Question 1

Neural network models often

Accepted Answer

A) have distributed processing. 
B) store information discretely in isolated and independent units. 
C) have static activation levels. 
D) are symbolic in nature.

Question 2

For a researcher to provide evidence that a brain area and cognitive function are associated, they could use a _____________ dissociation, however, to provide more substantial evidence about the function and function localization, they would need a ______________ dissociation.

Accepted Answer

A) single; double 
B) double; single 
C) double; triple 
D) triple; double

Question 3

One limitation of what we can learn through the single-cell recording technique is that

Accepted Answer

A) it is often difficult to determine the baseline activity level of a single neuron. 
B) patterns of activity among groups of neurons may describe the function of a brain area better. 
C) the receptive field of a single neuron changes as the brain develops. 
D) single-cell recording is effective only in exploring the primary sensory cortex.

Question 4

The greatest advantage of incorporating computer modeling into the study of a cognitive phenomenon is that

Accepted Answer

A) this approach best demonstrates the limitations of information processing in natural cognition. 
B) computers can analyze a larger amount of data than can real brains. 
C) it is no longer necessary to test humans to understand cognition. 
D) this technique can generate explicit, testable theories of natural cognition.

Question 5

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) affects brain function by

Accepted Answer

A) altering neuronal polarization. 
B) increasing binding to a radioactive tracer. 
C) transcranial magnetic stimulation. 
D) knocking out genes.

Question 6

What part of the brain does an angiogram allow you to visualize?

Accepted Answer

A) ventricles 
B) meninges 
C) cell bodies 
D) arteries

Question 7

The particular region of space in which a stimulus must be presented to evoke a response from a given neuron is its

Accepted Answer

A) topographic map. 
B) sensory homunculus. 
C) receptive field. 
D) baseline space.

Question 8

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

Accepted Answer

A) is like a conventional X-ray but it allows the reconstruction of three-dimensional space from compressed two-dimensional images. 
B) is an imaging method used to evaluate the circulatory system in the brain. 
C) involves inserting electrodes that produce continuous signals to trigger neural activity in the brain. 
D) is performed with an MRI scanner but measures the density and motion of water contained in axons.

Question 9

Which neuroimaging technique involves injecting an isotope of oxygen into the bloodstream and using it to measure regional cerebral blood flow?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 10

What is a mental representation? How are mental representations transformed? Give an example to support each of your two answers.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is a mental representation? How are...

Question 11

The small regions in a three-dimensional grid, approximately 5 to 10 cubic millimeters in volume, that neuroimagers use to map the brain are known as

Accepted Answer

A) posners. 
B) sternbergs. 
C) voxels. 
D) pixels.

Question 12

Choose two of the following methods and briefly describe how they work. For each of your choices, describe a research question (real or hypothetical) for which this method would be an appropriate choice, and explain why.
• functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
• transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
• electroencephalography (EEG)
• computerized tomography (CT)
• diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

Accepted Answer

The answer of Choose two of the following methods and...

Question 13

When performing a single-cell recording, researchers typically carefully insert a thin electrode through the cell membrane into the interior of a neuron.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Posner and his colleagues had participants view two letters and respond according to whether these letters were both vowels, both consonants, or one of each. Participants were fastest when viewing two physically identical letters, somewhat slower when viewing the same letter in two different fonts, and slowest when two different consonants were presented. This finding shows that

Accepted Answer

A) we form multiple representations of stimuli. 
B) we form representations of stimuli based only on their physical attributes. 
C) we form representations of stimuli based only on their abstract category membership. 
D) more complex mental representations produce faster reaction times.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the major limitation of MEG (magnetoencephalography)?

Accepted Answer

A) MEG requires medical personnel to be present during use. 
B) It is difficult to locate the source of an MEG signal. 
C) The MEG requires a magnetically shielded room. 
D) MEG has poor temporal resolution.

Question 16

One of the experimental strengths of brain-lesion methods in animals, compared to human neuropsychology, is that

Accepted Answer

A) animal work can be truly experimental, whereas with humans we are limited to correlational inferences. 
B) with animal work, we can be confident that the effect of a lesion eliminates the contribution of a single structure. 
C) humans, but not other animals, often develop compensatory strategies to minimize the consequences of a lesion. 
D) with animals, but not humans, we can create temporary "lesions" using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Question 17

Which of the following can be done by combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and cannot be done by using only one of these methodologies?

Accepted Answer

A) Investigators can evaluate neurological function and provide effective treatment. 
B) Investigators can test causal inferences of neural function. 
C) Investigators can observe the time course of neural processing. 
D) Investigators can localize neural activity to exact brain regions.

Question 18

This neuroimaging technique combines X-ray pictures taken from many different angles into a compressed two-dimensional representation of the brain.

Accepted Answer

A) MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) 
B) CT (computerized tomography) 
C) PET (positron emission tomography) 
D) EEG (electroencephalography)

Question 19

The field of ________ is based on the idea that perception and thought employ mental representations that undergo transformations as they are used.

Accepted Answer

A) neuropsychology 
B) computer modeling 
C) cognitive psychology 
D) neuroimaging

Question 20

Compare and contrast electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Highlight their similarities and differences in your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetoencephalography...

Exam 3: Methods of Cognitive Neuroscience