question 31

In a study by Moran and Desimone, the firing rate of neurons in area V4 was highest when objects:

A)appeared at the rewarded location.
B)appeared at an unrewarded location.
C)appeared anywhere on the screen.
D)changed color anywhere on the screen.

Question 32

In which of the following scenarios is a patient with a right hemisphere injury MOST likely to exhibit extinction?

A)The patient is shown a pencil in the left visual field.
B)The patient is shown a spoon in the right visual field.
C)The patient is shown a pencil in the left and right visual fields at the same time.
D)The patient is shown a pencil in the left visual field and a spoon in the right visual field at the same time.

Question 33

The _____ is critical for object recognition, whereas the _____ is critical for vision for action.

A)ventral stream; dorsal stream
B)temporal cortex; frontal cortex
C)dorsal stream; ventral stream
D)frontal cortex; occipital cortex

Question 34

Visual agnosia results from damage to the:

A)ventral stream.
B)dorsal stream
C)parietal cortex.
D)occipital cortex.

Question 35

According to recent work by Gregory Hickok, mirror neurons may be important for _____ but not for _____.

A)spoken language; understanding actions
B)refining movement control; understanding actions
C)understanding action; refining movement control
D)understanding action; spoken language

Question 36

Anthony can perceive objects normally, but when he reaches out to pick one up, he often misses the object entirely or grasps it awkwardly. This difficulty with picking up objects does not appear to be a problem with his muscles, as he can move his arms just fine. This peculiar disorder is mostly like the result of damage to the _____ cortex.

A)frontal
B)parietal
C)temporal
D)occipital

Question 37

Which of the following is most analogous to an orchestra conductor?

A)temporal lobes
B)frontal lobes
C)parietal lobes
D)occipital lobes

Question 38

Spatial navigation relies on:

A)the use of environmental landmarks.
B)the ability to imagine a map of the environment.
C)the ability to mentally manipulate images.
D)All of the answers are correct.

Question 39

The brain connectome is:

A)the theory that the brain is directly or indirectly connected to every organ of the body.
B)a complete map of the fiber pathways in the human brain.
C)the region in the brain responsible for intelligence.
D)the glial pathway between the insular cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex.

Question 40

A person who neglects objects or events in the left side of his or her world most likely has a lesion in the _____ lobe.

A)left temporal
B)right temporal
C)left parietal
D)right parietal

Question 41

Which of the following statements about anatomical asymmetry is NOT correct?

A)Broca's area is larger on the right than on the left.
B)The face area in the sensorimotor cortex is larger on the left than on the right.
C)The primary auditory area is larger on the left than on the right.
D)The dendritic fields of neurons in Broca's area in the left hemisphere are larger than those in the right hemisphere.

Question 42

Which is NOT a brain imaging technique?

A)PET
B)DTI
C)fcMRI
D)HCP

Question 43

Participants in a study who saw videos of others smelling disgusting odors reported feelings of _____. In this study, the _____ most likely showed increased activity.

A)disgust; medial prefrontal region
B)disgust; orbitofrontal cortex
C)joy; orbitofrontal cortex
D)joy; medial prefrontal region

Question 44

A patient cannot read, and she has difficulty copying movements and generating the names of objects and animals. The most likely site of the lesion is the _____ lobe.

A)left parietal
B)right parietal
C)left temporal
D)right temporal

Question 45

What did neurological testing of patients with lesions in different areas of the brain reveal?

A)Functions of the brain are localized, and the brain is organized asymmetrically.
B)Functions of the brain are localized, and the brain is organized symmetrically.
C)Brain functions require the activation of every brain region, and the brain is organized asymmetrically.
D)Brain functions require the activation of every brain region, and the brain is organized symmetrically.

Question 46

Studies in social neuroscience have suggested that the brain region most important for theory of mind is the:

A)orbitofrontal cortex.
B)dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
C)dorsal premotor cortex.
D)amygdala.

Question 47

The human cerebellum is thought to be important for:

A)motor learning.
B)language.
C)working memory.
D)All of the answers are correct.

Question 48

_____ is larger in the right hemisphere, and _____ is larger in the left hemisphere.

A)The primary auditory cortex; the secondary auditory cortex
B)The prefrontal cortex; the medial temporal lobe
C)The primary motor cortex; the primary somatosensory cortex
D)Wernicke's area; Broca's area

Question 49

Theory of mind is:

A)the ability to attribute mental states to others.
B)a form of intelligence that is inherited and cannot be measured directly.
C)the ability to perceive a stimulus of one sense as the sensation of a different sense.
D)a form of thinking that seeks multiple solutions to a problem.

Question 50

A person who is considered to be impulsive might have increased activity in the _____ when making economic decisions.

A)ventromedial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens
B)lateral prefrontal and medial temporal cortex
C)dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
D)posterior parietal cortex

Question 51

The experience of empathy is thought to be related to activity in the:

A)medial prefrontal cortex.
B)dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
C)dorsal premotor cortex.
D)amygdala.

Question 52

A patient with poor visual memory might have damage to:

A)the left frontal lobe.
B)the left temporal lobe.
C)the right temporal lobe.
D)Broca's area.

Question 53

Researchers have found that individuals who can recognize the pitch of tone and accurately label it:

A)have greater dendritic spine density than controls.
B)show increased neural activity in the occipital lobe compared to controls.
C)have occipital lobe lesions but not parietal lobe lesions.
D)show hyperconnectivity in the left hemisphere.

Question 54

A patient has difficulties assembling puzzles, copying drawings, and finding his way around the city. The most likely site of his lesion is the _____ lobe.

