Deck 10: Consciousnessconsciousness

Question 1

Which of these is a useful operational definition of consciousness?​

A)Someone who has a subjective experience of something is conscious of it.
B)​Someone who is aware of his or her surroundings is conscious of it.
C)​Someone who feels happy or sad about something was conscious of it.
D)​Someone who reports the presence of a stimulus was conscious of it.

Answer 1

​Someone who reports the presence of a stimulus was conscious of it.

Question 2

How does brain activity differ when you are conscious of some stimulus,compared to times when you are not conscious of the same stimulus?

A)Activity is greater and spreads more widely when you are conscious of something.
B)The action potentials travel faster when you are conscious of something.
C)Activity includes the pineal gland when you are conscious of something.
D)Activity is limited to the right hemisphere when you are conscious of something.

Answer 2

Activity is greater and spreads more widely when you are conscious of something.

Question 3

Suppose you see red horizontal stripes in one eye and green vertical stripes in the other.What would you probably experience?

A)Compromise: Yellow diagonal stripes
B)Alternation: First the red stripes, then green stripes, then red, and so forth
C)Dominance: Just the red or the green, and never the other
D)Superposition: Red stripes on top of green stripes

Answer 3

Alternation: First the red stripes, then green stripes, then red, and so forth

Question 4

What result says that we are conscious of a stimulus after it occurs,not while it is occurring?

A)Two stimuli side by side seem more different than the same stimuli farther apart.
B)You might not perceive a brief stimulus, but a longer one seems to last the whole time.
C)A strong stimulus followed by a weaker stimulus increases attention to the weaker one.
D)After you see a faint stimulus, a stronger one immediately after it seems especially strong.

Question 5

During binocular rivalry,what is the viewer's experience?

A)A totally blank field
B)A compromise that partly resembles each of two images
C)Two visual images at the same time
D)Alternation between one image and the other

Question 6

In binocular rivalry,you see an image in one eye and an incompatible image in the other.What do you perceive?

A)Something halfway between the two images
B)Alternation between one image and the other
C)One image on top of the other
D)Something different from both images

Question 7

When researchers measured brain activity during a binocular rivalry task,what did they find?

A)One stimulus activated the left hemisphere, and the other activated the right hemisphere.
B)Whichever stimulus became conscious activated the right hemisphere.
C)Whichever stimulus became conscious activated the left hemisphere.
D)Whichever stimulus became conscious activated wide areas of both hemispheres.

Question 8

What was one method researchers used to present a word so that people would be conscious of it on some trials and not others?

A)They sometimes presented the word to people who were in a coma.
B)They sometimes hypnotized people and told them not to see the word.
C)They sometimes made the word too small and blurry to see.
D)They sometimes presented a masking pattern after the word.

Question 9

Which of these questions about consciousness seems most answerable at present?

A)What brain activity occurs when you are conscious of some stimulus?
B)Why does consciousness exist at all?
C)Does consciousness have elements, like the elements of chemistry?
D)What conscious experiences do fetuses, newborns, and infants have?

Question 10

What happens in the procedure known as binocular rivalry?

A)One of your eyes is open while the other is closed.
B)One hemisphere of your brain is activated while the other is quieted.
C)You view something at a distance while talking about something close at hand.
D)You see one pattern in one eye and an incompatible pattern in the other eye.

Question 11

Several methods enable researchers to present a stimulus that reaches the eyes without the person seeing the stimulus consciously.Which of the following is NOT one of those methods?

A)Binocular rivalry
B)Flash suppression
C)Backward masking
D)Functional magnetic resonance imaging

Question 12

Which result implies that your brain processes much information unconsciously?​

A)You forget nonsense information faster than meaningful information.
B)​You respond faster to a meaningful stimulus than to a nonsense stimulus.
C)​You shift attention faster to a meaningful stimulus than to a nonsense stimulus.
D)​Your brain shows more response to a meaningful stimulus than to a nonsense stimulus.

