Deck 2: The Biology of Behavior

Question 1

Brain scans indicate that well-practiced pianists have a larger-than-usual auditory cortex area that encodes piano sounds. This best illustrates

A) hemispherectomy.
B) tomography.
C) neurogenesis.
D) plasticity.

Answer 1

plasticity.

Question 2

The peripheral nervous system consists of

A) association areas.
B) the spinal cord.
C) the reticular formation.
D) sensory and motor neurons.

Answer 2

sensory and motor neurons.

Question 3

To monitor the electrical activity in the brain that is triggered by hearing one's own name, researchers would make use of a(n)

A) MRI.
B) PET scan.
C) EEG.
D) brain lesion.

Answer 3

EEG.

Question 4

The regions of the parietal lobes that are involved in mathematical and spatial reasoning are known as

A) the amygdala.
B) reward centers.
C) the reticular formation.
D) association areas.

Question 5

To excite or inhibit an action potential in a receiving neuron, a neurotransmitter must cross the

A) axon.
B) synaptic gap.
C) glial cell.
D) endocrine glands.

Question 6

Natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control are called

A) glial cells.
B) dendrites.
C) hormones.
D) endorphins.

Question 7

Chromosomes are composed of

A) epigenetic molecules.
B) synapses.
C) neurotransmitters.
D) deoxyribonucleic acid.

Question 8

Studies of the relative impact of nature and nurture on human differences in aggressiveness best illustrate the research efforts of

A) Freudian psychologists.
B) behavior geneticists.
C) evolutionary psychologists.
D) neurologists.

Question 9

Which hormone enables contractions associated with birthing and milk flow during nursing?

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

Question 10

Although Ron has no genital sensations, he is capable of an erection if his genitals are stimulated. Ron's experience is most indicative of a

A) hemispherectomy.
B) severed spinal cord.
C) split brain.
D) reward deficiency syndrome.

Question 11

An axon transmits messages ________ the cell body and a dendrite transmits messages ________ the cell body.

A) away from; toward
B) away from; away from
C) toward; away from
D) toward; toward

Question 12

The vast majority of neurons in the body's information system are

A) stem cells.
B) interneurons.
C) motor neurons.
D) sensory neurons.

Question 13

The visual cortex is located in the

A) occipital lobes.
B) parietal lobes.
C) temporal lobes.
D) association areas.

Question 14

The release of epinephrine and norepinephrine ________ blood pressure and ________ blood sugar levels.

A) raises; raises
B) lowers; lowers
C) raises; lowers
D) lowers; raises

Question 15

Drugs that block the reuptake of serotonin will thereby increase the concentration of serotonin molecules in the

A) axon terminals.
B) synaptic gaps.
C) glial cells.
D) endocrine glands.

Question 16

If chronic child abuse alters a victim's gene expression in such a fashion as to facilitate depression and suicide, this would be said to illustrate

A) homeostasis.
B) an epigenetic
C) multiple sclerosis.
D) hemispherectomy.

Question 17

Following massive damage to his frontal lobes, Phineas Gage was most strikingly debilitated by

A) multiple sclerosis.
B) brain plasticity.
C) auditory hallucinations.
D) irritability.

Question 18

Evolutionary psychologists attribute the human tendency to fear snakes and heights to

A) oxytocin.
B) lateralization.
C) brain plasticity.
D) genetic predispositions.

Question 19

The release of ________ to muscle cell receptors triggers muscle contractions.

A) ACh
B) serotonin
C) dopamine
D) adrenaline

Question 20

Two individuals are most likely to differ in personality if they are

A) fraternal twins who were raised together.
B) identical twins who were raised apart.
C) fraternal twins who were raised apart.
D) identical twins who were raised together.

Question 21

After suffering an accidental brain injury, Kira has difficulty walking in a smooth and coordinated manner. She has probably suffered damage to her

A) amygdala.
B) hypothalamus.
C) cerebellum.
D) corpus callosum.