A)left parietal
B)right parietal
C)left temporal
D)right temporal

Question 55

Research in neuroeconomics has linked activity in the _____ with a reflexive decision system and activity in the _____ with reflective decision system.

A)nucleus accumbens and ventromedial prefrontal cortex; medial temporal cortex and lateral prefrontal cortex
B)medial temporal cortex and lateral prefrontal cortex; nucleus accumbens and ventromedial prefrontal cortex
C)amygdala; ventromedial prefrontal cortex
D)medial temporal cortex and lateral prefrontal cortex; nucleus accumbens

Question 56

Patients with apraxia have difficulty:

A)reading a newspaper.
B)walking down the street.
C)copying a series of arm movements.
D)copying a drawing.

Question 57

Splitting of the corpus callosum is most likely a treatment for:

A)Parkinson disease.
B)epilepsy.
C)synesthesia.
D)Alzheimer disease.

Question 58

A patient with damage to the medial left temporal lobe might have problems with:

A)reading.
B)verbal memory.
C)visual memory.
D)the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.

Question 59

Using rs-fMRI, scientists have identified approximately _____ networks.

A)5
B)13
C)17
D)25

Question 60

Social neuroscience studies have demonstrated that anticipation of pain activates the:

A)lateral prefrontal cortex.
B)inferior parietal cortex.
C)superior temporal cortex.
D)anterior cingulate cortex.

Question 61

_____ tend to have better spatial skills than _____.

A)Meadow voles; pine voles
B)Pine voles; meadow voles
C)Male pine voles; female pine voles
D)Females; males

Question 62

The male advantage for spatial skills may have evolved from the fact that males:

A)ranged over larger territories than females.
B)developed the first tools.
C)tend to be more aggressive than females.
D)All of the answers are correct.

Question 63

The ability to make causal inferences seems to rely on the:

A)left hemisphere.
B)right temporal lobe.
C)left parietal lobe.
D)right hemisphere.

Question 64

Which of the following statements about handedness and language is false?

A)Right-handed people have language in the left hemisphere.
B)Seventy percent of left-handers have speech in the left hemisphere.
C)Thirty percent of left-handers have speech in the right hemisphere.
D)Fifteen percent of left-handers have speech in both hemispheres.

Question 65

Split-brain studies have indicated that:

A)language occurs only in the left hemisphere.
B)nouns are processed only in the right hemisphere.
C)verbs are processed only in the left hemisphere.
D)both hemispheres process nouns and verbs, but syntax is in the left.

Question 66

When a split-brain patient is presented with a picture of an object in his left visual field, the patient:

A)can pick it out with his left hand.
B)can pick it out with his right hand.
C)can name the object.
D)cannot respond.

Question 67

Males are typically better at _____ tasks, whereas females tend to excel at _____ tasks.

A)spatial reasoning; verbal fluency
B)short-term memory; mental rotation
C)verbal fluency; spatial reasoning
D)mental rotation; spatial reasoning

Question 68

When a researcher studying split-brain effects briefly shows a printed word to a participant in the control condition, the word will be identified more easily if it appears in the _____ visual field.

A)left
B)right
C)lower
D)upper

Question 69

Fine movement deficits are seen after _____ lobe lesions.

A)right parietal
B)left parietal
C)right frontal
D)left temporal

Question 70

Danica is blind. When she reads Braille, she often uses:

A)her left hand.
B)her right hand.
C)both hands.
D)her dominant hand.

Question 71

If a patient has language in the left hemisphere and is presented two strings of digits, one in each ear, at the same time, the patient will recall:

A)more left-ear digits.
B)more right-ear digits.
C)an equal number from each ear.
D)alternately from ear to ear.

Question 72

The percentage of people who write with their left hand is:

A)10.
B)15.
C)20.
D)30.

Question 73

According to research by Kimura (1999), following a stroke in adulthood, Henry is _____ likely than Maria to be aphasic and apraxic after left _____ lesions.

A)less; posterior
B)more; posterior
C)less; temporal
D)more; frontal

Question 74

Kimura (1973) observed that participants who were asked to remember melodies tended to do better when:

A)the music was presented to the right ear.
B)the music was presented to the left ear.
C)the music was presented to both ears at the same time.
D)participants listened to classical music.

Question 75

A study by Goldstein and colleagues observed that women have larger _____, whereas men have larger _____.

A)dorsal prefrontal regions; ventral prefrontal regions
B)ventral prefrontal regions; dorsal prefrontal regions
C)amygdala volumes; parietal regions
D)ventral prefrontal regions; cerebellar volume

Question 76

Kimura (1967) observed that participants who were asked to remember a series of digits tended to do better when the digits were presented:

A)to the right ear.
B)to the left ear.
C)to both ears at the same time.
D)using a female voice.

Question 77

Kimura (1999) showed that:

A)females were much less likely than males to have language deficits after a left-hemisphere stroke.
B)females were more likely than males to be apraxic and aphasic after a left-hemisphere frontal cortex lesion.
C)males were more likely than females to be apraxic and aphasic after a left-hemisphere frontal cortex lesion.
D)males were much less likely than females to have language deficits after a left-hemisphere stroke.

Question 78

Women are generally better than men at:

A)mental rotation of shapes.
B)spatial relations.
C)verbal fluency.
D)the water task.

Question 79

Kolb and Stewart (1991) found that _____ frontal cells have _____ dendritic fields in males than in females.

A)dorsal; larger
B)dorsal; smaller
C)orbital; larger
D)orbital; smaller

Question 80

When a split-brain patient is asked to pick out with her right hand an object presented in the left visual field, the patient:

A)will pick it out with her left hand.
B)may do so but only by chance.
C)cannot tell you what the object is.
D)cannot complete the task.