Question 13

When researchers briefly flash a word and then present a masking pattern,what is the purpose of the masking pattern?

A)To give the observer a signal to respond
B)To measure how fast people shift attention
C)To increase stimulation of the visual cortex
D)To prevent consciousness of the word

Question 14

You don't consciously perceive a brief masked visual stimulus,but you do perceive a slightly longer one,which seems to have lasted the entire duration.What is the implication of this result?

A)Consciousness depends on connections between the brain and the spinal cord.
B)You sometimes construct a perception after a stimulus, not while it is occurring.
C)Unconscious mental processes can complete complex reasoning.
D)You need to have equal activity in both hemispheres of the brain to be conscious.

Question 15

What is the procedure known as flash suppression?

A)An observer is not conscious of a stimulus that flashes onto a screen too briefly.
B)Activity in the cones of the retina inhibits activity in the rods.
C)Dots flashing on and off block conscious perception of a stationary object.
D)A conscious observer may have brief periods of momentary unconsciousness.

Question 16

Suppose we present a weak,brief stimulus that an observer does not perceive consciously.What happens if we gradually increase the stimulus from one trial to the next?​

A)Either activity spreads widely in the brain or it does not. Intermediates do not occur.
B)​For stronger stimuli, activity gradually spreads to more and more of the brain.
C)​For stronger stimuli, action potentials gradually travel faster and faster.
D)​For stronger stimuli, activity gradually persists longer and longer in the brain.

Question 17

What method did researchers use so that an observer would be conscious of a visual stimulus on some trials and not conscious of the same stimulus on other trials?

A)They presented the stimulus sometimes during wakefulness and sometimes during sleep.
B)They gave the observer drugs that block activity in the visual cortex.
C)They presented masking stimuli before and after the stimulus.
D)They asked the observer sometimes to pretend not to see the stimulus.

Question 18

What do backward masking,flash suppression,and binocular rivalry have in common?

A)They are ways to measure the current activity of various brain areas.
B)They are ways to increase arousal of a patient in a minimally conscious state.
C)They are ways to probe the motivations and emotions of the unconscious mind.
D)They are ways to present a stimulus so someone will not be conscious of it.

Question 19

What,if anything,happens when you are conscious of a visual stimulus,that does not happen when you are unconscious of the same stimulus?

A)Activity spreads through more of your brain.
B)Activity starts in a different part of your brain.
C)Activity shifts from mostly the left hemisphere to mostly the right hemisphere.
D)Your brain activity is identical in both cases.

Question 20

Researchers present a series of stimuli,but prevent you from being conscious of certain ones of those stimuli.What happens when you are conscious of a stimulus?

A)The pineal gland becomes active.
B)The corpus callosum prevents the left and right hemispheres from synchronizing.
C)Brain activity becomes confined to one central area.
D)Activity spreads more widely in the brain.

Question 21

What is a key difference between spontaneous movements and movements in response to a stimulus?

A)Spontaneous movements are faster and fatigue more rapidly.
B)Spontaneous movements have more accurate aim.
C)Spontaneous movements use a different pattern of muscles.
D)Spontaneous movements develop more gradually.

Question 22

​Which result suggests that someone in a vegetative state might be conscious?

A)Some people in a vegetative state learned to blink their eyes to spell words.
B)​The brain shows increased activity during times when body temperature increases.
C)​An instruction to imagine doing something activated appropriate areas of the brain.
D)​Some people in a vegetative state turn toward the voices of people they know.

Question 23

Several studies indicate that brain activity preparing for a movement starts before the conscious decision to make the movement.Why is the interpretation of results uncertain?​

A)The results vary drastically from one culture to another.
B)​Researchers cannot accurately measure the time of a brain activity.
C)​People cannot accurately report the time when they made the movement.
D)​Voluntary decisions are gradual and difficult to pinpoint in time.

