Deck 8: The Anatomy and Physiology of Personality

Question 1

What part of the human brain seems to be the most distinct from the brains of nonhuman animals?

A) hypothalamus
B) amygdala
C) hippocampus
D) neocortex

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which brain structure seems to play an important role in memory?

A) basal ganglia
B) hypothalamus
C) thalamus
D) hippocampus

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Evidence from research and from brain damage case studies suggests that the ________ is/are the location of cognitive control, serving to anticipate and plan the future and help to regulate emotions in response to it.

A) frontal lobes
B) amygdala
C) ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)
D) hippocampus

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In 1966, Charles Whitman killed his wife, his mother, and 14 more people at the University of Texas before he was killed by police. An autopsy revealed a tumor affecting Whitman's ________.

A) frontal lobe
B) amygdala
C) ventromedial cortex
D) cerebellum

Question 5

According to Eysenck's theory, which type of person should exhibit the greatest salivation in the lemon juice test?

A) an extravert
B) an introvert
C) a neurotic
D) a psychopath

Question 6

Nerves that send messages from the body to the brain are called ________, whereas nerves that carry messages from the brain to the body are called ________.

A) afferent nerves; efferent nerves
B) efferent nerves; afferent nerves
C) interneurons; extraneurons
D) extraneurons; interneurons

Question 7

What term refers to images of very thin slices of the brain?

A) X-rays
B) tomographs
C) magnetic images
D) sonographs

Question 8

What is the oldest brain-imaging technique?

A) electroencephalography (EEG)
B) magnetoencephalography (MEG)
C) positron emission tomography (PET)
D) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Question 9

What term refers to brain regions that have been injured, removed, or destroyed?

A) lesions
B) afferent areas
C) tomographs
D) efferent areas

Question 10

Which of these brain structures is thought to play a role in judging whether stimuli offer threats or rewards?

A) amygdala
B) hippocampus
C) ventromedial cortex
D) ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)

Question 11

Nerve fibers that organize and regulate transmissions between nerves are called ________.

A) afferent nerves
B) efferent nerves
C) interneurons
D) extraneurons

Question 12

According to Eysenck, differences between introverts and extraverts are attributable to the functioning of the ________.

A) limbic system
B) ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)
C) hormones
D) frontal cortex

Question 13

According to the text, surgeons discovered that stimulating the central region of the left ________ produced symptoms of depression.

A) frontal cortex
B) substantia nigra
C) amygdala
D) ascending reticular activating system

Question 14

What brain region appears to be important for the abilities to plan ahead, to anticipate consequences, and to engage in moral reasoning?

A) basal ganglia
B) amygdala
C) frontal lobes
D) hippocampus

Question 15

Which brain region secretes several hormones and is located just above the roof of the mouth?

A) cingulate
B) hypothalamus
C) frontal lobes
D) hippocampus

Question 16

Ricardo likes to drive fast cars and enjoys bungee jumping and going to noisy nightclubs. According to Eysenck's theory, it is likely that Ricardo is a(n) ________ whose ARAS causes him to be chronically ________.

A) neurotic; overstimulated
B) neurotic; understimulated
C) extravert; overaroused
D) extravert; underaroused

Question 17

The ________ signal shows differences in brain activity levels in one condition versus another condition in an fMRI experiment.

A) electroencephalographic (EEG)
B) transcranial differential (TD)
C) blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD)
D) perfusion imaging (PI)

Question 18

What technique can be used to temporarily knock out regions of the brain without having to create lasting lesions?

A) electroencephalography
B) magnetoencephalography
C) transcranial magnetic stimulation
D) encephalographic stimulation

Question 19

What neurotransmitter is NOT typically associated with the substantia nigra?

A) dopamine
B) norepinephrine
C) serotonin
D) oxytocin

Question 20

The projections from nerves that receive stimulation are called ________.

A) axons
B) dendrites
C) afferents
D) efferents

Question 21

The case of railroad worker Phineas Gage illustrates that ________.

A) brain injuries affect physical but not psychological functioning
B) injuries to the brain can affect personality and behavior
C) the amygdala has important effects on fear and anger
D) the right hemisphere is the province of image-oriented, intuitive thinking

Question 22

What part of Phineas Gage's brain was damaged in his accident?

A) hippocampus
B) brain stem
C) cerebellum
D) frontal lobes

Question 23

According to research by modern health psychologists, the choleric, or chronically hostile, person seems to be at extra risk for ________.

A) a heart attack
B) cancer
C) diabetes
D) Alzheimer's disease

Question 24

Which of the following was NOT one of bodily humors?

A) blood
B) black bile
C) phlegm
D) marrow

Question 25

The term ________ refers to the body's natural painkillers, chemicals that act in an ________ fashion.