Question 22

Compared with fraternal twins, identical twins are

A) less similar in their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and less similar in risk of being emotionally unstable.
B) more similar in their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and more similar in risk of being emotionally unstable.
C) equally similar in their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and more similar in risk of being emotionally unstable.
D) more similar in their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and equally similar in risk of being emotionally unstable.

Question 23

Research with split-brain patients suggests that the ________ typically constructs the theories people offer to explain their own behaviors.

A) autonomic nervous system
B) left cerebral hemisphere
C) somatic nervous system
D) right cerebral hemisphere

Question 24

In emphasizing that heredity's effects on behavior depend on a person's home environment, psychologists are highlighting the importance of

A) tomography.
B) neurogenesis.
C) lateralization.
D) nature-nurture interactions.

Question 25

The limbic system structure that regulates hunger is called the

A) thalamus.
B) amygdala.
C) hippocampus.
D) hypothalamus.

Question 26

The prevalence of genetically predisposed traits that have a reproductive advantage is best explained in terms of

A) epigenetics.
B) natural selection.
C) behavior genetics.
D) brain plasticity.

Question 27

Which of the following would be most useful for detecting the brain areas that are most active as a person performs mathematical calculations?

A) a brain lesion
B) an interneuron
C) a PET scan
D) a hemispherectomy

Question 28

When Sandy scalded her toe in a tub of hot water, the pain message was carried to her spinal cord by the ________ nervous system.

A) somatic
B) sympathetic
C) parasympathetic
D) central

Question 29

A researcher stimulates the area of the brain that receives visual information. She is stimulating the

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

Question 30

Research has suggested that a reward deficiency syndrome may contribute to

A) homeostasis.
B) substance use disorder.
C) schizophrenia.
D) Parkinson's disease.

Question 31

Melissa has just completed running a marathon. She is so elated that she feels little fatigue or discomfort. Her lack of pain is probably the result of the release of

A) ACh.
B) endorphins.
C) dopamine.
D) norepinephrine.

Question 32

Which of the following are governed by the simplest neural pathways?

A) emotions
B) physiological drives, such as hunger
C) reflexes
D) movements, such as walking

Question 33

Which portion of the cerebral cortex is most directly involved in making plans and formulating moral judgments?

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

Question 34

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is most likely to be found

A) at the junction between sensory neurons and muscle fibers.
B) at the junction between motor neurons and muscle fibers.
C) at junctions between interneurons.
D) in all of these locations.

Question 35

If a fraternal twin develops schizophrenia, the likelihood of the other twin developing serious mental illness is much lower than with identical twins. This suggests that

A) schizophrenia is caused by genes.
B) schizophrenia is influenced by genes.
C) environment is unimportant in the development of schizophrenia.
D) identical twins are especially vulnerable to mental disorders.

Question 36

The myelin sheath that is on some neurons

A) increases the speed of neural transmission.
B) slows neural transmission.
C) regulates the release of neurotransmitters.
D) prevents positive ions from passing through the membrane.

Question 37

The technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer images of structures within the brain is called

A) the EEG.
B) a lesion.
C) a PET scan.
D) MRI.

Question 38

Which of the following is typically controlled by the left hemisphere?

A) making inferences
B) word recognition
C) the left side of the body
D) perceptual skills

Question 39

Which of the following is a major source of genetic diversity?

A) brain plasticity
B) lateralization
C) mutations
D) homeostasis

Question 40

I am a relatively fast-acting chemical messenger that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal. What am I?

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

Question 41

Mutations are random errors in ________ replication.

A) gene
B) chromosome
C) DNA
D) protein

Question 42

Genes direct our physical development by synthesizing

A) hormones.
B) proteins.
C) DNA.
D) chromosomes.

Question 43

The nerve fibers that enable communication between the right and left cerebral hemispheres and that have been severed in split-brain patients form a structure called the

A) reticular formation.
B) association areas.
C) corpus callosum.
D) parietal lobes.