Question 24

Hibernating male ground squirrels emerge from their burrows before the females do,and before food is available.What important point does this fact demonstrate?​

A)Timing mechanisms are inaccurate, especially for males.
B)​Timing mechanisms prepare animals for future needs.
C)​Timing mechanisms are gradually evolving.
D)​Timing mechanisms operate on a circadian basis.

Question 25

What suggested that a woman in a vegetative state was conscious?

A)She turned toward the voices of familiar people but not unfamiliar people.
B)Part of her brain responded to the instruction, "imagine playing tennis."
C)She occasionally smiled or frowned while music was playing.
D)Painful stimuli caused an increase in her body temperature.

Question 26

While people watched a dot move around a clock,they decided when to flex their wrist,later reporting where the dot was when they made the conscious decision.What was the order of these events in time?​

A)Conscious decision, then brain activity, then action
B)​Conscious decision and brain activity at the same time, then action
C)​Conscious decision, then brain activity and action at the same time
D)​Brain activity, then conscious decision, then action

Question 27

Why is it likely that people can report the time of a visual stimulus more accurately than the time of a voluntary decision to make a movement?

A)People are reluctant to describe their voluntary decisions.
B)Voluntary decisions are slow and gradual.
C)The visual cortex is larger than the motor cortex.
D)Visual stimuli activate the language areas as well as the visual areas of the brain.

Question 28

People remembered and later reported the time when they decided to flex their wrist.Researchers recorded the times of the movement,the reported decision,and when activity began to increase in the premotor cortex.Which,if any,happened FIRST?

A)The decision
B)The movement
C)The brain activity
D)All three at once

Question 29

In which of these conditions does someone show the greatest responsiveness and brain activity?​

A)Brain death
B)​Minimally conscious state
C)​Vegetative state
D)​Coma

Question 30

People reported the letter they saw on a screen at the time when they decided whether to press a button with the left or right hand.Researchers recorded brain activity in both hemispheres.When did activity preparing for a left or right hand movement begin?​

A)Almost half a second after the reported time of the decision
B)​At almost exactly the same time as the reported decision
C)​At almost exactly the same time as the movement itself
D)​Seven or more seconds before the reported time of the decision

Question 31

Research suggests that brain activity preparing for a movement starts before the conscious decision to make the movement.Which uncertainty is a possible problem with this research?

A)How accurately researchers can measure the time when brain activity starts
B)How accurately people can report the time of a voluntary decision
C)How accurately researchers can measure the time when the movement itself starts
D)How much the results vary between the left hand and the right hand

Question 32

​About how long does a circadian rhythm last?

A)A year
B)​A day
C)​An hour
D)​A few minutes

Question 33

One man in a vegetative state answered yes/no questions by doing what?

A)Wiggling a finger of his left hand or his right hand
B)Increasing or decreasing his rate of eye blinks
C)Smiling or frowning
D)Increasing brain activity in one or another brain area

Question 34

What is characteristic of someone in a vegetative state?

A)No brain activity and no response to any stimulus
B)Low, steady brain activity and no response to any stimulus
C)Limited responsiveness, such as increased heart rate in response to pain
D)Brief periods of purposeful actions and speech comprehension

Question 35

In which of these conditions does someone show the least responsiveness and brain activity?

A)Brain death
B)​Minimally conscious state
C)​Vegetative state
D)​Coma

Question 36

People made a spontaneous decision of when to flex a wrist,and later reported the time of that decision.What was the key result?

A)The reported decision took place a few milliseconds before the brain activity began.
B)The reported decision took place at the same time when the brain activity began.
C)Brain activity preparing for the movement started before the reported decision.
D)Most people reported the time of the decision at the same time the movement started.

Question 37

What is characteristic of someone in a coma?

A)No brain activity and no response to any stimulus
B)Low, steady brain activity and no response to any stimulus
C)Limited responsiveness, such as increased heart rate in response to pain
D)Brief periods of purposeful actions and speech comprehension

Question 38

What is characteristic of someone in a minimally conscious state?

