Deck 7: The Autonomic Nervous System and Hormones

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the autonomic nervous system?

A) The brain and spinal cord
B) The nerves carrying sensation from the body, including pressure, heat, and pain, back to the brain
C) The nerves carrying instructions from the brain out to the visceral organs in the body, such as the heart, digestive system, and skin
D) The nerves carrying instructions from the brain out to the skeletal muscles, telling them when and how to move

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a result of increased sympathetic nervous system activation?

A) ened period of time between the start of ventricular contraction and the ejection of blood from the heart into the aorta
B) Increased sweat gland activity
C) Constriction of pupil diameter
D) Greater constriction of the arteries feeding the skin

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is a result of increased sympathetic nervous system activation?

A) Expansion of the air sacs in the lungs
B) Increase in respiratory sinus arrhythmia
C) Increase in saliva in the mouth
D) Increase in blood flow to the digestive system

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is a result of increased parasympathetic nervous system activation?

A) Increased difference in heart rate between breathing in and breathing out
B) Increased dilation of the arteries feeding the skeletal muscles
C) Reduced salivary gland activity
D) Increased sweating

Question 5

Which of the following is a result of increased parasympathetic nervous system activation?

A) Increased respiration rate
B) Increased pupil diameter
C) Increased blood pressure
D) Increased respiratory sinus arrhythmia

Question 6

Which of the following physiological variables is influenced by BOTH sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activation?

A) Cardiac interbeat interval
B) Cardiac pre-ejection period
C) Skin conductance
D) None of the above are influenced by both sympathetic and parasympathetic activation.

Question 7

Which of the following is the correct term for contraction of the intestines, moving food through the digestive system?

A) piloerection
B) vasoconstriction
C) peristalsis
D) homeostasis

Question 8

Which of the following is the correct definition of piloerection?

A) When the penis becomes erect prior to sexual intercourse
B) When the taste buds in the tongue pop out, in response to food or irritation
C) When the small hairs in the ears are activated by sound
D) When muscles around hair follicles contract, so the hair stands up on end

Question 9

One of the effects of heroin, many painkillers, and other opiate drugs is an increase in parasympathetic nervous system activation. If a patient comes into the emergency room and the doctor suspects he or she is under the influence of heroin, what simple physical symptom is the doctor likely to look for?

A) Cold, clammy hands
B) Very small pupils
C) Pale skin
D) Rapid breathing

Question 10

The endocrine system consists of:

A) a set of neurons carrying information from the brain to the visceral organs.
B) a set of neurons carrying information from the visceral organs to the brain.
C) a set of molecules carrying instructions through the bloodstream to visceral organs.
D) a set of molecules carrying sensory information from the body to the brain.

Question 11

Which of the following is both a neurotransmitter and a hormone?

A) Oxytocin
B) Dopamine
C) Cortisol
D) None of the above are both a neurotransmitter and a hormone

Question 12

In an ECG, researchers detect heart rate by measuring:

A) the sound of the heart beating.
B) the electrical activity generated by heart muscle in the process of contracting.
C) the change in pressure in the chest cavity, as the heart thumps.
D) the change in pressure in the blood vessels after the ventricles contract.

Question 13

Which of the following is the key advantage of cardiac interbeat interval (IBI) over beats per minute (BPM) as a measure of heart rate?

A) BPM can only be measured with an x-ray or similar imaging, whereas IBI can be measured with sensors placed on the skin.
B) Far more complex data analysis is required to calculate BPM than IBI.
C) IBI is only influenced by sympathetic activation, whereas BPM is influenced by both sympathetic and parasympathetic activation.
D) Changes in IBI can be measured on a finer scale than changes in BPM.

Question 14

Which of the following is the key advantage of pre-ejection period (PEP) over interbeat interval (IBI) as a measure of cardiac activity?

A) IBI can only be measured with an x-ray or similar imaging, whereas PEP can be measured with sensors placed on the skin.
B) PEP is influenced only by emotional stress, whereas IBI can also be influenced by physical movement.
C) PEP is only influenced by sympathetic activation, whereas IBI is influenced by both sympathetic and parasympathetic activation.
D) Changes in PEP can be measured on a finer scale than changes in IBI.

Question 15

Which of the following is the best definition of respiratory sinus arrhythmia?