A) monoamine oxidase; excitatory
B) dopamine; inhibitory
C) endorphins; inhibitory
D) serotonin; excitatory

Question 26

Capgras syndrome arises from damage to the

A) amygdala
B) ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)
C) right frontal lobe
D) left frontal lobe

Question 27

According to Galen, an excess of yellow bile would cause a person to be ________.

A) depressed and melancholic
B) cold and apathetic
C) cheerful and robust
D) angry and bitter

Question 28

One reason why the results of psychosurgeries are often erratic is that ________.

A) different brain structures have different functional roles in different people
B) brain systems might be more important for functioning than discrete areas
C) tools designed to lesion the brain are not very sophisticated.
D) the infections that often accompany these surgeries further damage the brain

Question 29

What brain region seems to connect the two halves of the brain?

A) ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)
B) frontal lobes
C) corpus callosum
D) hippocampus

Question 30

Which of the following would NOT be a pronounced symptom in a patient who suffers frontal lobe damage?

A) impaired language abilities
B) problems with decision making
C) flattened emotional responses
D) self-control difficulties

Question 31

The neurotransmitter dopamine is associated with systems that ________.

A) respond to reward
B) generate acute feelings of anxiety
C) block the effects of opiates
D) generate vertigo

Question 32

According to Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis, damage to the right frontal lobes impairs a person's ________, which then impairs his or her ________.

A) emotional reactions to events and thoughts; ability to make decisions about what is and is not important
B) primary visual and auditory cortexes; ability to distinguish real sensory stimulation from hallucinations
C) reptilian brain; ability to perform creative activities as opposed to simple responses and fixed patterns of behavior
D) ability to experience pain; fear of consequences

Question 33

Which of the following chemicals breaks down certain neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin?

A) monoamine oxidase
B) endorphins
C) interneurons
D) dopamine

Question 34

Galen suggested that there were ________ basic types of personality, each linked to an excessive amount of a different ________.

A) five; hormone
B) three; neurotransmitter
C) four; bodily humor
D) two; inhibitory neural mechanism

Question 35

Before brain surgery, Elliott was a good father and held a responsible job. After removal of portions of his frontal lobe, what prediction about Elliott's personality is likely to come true?

A) He will experience visual hallucinations.
B) He will experience auditory hallucinations.
C) His emotional reactions and decision-making abilities will be impaired.
D) He will be even more driven and focused on his work.

Question 36

What symptom is associated with Capgras syndrome?

A) the spontaneous production of curse words
B) wild emotional swings in response to loved ones
C) an inability to experience fear
D) a failure to feel an emotional response to loved ones

Question 37

Which brain region is important for detecting a discrepancy between the actual world and expectations about the world?

A) ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)
B) amygdala
C) anterior cingulate
D) right frontal lobe

Question 38

Early reports about personality and emotional changes in Phineas Gage after his accident led to ________.

A) an increased appreciation for substantia nigra
B) an increased appreciation for the difficulties with neurosurgeries
C) neurosurgeons performing lobotomies to control maladaptive behavior
D) a better understanding of how oxytocin functions in the brain

Question 39

What term describes the junction between two neurons?

A) neurotransmitter
B) synapse
C) axon
D) node

Question 40

Chemicals that facilitate communication between neurons are called ________.

A) synapses
B) hormones
C) neurotransmitters
D) inhibitory communicators

Question 41

What is the technical name for drugs like Prozac?

A) selective serotonin depletion inhibitors
B) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
C) serotonin selection and reuptake facilitators
D) serotonin reuptake facilitators

Question 42

A general tendency toward excessive behavior and numerous sex partners has been linked to ________.

A) a failure in dopamine reuptake
B) synaptic decay
C) high testosterone levels
D) an estrogen imbalance

Question 43

According to DeYoung's theory, which neurotransmitter is the foundation of plasticity?

A) oxytocin
B) monoamine oxidase
C) serotonin
D) dopamine

Question 44

High levels of cortisol appear to be associated with ________, and low levels of cortisol appear to be associated with ________.

A) stress, anxiety, and depression; impulsivity and sensation seeking
B) extraversion; introversion
C) extraversion; neuroticism
D) the left frontal lobe; the right frontal lobe

Question 45

Low levels of cortisol are associated with which psychological disorder?

A) Type A personality
B) social phobias
C) post-traumatic stress syndrome
D) antisocial personality disorder

Question 46

The chemicals that are released from the hypothalamus, the gonads, and the adrenal cortex are called ________.

A) synapses
B) hormones
C) neurotransmitters
D) inhibitory communicators

Question 47

In one study, male U.S. military veterans were asked about their past behaviors. Those with higher testosterone levels more often reported ________.

A) having assaulted others
B) having very few sexual partners
C) problems with depression
D) experiencing delusions

Question 48

Which hormone seems to play an important role in bonding and romantic attachment?

A) norepinephrine
B) serotonin
C) cortisol
D) oxytocin

Question 49

Wayne tends to suffer from chronic pessimism, is hypersensitive to rejection, worries obsessively, and is prone to sudden bursts of irrational anger. He is exhibiting the symptoms of ________.