A)No brain activity and no response to any stimulus
B)Low, steady brain activity and no response to any stimulus
C)Limited responsiveness, such as increased heart rate in response to pain
D)Brief periods of purposeful actions and speech comprehension

Question 39

​What do some people in a vegetative state do that suggests they may be conscious?

A)They smile or frown in response to pleasant or unpleasant sounds.
B)​They respond to instructions by activating appropriate areas of the brain.
C)​They repeat what they hear someone say.
D)​They point their hands toward sounds and bright lights.

Question 40

People remembered and reported the time when they decided to flex the wrist.Researchers compared that report to the time when activity began increasing in the premotor cortex.What was the theoretical importance of the results?

A)They suggest that the conscious mind is separate from brain activity.
B)They suggest that conscious thought depends mainly on the right hemisphere.
C)They suggest that conscious thought overrules unconscious processes.
D)They suggest that conscious thought does not control our actions.

Question 41

Why do most people in eastern Germany prefer to awaken a bit earlier than those in west Germany?​

A)The television schedule keeps people awake later in west Germany than in east Germany.
B)​The workday starts earlier in east Germany than is west Germany.
C)​On average, the people in east Germany are younger than those in west Germany.
D)​The sun rises earlier in east Germany.

Question 42

Why do "morning people" tend to get better grades in school than "evening people"?

A)"Morning people" tend to be more intelligent, on average.
B)​"Morning people" tend to be more motivated, on average.
C)More classes and tests are scheduled in the morning than in the evening.
D)"Morning people" tend to have a more active social life.

Question 43

On a submarine with constant artificial light and no sunlight,what happens to a sleep-wake cycle?​

A)Depending on the brightness of the light, people are always wakeful or always sleepy.
B)​People become alert when they have something to do, but otherwise sleepy.
C)​People continue to alternate between wakeful and sleepy on a 24-hour basis.
D)​People feel wakeful and sleepy on an irregular and unpredictable basis.

Question 44

How does memory change during the day for young and old adults?

A)Young people do equally well all day, and old people do best late in the day.
B)​Young people do best early in the day, and old people do equally well all day.
C)Young people do best early in the day, and old people do best later.
D)Young people do best later in the day, and old people do best early.

Question 45

​In most cases jet lag is most intense for people traveling which direction?

A)West to east
B)​East to west
C)​South to north
D)​North to south

Question 46

What is the difference,on average,between the circadian rhythms of young and old people?​

A)On average, older adults are most alert later in the day.
B)​On average, older adults are most alert early in the day.
C)​Most young adults are equally alert at all times of day.
D)​Most older adults are equally alert at all times of day.

Question 47

Which of these flights would produce the most intense jet lag for most people?​

A)Chicago to Paris
B)​Paris to Chicago
C)​Chicago to Dallas
D)​Dallas to Chicago

Question 48

Under what circumstance do old people perform best on memory and cognition?​

A)Test in late afternoon or evening.
B)​Test early in the morning.
C)​Test when heart rate and breathing rate are low.
D)​Test with music in the background.

Question 49

Under what condition do memory tests most underestimate the abilities of older adults?​

A)If the tests are done in the morning
B)​If the tests are done in the evening
C)​If people drink coffee before taking the test
D)​If people are tested one at a time

Question 50

​What,if anything,does the rising and setting of the sun contribute to circadian rhythms?

A)The rising and setting of the sun causes you to wake up or feel sleepy.
B)​The rising and setting of the sun resets your internal circadian rhythm.
C)​The rising and setting of the sun teaches you a 24-hour rhythm instead of a faster or slower one.
D)​The rising and setting of the sun contributes nothing to circadian rhythms.

Question 51

How does alertness vary when people go without sleep for several days?

A)It decreases steadily with each passing hour.
B)In general it decreases, but it is better each morning than the night before.
C)It decreases for about 24 hours and then remains constant.
D)It decreases for about 90 minutes, then increases for 90 minutes, and so forth.