Question 44

Following a nail gun wound to his head, Jack became more uninhibited, irritable, dishonest, and profane. It is likely that his personality change was the result of injury to his

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

Question 45

Epinephrine and norepinephrine are ________ that are released by the ________ gland.

A) neurotransmitters; pituitary
B) hormones; pituitary
C) neurotransmitters; thyroid
D) hormones; adrenal

Question 46

Research has found that the amount of representation in the motor cortex reflects the

A) size of the body parts.
B) degree of precise control required by each of the parts.
C) sensitivity of the body region.
D) area of the occipital lobe being stimulated by the environment.

Question 47

When evolutionary psychologists use the word fitness, they are specifically referring to

A) an animal's ability to adapt to changing environments.
B) the diversity of a species' gene pool.
C) the total number of members of the species currently alive.
D) our ability to survive and reproduce.

Question 48

The pain of heroin withdrawal may be attributable to the fact that

A) under the influence of heroin the brain ceases production of endorphins.
B) under the influence of heroin the brain ceases production of all neurotransmitters.
C) during heroin withdrawal the brain's production of all neurotransmitters is greatly increased.
D) heroin destroys endorphin receptors in the brain.

Question 49

The best way to separate the effects of genes and environment in research is to study

A) fraternal twins.
B) identical twins.
C) adopted children and their adoptive parents.
D) identical twins raised in different environments.

Question 50

Jessica experienced difficulty keeping her balance after receiving a blow to the back of her head. It is likely that she injured her

A) medulla.
B) thalamus.
C) hypothalamus.
D) cerebellum.

Question 51

Beginning at the front of the brain and moving toward the back of the head, then down the skull and back around to the front, which of the following is the correct order of the cortical regions?

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

Question 52

Three-year-old Marco suffered damage to the speech area of the brain's left hemisphere when he fell from a swing. Research suggests that

A) he may never speak again.
B) his motor abilities may improve so that he can easily use sign language.
C) his right hemisphere may take over much of the language function.
D) his earlier experience with speech may enable him to continue speaking.

Question 53

The gland that regulates body growth is the

A) adrenal.
B) thyroid.
C) hypothalamus.
D) pituitary.

Question 54

Each cell of the human body has a total of

A) 23 chromosomes.
B) 23 genes.
C) 46 chromosomes.
D) 46 genes.

Question 55

The brain research technique that involves monitoring the brain's usage of glucose is called (in abbreviated form) the

A) PET scan.
B) fMRI.
C) EEG.
D) MRI.

Question 56

In the nervous system, I outnumber neurons. I also provide nutrients to the neurons and help remove excess neurotransmitters. I am a

A) hormone.
B) myelin sheath.
C) glial cell.
D) gland.

Question 57

A strong stimulus can increase the

A) speed of the impulse the neuron fires.
B) intensity of the impulse the neuron fires.
C) number of times the neuron fires.
D) threshold that must be reached before the neuron fires.

Question 58

Heartbeat, digestion, and other self-regulating bodily functions are governed by the

A) voluntary nervous system.
B) autonomic nervous system.
C) sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system.
D) somatic nervous system.

Question 59

Moruzzi and Magoun caused a cat to lapse into a coma by severing neural connections between the cortex and the

A) reticular formation.
B) hypothalamus.
C) thalamus.
D) cerebellum.

Question 60

The axons of certain neurons are covered by a layer of fatty tissue that helps speed neural transmission. This tissue is

A) dopamine.
B) the myelin sheath.
C) acetylcholine.
D) an endorphin.

Question 61

Unlike ________ twins, who develop from a single fertilized egg, ________ twins develop from separate fertilized eggs.

A) fraternal; identical
B) identical; fraternal
C) placental; nonplacental
D) nonplacental; placental

Question 62

In the brain, learning occurs as experience strengthens certain connections in cell work groups called

A) action potentials.
B) neural networks.
C) endocrine systems.
D) dendrites.