A) high norepinephrine levels
B) serotonin depletion
C) hormonal imbalance
D) low dopamine levels

Question 50

What brain structure in conjunction with dopamine works to form the "Go" system in Gray's model?

A) ascending reticular activating system
B) substantia nigra
C) nucleus accumbens
D) amygdala

Question 51

Which hormone has been associated with levels of stable extraversion?

A) dopamine
B) testosterone
C) oxytocin
D) serotonin

Question 52

Which hormone is associated with the fight-or-flight response?

A) epinephrine
B) serotonin
C) monoamine oxidase
D) dopamine

Question 53

According to Jeffrey Gray's theory, dopamine is associated with the reward-seeking ________ system.

A) behavioral activation
B) behavioral inhibition
C) ascending reticular activating
D) descending reticular activating

Question 54

Which glucocorticoid hormone involved with the fight-or-flight response generates increased heart rate and blood pressure?

A) serotonin
B) estrogen
C) progesterone
D) cortisol

Question 55

According to DeYoung's theory, which neurotransmitter is the foundation of stability?

A) oxytocin
B) monoamine oxidase
C) serotonin
D) dopamine

Question 56

What is the best description of the role that testosterone plays in personality?

A) It acts as a direct cause of frustration.
B) It acts as an energizing factor that accentuates existing behavioral tendencies.
C) It acts as a dampening factor that reduces existing behavioral tendencies.
D) It seems to directly influence levels of agreeableness in men but not in women.

Question 57

Excess cortisol production might be linked to ________.

A) heart disease
B) sexual dysfunction
C) aggression
D) an increase in brain size

Question 58

A study of the associations between testosterone levels and spectator sports demonstrates that ________.

A) testosterone can cause aggressive behavior while viewing a sporting event
B) testosterone can be influenced by the outcome of a sporting event
C) there is no association between aggression and testosterone in people who watch sports
D) those low in testosterone were not able to sit through an entire sporting event

Question 59

Which hormone is associated with the tend-and-befriend response?

A) epinephrine
B) serotonin
C) oxytocin
D) dopamine

Question 60

One problem researchers experience when attempting to directly link testosterone to aggression and sexuality is that ________.

A) the relationships have never been studied in women
B) testosterone seems to affect sexual desire in men but not in women
C) it is difficult to determine the causal direction because aggression and sex can affect testosterone levels
D) both sex and especially aggression are difficult to study in the lab

Question 61

A low level of monoamine oxidase (MAO) in the blood seems to correlate with sensation seeking and criminal behavior.

Question 62

The person who performed the first psychosurgery on the frontal lobes of humans won a Nobel Prize.

Question 63

According to the somatic marker hypothesis, specific regions of the brain store specific life memories.

Question 64

Phineas Gage's memory systems were gravely damaged in his accident.

Question 65

Drugs like Prozac and Paxil primarily work on the dopamine system.

Question 66

Introverts are more chronically aroused than extraverts.

Question 67

Which piece of evidence is least relevant to Anne Campbell's theory concerning the function of oxytocin?

A) Oxytocin increases during childbirth.
B) Oxytocin is related to fight-or-flight behaviors.
C) Oxytocin is related to sexual activity and orgasm.
D) Oxytocin is related to breast feeding.

Question 68

Explain why it is so difficult to study links between personality and the brain. What methods have been proposed and what are the difficulties associated with each of these methods?

Question 69

Damasio's patient named Elliott had brain damage to the same region that was injured in Phineas Gage.

Question 70

The importance of integrated systems in the functioning of the brain suggests why the results of psychosurgery are often erratic.

Question 71

Epinephrine is found only in the central nervous system.

Question 72

Hormones carry nerve impulses across synapses.

Question 73

The neurotransmitter serotonin is associated with the reward deficiency hypothesis.

Question 74

Some researchers argue that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) might be better classified as antineurotics rather than antidepressants.

Question 75

The ancient Romans believed that someone with an excess of blood tended to be cheerful, ruddy, and robust.

Question 76

According to the textbook, which of the following is the best description of the causal link between biological processes and social behavior?

A) Biological processes cause social behavior, but not vice versa.
B) Social behavior causes biological processes, but not vice versa.
C) Biological processes and social behavior are both causes and effects of each other.
D) There is no evidence of a causal link between biological processes and social behavior.

Question 77

According to one theory proposed by Australian psychologists, oxytocin is more than just a "love" hormone because it seems to ________.

A) facilitate approach behavior
B) accentuate all behavioral tendencies
C) facilitate sex as well as bonding
D) places individuals at risk for social phobias

Question 78

Norepinephrine is both a neurotransmitter in the brain and a hormone in the body.

Question 79

The biggest bundle of interneurons in the body is the brain.

Question 80

One theory about oxytocin is that the hormone is especially relevant for helping men bond with offspring given that men do not become pregnant.