A) The increase in heart rate due to sinus infection
B) The increase in heart rate caused by rapid breathing (hyperventilation)
C) The difference in heart rate between inhaling and exhaling
D) The change in the heart's rhythm due caused by strong emotion

Question 16

The heart's natural rhythm, determined by its pacemaker in the absence of any input from the autonomic nervous system, is approximately beats per minute.

A) 50
B) 70
C) 90
D) 110

Question 17

In order to interpret someone's heart rate during an experience of strong emotion, it must be compared to:

A) the same person's heart rate right before the emotional experience.
B) another person's heart rate during the same emotional experience.
C) the average person's heart rate at rest, in the absence of strong emotion.
D) the average person's heart rate during the same emotional experience.

Question 18

The study by Ekman, Levenson, and Friesen (1983) and the study by Levenson, Ekman, Heider, and Friesen (1992) both claimed to find differences in the autonomic nervous system "profiles" associated with different emotions. Which of the following classic emotion theorists predicted that different emotions might involve qualitatively different physiological profiles?

A) Schachter and Singer
B) James and Lange
C) Both Schachter-Singer and James-Lange would have made this prediction.
D) Neither Schachter-Singer nor James-Lange would have made this prediction.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the autonomic specificity hypothesis?

A) Each organ in the body is enervated by a specific branch of the autonomic nervous system.
B) Each emotion activates a specific visceral organ, by way of the autonomic nervous system.
C) Different emotions are associated with different degrees of sympathetic nervous system activation.
D) Different emotions are associated with different patterns of activity across organs throughout the body.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic component of the response to long-term physical or psychological stress?

A) Loss of appetite
B) Sleepiness and fatigue
C) Weakened immune system
D) Increased sex drive

Question 21

Which stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome, or stress response, is characterized by heightened cortisol activity?

A) Alarm
B) Resistance
C) Exhaustion
D) All of the above are characterized by high cortisol activity.

Question 22

Which stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome, or stress response, is characterized by very high sympathetic nervous system activation?

A) Alarm
B) Resistance
C) Exhaustion
D) All of the above are characterized by very high sympathetic activity.

Question 23

At which stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome, or stress response, is the body most vulnerable to infection and illness?

A) Alarm
B) Resistance
C) Exhaustion
D) All of the above are equally characterized by vulnerability to infection and illness.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT an effect of the hormone cortisol?

A) Cortisol mobilizes fats and proteins stored in the body, so they can be converted into glucose.
B) Cortisol increases blood pressure by retaining sodium and fluids, and by increasing vascular resistance.
C) Cortisol alters the density of dendrites and synapses in different parts of the brain.
D) Cortisol reduces metabolism, conserving glucose for future use.

Question 25

Which of the following statements about cortisol is FALSE?

A) In healthy people, cortisol is always low unless they have a stressful experience.
B) Cortisol enhances some aspects of immune functioning, and inhibits others
C) People with a history of chronic, intense stress, especially in childhood, often show a smaller-than-normal cortisol response to new stressful events.
D) All of the statements above are true.

Question 26

Either the sympathetic nervous system OR the parasympathetic nervous system is activated at any one time in a person's body; they cannot both be activated at once.

Question 27

When the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems both ennervate the same organ, they typically produce opposing effects.

Question 28

The arteries - blood vessels leading away from the heart - are surrounded by thin layers of smooth muscle than can constrict or relax.

Question 29

Effects of sympathetic nervous system activation are all caused by the same mechanism, so they all occur together; different effects cannot occur independent of the others.

Question 30

Evidence suggests that a sharp increase in the "stress hormone" cortisol upon waking up in the morning is normal and psychologically healthy.

Question 31

Only females have the hormones estrogen and progesterone; only males have testosterone.

Question 32

Research evidence suggests that people who more accurately perceive their body's visceral responses, such as changes in heart rate, also experience stronger negative emotions.

Question 33

The physiological stress response was discovered largely by accident, in a study designed to address the causes of cancer in rats.

Question 34

Describe one aspect of emotional experience in which both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activation are involved.

Question 35

Explain the difference between neurotransmitters and hormones.

Question 36

Differentiate the alarm, resistance, and exhaustion stages of Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome, a.k.a the stress response.

Question 37

The human stress response is one example of an aspect of human nature that was adaptive in our ancestral environment, yet can be problematic in the modern world. (i) Compare and contrast the nature of the typical stressor in the ancestral environment versus the modern, developed world. (ii) Describe three specific aspects of the human stress response that were adaptive for human ancestors, yet can threaten long-term health in the modern era.