Question 1

It seemed critical for scientists to find specificity in the brain and nervous system, perhaps because it suggested a lawfulness in the operation of mind and body. Describe the several discoveries that led to a recognition of specificity.

Accepted Answer

Several discoveries have contributed to the recognition of specificity in the brain and nervous system. One of the key findings was the identification of specific neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine and dopamine, which are responsible for transmitting signals between neurons in a specific and targeted manner. This discovery helped to demonstrate that the brain and nervous system operate according to specific chemical pathways and interactions.

Another important discovery was the mapping of the sensory and motor cortices in the brain, which revealed that different regions of the brain are responsible for processing specific sensory information and controlling specific motor functions. This provided evidence for the specificity of brain function and the localization of different cognitive and motor processes.

Additionally, the discovery of specific receptor sites for neurotransmitters and hormones further demonstrated the specificity of signaling in the brain and nervous system. This finding showed that different cells and regions of the brain have specific receptors that respond to specific neurotransmitters and hormones, leading to targeted and specific effects on neural function.

Overall, these discoveries have contributed to the understanding of specificity in the brain and nervous system, highlighting the lawfulness in the operation of the mind and body and providing a foundation for further research and advancements in neuroscience.

Question 2

The point at which a person can reliably discriminate between two stimuli is called the

Accepted Answer

A)  difference threshold
B)  absolute threshold
C)  standard threshold
D)  detection threshold A

Question 3

The precursor field to scientific psychology that measured the relationships between physical stimuli and the psychological response to those stimuli was called

Accepted Answer

A)  physiological optics
B)  psychophysics
C)  mechanism
D)  physiognomy B

Question 4

What were the two pieces of Fechner's insight and why was that insight important for scientific psychology?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What were the two pieces of Fechner's...

Question 5

Psychologists use different terms such as frequency and pitch and wavelength and hue because

Accepted Answer

A)  they measure different physical attributes of sound and light
B)  they measure different psychological attributes of sound and light
C)  the physical and psychological worlds are not the same
D)  they correspond to differences between the absolute and difference thresholds

Question 6

Jean-Baptiste and Simon Ernest Aubertin were early advocates for

Accepted Answer

A)  the specificity of nerve function
B)  measuring the speed of nerve conduction
C)  a specific area of the brain responsible for speech
D)  debunking the belief in cortical localization of function

Question 7

Describe how psychophysical methods could be used to reduce the size of the beef patty in a McDonald's hamburger so that no one would notice and you would save McDonald's millions of dollars every day.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe how psychophysical methods could be used...

Question 8

Fechner's important insight of October 22, 1850 was that

Accepted Answer

A)  psychology could be an empirical science by carefully training observers in the method of introspection
B)  it was possible to measure absolute and difference thresholds with great precision
C)  the relationship of the psychological and physical worlds could be measured
D)  individual differences accounted for most psychological variability

Question 9

The color vision theory that best accounted for color afterimages and complementary colors was the

Accepted Answer

A)  Young-Helmholtz theory
B)  frequency theory
C)  trichromatic theory
D)  opponent-process theory

Question 10

What is the name of the auditory theory which proposed that sound perception was the result of a matching of the firing rate of impulses from the basilar membrane with the frequency of the incoming sound?

Accepted Answer

A)  place theory
B)  resonance theory
C)  frequency theory
D)  matching theory

Question 11

The color theory that proposed the existence of three different kinds of nerves in the retina, sensitive to red, green, and blue, was proposed by

Accepted Answer

A)  Hering
B)  Young & Helmholtz
C)  Rutherford
D)  Müller

Question 12

Discuss the work of Pierre Flourens and Paul Broca as it supported or refuted the phrenological ideas of Gall.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the work of Pierre Flourens and...

Question 13

Paul Broca's study of his famous patient Leborgne (Tan) was important in providing convincing evidence for

Accepted Answer

A)  cortical localization of function
B)  the validity of Gall's view of the brain
C)  the location for the human reasoning center
D)  the specificity of nerve function

Question 14

Working independently, Bell and Magendie discovered that

Accepted Answer

A)  the two halves of the cortex were connected by a broad band of pathways that are now called the corpus callosum
B)  the image on the retina is inverted
C)  nerve specificity exists in the spinal cord
D)  the brain is composed mostly of white matter

Question 15

A psychophysical method to determine the absolute threshold is the method of

Accepted Answer

A)  average error
B)  limits
C)  adjustment
D)  constant stimuli

Question 16

Recognition that the brain is the seat of intelligence is attributed to

Accepted Answer

A)  Aristotle
B)  Plato
C)  Hippocrates
D)  Socrates

Question 17

Johannes Müller discovered that regardless of the nature of stimulation, visual nerves carry only visual information, auditory nerves carry only auditory information, etc. This discovery is known as the

Accepted Answer

A)  law of specific nerve energies
B)  all-or-none law of conductance
C)  doctrine of contralateral projection
D)  frequency law

Question 18

The just noticeable difference (or jnd) in frequency for a series of low tones might be quite different from the jnd for a series of high tones.Yet Fechner realizd that that differenceis

Accepted Answer

A)  a psychological one, not a physical one
B)  a physical one, not a psychological one
C)  a mental one, not a perceptual one
D)  not quantifiable for most people

Question 19

This chapter discusses the importance of the work on sensory processes (color vision and pitch perception) as a precursor to scientific psychology. Why were the senses of such intense interest for the early science of psychology? (Note: thisquestion requires information from Chapter 1 as well)

Accepted Answer

The answer of This chapter discusses the importance of the...

Question 20

Wavelength is to hue as light intensity is to

Accepted Answer

A)  frequency
B)  color
C)  saturation
D)  brightness

Exam 2: Physiology, Psychophysics, and the Science of Mind