Question 52

When people stay awake for 3 days in a row,how does their sleepiness vary over time?

A)It increases each night and decreases the next morning.
B)It increases steadily as time passes.
C)It increases and decreases on a 90-minute cycle.
D)It increases for the first 24 hours and then remains constant.

Question 53

Which type of people are more likely than average to be "morning people"?​

A)Left-handed women
B)​Redheads and blondes 
C)​People over age 65
D)​People ages 20 to 30

Question 54

How well do young and old people perform on memory tasks at different times of day?​

A)On average, both young and old do best in the morning.
B)​On average, young people do best in the evening, and old people do best in the morning.
C)​On average, young people do best in the morning, and old people do best in the evening.
D)​On average, both young and old do best in the evening.

Question 55

Suppose you have a habit of going to sleep late and awakening late,but now you shift to an earlier schedule.Your adjustment will be as if you were traveling which direction?​

A)South to north
B)​North to south
C)​East to west
D)​West to east

Question 56

On average,what advantage do "morning people" have over "evening people"?​

A)"Morning people" tend to have a more active social life.
B)​"Morning people" tend to have equal alertness at all times of day.
C)​"Morning people" tend to get better grades in school.
D)​"Morning people" tend to have a more extraverted personality.

Question 57

If you were on a submarine deep in the ocean with artificial light that was constant at all times,what would happen to your rhythm of wakefulness and sleepiness?​

A)You would feel wakeful and sleepy on an irregular, unpredictable schedule.
B)​You would feel a constant state of low-alertness wakefulness.
C)​You would continue feeling wakeful and sleepy on a nearly 24-hour basis.
D)​You would feel sleepy after any physical exertion, and wakeful about 8 hours later.

Question 58

​Which of the following improves the memory performance of most young adults but impairs the performance of most old adults?

A)Testing memory in the evening
B)​Testing memory during sunny weather
C)​Testing memory after drinking coffee
D)​Testing memory in a noisy room

Question 59

What tends to happen to circadian rhythms and sleep as people grow older?​

A)People become more likely to be evening people.
B)​People become more likely to be morning people.
C)​People's circadian rhythms tend to get longer than 24 hours.
D)​People tend to sleep more hours per night.

Question 60

What happens if someone stays awake for several days?

A)Alertness decreases steadily throughout the period of wakefulness.
B)Alertness decreases for the first day and then remains steady.
C)Alertness is better in the morning than it was during the previous night.
D)Alertness increases and decreases on an irregular, unpredictable basis.

Question 61

What is one likely explanation for why cats and bats evolved a tendency to sleep many hours?

A)They have little risk of being attacked during their sleep.
B)They are less physically active during the day than other species.
C)They eat diets that are relatively low in calories.
D)They have smaller brains, compared to other species of similar size.

Question 62

Which type of blind person tends to be wakeful in synchrony with sunlight,and why?​

A)People blind as a result of cortical damage continue to synchronize to sunlight, because visual input still reaches the brain area that controls wakefulness.
B)​People blind as a result of cortical damage continue to synchronize to sunlight, because they respond to the gravitational pull of the sun.
C)​People blind as a result of eye damage continue to synchronize to sunlight, because they respond to light striking the skin.
D)​People blind as a result of eye damage continue to synchronize to sunlight, because they respond to the gravitational pull of the sun.

Question 63

​If you stay in a cave with no light,you still maintain a 24-hour cycle of waking and sleeping.Why?

A)Your brain generates the cycle.
B)​You detect the pull of the moon, just as the tides do.
C)​You respond to slight changes in temperature.
D)​You maintain a learned habit.

Question 64

​Shifting to daylight saving time in spring (awakening earlier)is comparable to jet leg from traveling which direction?