Question 63

Chemical messengers produced by endocrine glands are called

A) glia.
B) neurotransmitters.
C) hormones.
D) enzymes.

Question 64

An experimenter flashes the word FLYTRAP onto a screen facing a split-brain patient so that FLY projects to her right hemisphere and TRAP to her left hemisphere. When asked what she saw, the patient will

A) say she saw FLY.
B) say she saw TRAP.
C) point to FLY using her right hand.
D) point to TRAP using her left hand.

Question 65

Several studies of long-separated identical twins have found that these twins

A) have little in common because of the different environments in which they were raised.
B) have many similarities, in everything from medical histories to personalities.
C) have similar personalities, but very different likes, dislikes, and lifestyles.
D) are no more similar than are fraternal twins reared apart.

Question 66

Which of the following is typically controlled by the right hemisphere?

A) language
B) learned voluntary movements
C) arithmetic reasoning
D) perceptual tasks

Question 67

Cortical areas that are NOT primarily concerned with sensory, motor, or language functions are

A) called projection areas.
B) called association areas.
C) located mostly in the parietal lobe.
D) located mostly in the temporal lobe.

Question 68

Chromosomes are composed of a coiled chain of

A) DNA molecules that contain genes.
B) DNA molecules that contain neurotransmitters.
C) DNA molecules that contain endorphins.
D) DNA molecules that contain enzymes.

Question 69

Most human traits are

A) learned.
B) determined by a single gene.
C) influenced by many genes acting together.
D) unpredictable.

Question 70

In a resting state, the axon is

A) depolarized, with mostly negatively charged ions outside and positively charged ions inside.
B) depolarized, with mostly positively charged ions outside and negatively charged ions inside.
C) polarized, with mostly negatively charged ions outside and positively charged ions inside.
D) polarized, with mostly positively charged ions outside and negatively charged ions inside.

Question 71

When the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another (such as heredity), we say there is a(n) ________ between the two factors.

A) norm
B) positive correlation
C) negative correlation
D) interaction

Question 72

The increasing complexity of animals' behavior is accompanied by an

A) increase in the size of the brainstem.
B) increase in the depth of the corpus callosum.
C) increase in the size of the frontal lobes.
D) increase in the amount of association area.

Question 73

Which is the correct sequence in the transmission of a simple reflex?

A) sensory neuron, interneuron, sensory neuron
B) interneuron, motor neuron, sensory neuron
C) sensory neuron, interneuron, motor neuron
D) interneuron, sensory neuron, motor neuron

Question 74

An evolutionary psychologist would be most interested in studying

A) why most parents are so passionately devoted to their children.
B) hereditary influences on skin color.
C) why certain diseases are more common among certain age groups.
D) genetic differences in personality.

Question 75

Following a head injury, a person has ongoing difficulties staying awake. Most likely, the damage occurred to the

A) thalamus.
B) corpus callosum.
C) reticular formation.
D) cerebellum.

Question 76

Voluntary movements, such as writing with a pencil, are directed by the

A) sympathetic nervous system.
B) somatic nervous system.
C) parasympathetic nervous system.
D) autonomic nervous system.

Question 77

Though there is no single "control center" for emotions, their regulation is primarily attributed to the brain region known as the

A) limbic system.
B) reticular formation.
C) brainstem.
D) cerebellum.

Question 78

Dr. Hernandez is studying neurotransmitter abnormalities in depressed patients. She would most likely consider herself be a ________ psychologist.

A) personality
B) psychodynamic
C) psychoanalytic
D) biological

Question 79

A neuron will generate action potentials when it

A) remains below its threshold.
B) receives an excitatory input.
C) receives more excitatory than inhibitory inputs.
D) is stimulated by a neurotransmitter.

Question 80

Which is the correct sequence in the transmission of a neural impulse?

A) axon, dendrite, cell body, synapse
B) dendrite, axon, cell body, synapse
C) synapse, axon, dendrite, cell body
D) dendrite, cell body, axon, synapse