A)East to west
B)​West to east
C)​North to south
D)​South to north

Question 65

Sleep lasts longest per day in which animal species?​

A)Whales
B)​Predators 
C)​Humans
D)​Hoofed animals

Question 66

What is responsible for the circadian rhythm of wakefulness and sleepiness?​

A)An area in the brain generates this rhythm.
B)​The body responds to changes in the temperature of the environment.
C)​Each individual learns this rhythm by imitating others of its species.
D)​The body responds to the same influences that produce the tides.

Question 67

Which of the following happens when mammals or birds sleep?​

A)Lower body temperature
B)​Increased blood flow to the brain
C)​Increased blood flow to the muscles
D)​Increased sensitivity to sounds

Question 68

​If you have traveled six time zones east and you are trying to get to sleep at the appropriate time,which pill might help?

A)Ritalin
B)​Melatonin
C)​L-dopa
D)​Haldol

Question 69

​What is one likely explanation for why horses evolved a tendency to sleep few hours per night?

A)They have less need than other species to consolidate their memories.
B)​They eat a diet that is unusually rich in calories.
C)​They are at high risk of being attacked during their sleep.
D)​They have higher body temperatures than most other mammals.

Question 70

The fact that people in eastern Germany prefer to wake up about half an hour earlier than those in western Germany supports which of these conclusions?​

A)Sunrise resets the circadian rhythm.
B)​Older people are more likely than young people to be "morning people."
C)​Cycling through the stages of sleep takes about 90 minutes, on average.
D)​REM sleep is more common at some times of night than at others.

Question 71

​Shifting to daylight saving time in spring (awakening earlier)produces temporary symptoms similar to which of the following?

A)Sleep apnea
B)​Narcolepsy
C)​Jet lag
D)​Lucid dreaming

Question 72

​Why does watching television or using a computer late at night sometimes interfere with sleep?

A)Those devices emit the type of light that resets the circadian rhythm.
B)​Those devices emit ultrasonic vibrations that increase heart rate.
C)​The excitement from using those devices increases production of steroid hormones.
D)​The content of those devices causes dreams to start earlier than usual in the night.

Question 73

​Sunlight plays what role,if any,in circadian rhythms?

A)Sunlight resets the rhythms.
B)​We learn from sunlight to set our rhythms at 24 hours instead of some other length.
C)​The brightness of sunlight increases the length of the circadian rhythm.
D)​Sunlight is irrelevant to circadian rhythms.

Question 74

Which of these is an important reason for sleep?​

A)Sleep increases blood flow to the muscles.
B)​Sleep saves energy.
C)​Sleep increases blood flow to the brain.
D)​Sleep increases the speed of all the body's chemical reactions.

Question 75

Which of these might cause the loss of your circadian rhythm of wakefulness and sleepiness?​

A)Damage to any of the endocrine glands
B)​Damage to a small area in the brain
C)​Near-sightedness
D)​Deafness 

Question 76

​Which body organ generates our 24-hour rhythm of wakefulness and sleepiness?

A)The brain
B)​The adrenal gland
C)​The heart
D)​The thyroid gland

Question 77

Which hormone has the greatest influence on sleepiness?​

A)Testosterone
B)​Adrenaline 
C)​Insulin
D)​Melatonin 

Question 78

​For workers on the midnight to 8 a.m. shift, which of these would help adjust the circadian rhythms?

A)​​Bright lights during the work period
B)Loud music during the work period
C)​Social activity during the work period
D)Pleasant odors during the work period

Question 79

Why do we feel wakeful and sleepy on a 24-hour schedule?​

A)The body responds to changes in the temperature and lighting of the environment.
B)​An area in the brain generates this rhythm.
C)​Muscular activity produces lactate, which leads to sleepiness.
D)​A feedback cycle among several endocrine organs generates this rhythm.

Question 80

When people have to shift from one work schedule to another,which of the following helps them adjust to the shift most easily?​

A)Shift to a schedule that starts work a few hours earlier in the day.
B)​Shift to a schedule that starts work a few hours later in the day.
C)​Shift the schedule frequently, at least once a week.
D)​Keep the lights dim for people working the late night shift.