Deck 2: The Neural Basis for Cognition

Question 1

Commissures, including the corpus callosum, are

A) blood vessels that carry blood to all areas of the brain.
B) brain areas associated with various types of sensory information.
C) pockets of oxygen found throughout the brain.
D) thick bundles of fibers that allow communication between the brain's hemispheres.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Neuroimaging techniques such as PET suggest a link between Capgras syndrome and abnormalities in all of the following brain regions EXCEPT the

A) prefrontal cortex.
B) amygdala.
C) temporal lobe.
D) fusiform face area.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Researchers using fMRI find activity in the fusiform face area (FFA) when participants are viewing faces. This means that FFA

A) is responsible for recognizing faces.
B) is necessary to recognizing faces.
C) activity is correlated with recognizing faces.
D) has no role in recognizing faces.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Among its other functions, the amygdala seems to serve as a(n)

A) important relay station between the eye and occipital cortex.
B) storage location for information received from the skin.
C) "emotional evaluator" or threat detector.
D) "index" for locating memories in the brain.

Question 5

Some researchers explain Capgras syndrome as

A) a simple failure of visual recognition.
B) the result of a disconnection between a cognitive appraisal and a sense of familiarity.
C) a subtype of schizophrenia.
D) a failure of long-term memory, because patients cannot remember what their own close family members look like.

Question 6

A CT or computerized axial tomography scan

A) can only be performed on a cadaver.
B) uses X-rays to study the living brain's anatomy.
C) is primarily useful for measuring blood flow in the brain.
D) can detect the activity taking place in different brain areas in real time.

Question 7

Lisa has recently suffered a brain injury. Her symptoms include deficits in coordination and interpretation of pain. Which structure is most likely damaged?

A) primary motor area
B) midbrain
C) forebrain
D) hindbrain

Question 8

The cortex makes up the surface of what brain structure?

A) hindbrain
B) midbrain
C) thalamus
D) forebrain

Question 9

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

A) are less useful than other types of neuroimaging for the study of brain function.
B) create a three-dimensional representation of the brain's tissue.
C) are useful only for studying features on the outer surface of the brain.
D) make self-report data unnecessary.

Question 10

Capgras syndrome and other cognitive disorders are useful because they

A) provide information about normal cognitive functioning.
B) suggest cognition is an interesting topic.
C) provide evidence that people with Capgras syndrome need medication.
D) show that all brain damage is irreversible.

Question 11

Which of the following is included in the limbic system?

A) thalamus
B) amygdala
C) cerebellum
D) hypothalamus

Question 12

Which of the following statements is LEAST likely to be true of a person with Capgras syndrome?

A) She thinks that her mother has been replaced by a look-alike alien.
B) She cannot recognize that her father looks like her father.
C) She also has Alzheimer's syndrome.
D) She has no warm sense of familiarity when she sees a close friend.

Question 13

Capgras syndrome provides an illustration of several important themes in Chapter 2. All of the following are true of Capgras, EXCEPT:

A) Damage to a specific part of the brain is likely to produce specific symptoms.
B) The brain is interconnected so that many systems interact.
C) Cognitive disorders often co-occur, such as Alzheimer's syndrome and Capgras syndrome.
D) Damage to the amygdala will result in an inability to recognize imposters.

Question 14

Capgras syndrome contributes to our understanding of cognition in each of the following ways, EXCEPT the role of

A) the temporal lobe in memory.
B) the amygdala in people without Capgras syndrome.
C) the frontal lobe in schizophrenia.
D) visual area V1.

Question 15

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) uses a strong magnetic pulse to

A) record the amount of glucose a specific brain region used during a cognitive task.
B) measure the blood flow using blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signals.
C) produce a temporary disruption to the brain area, and thus brain function, where it is applied.
D) create a detailed "map" of the different brain areas.

Question 16

Mike has damage to his hindbrain. He is likely to experience problems with which set of behaviors?

A) rhythm of breathing, level of alertness, and posture
B) complex thought and long-term memory
C) planned motor activity
D) perception and visual imagery

Question 17

Damage to the brain can be caused in many ways, but in general the damage is referred to as a(n)

A) stroke.
B) lesion.
C) syndrome.
D) ablation.

Question 18

Capgras syndrome suggests there are two parts to recognition. These parts are

A) factual and familiar.
B) factual and emotional.
C) visual and factual.
D) visual and auditory.

Question 19

Positron emission tomography (PET) scans show

A) minute details of brain anatomy.
B) what a participant is thinking at the moment the test is taken.
C) brain areas that are currently consuming a particularly high level of glucose.
D) whether a participant is learning something new or remembering prior learning.

Question 20

A number of techniques have been developed that allow us to examine the moment-by-moment activity levels of specifically defined brain areas. These techniques are called

A) EEG measurement.
B) neuroimaging techniques.
C) chronometric techniques.
D) psychometric assessment.

Question 21

The primary motor projection area is located

A) in the cerebellum.
B) in the occipital cortex.
C) toward the rear of the frontal lobe.
D) in the midbrain.

Question 22

If a researcher applies mild electric current to a specific area of an animal's right hemisphere primary motor projection area, which of the following is likely to happen?

A) a specific movement of a body part on the right side of the animal
B) a specific movement of a body part on the left side of the animal
C) a chaotic movement of the entire animal
D) no movement at all

Question 23

Communication between neurons is _____, while communication within a neuron is _____.

A) electrical; chemical
B) chemical; electrical
C) electric; neurotransmitter-based
D) simple; difficult

Question 24

Kate has a split brain. Her doctor briefly presents the word "hammer" to only her left visual field and then asks her what she saw. Which set of responses is Kate most likely to give?

A) She will say she doesn't know what word appeared but she will be able to identify the object with her right hand.
B) She will say she doesn't know what word appeared but she will be able to identify the object with her left hand.
C) She will say she doesn't know what word appeared and she will not be able to identify the object using either hand.
D) She will say "hammer."

Question 25

Neuron A communicates with neuron B. The _____ of neuron A forms a synapse with the _____ of neuron B.

A) cell body; soma
B) axon terminal; axon terminal
C) axon terminal; dendrite
D) soma; dendrite

Question 26

Patrick was in a car accident and hit his head on the dashboard. The emergency room doctors are concerned that he may have sustained a traumatic brain injury. Which of the following methods
Are they MOST likely to use to confirm or disprove their diagnosis?

A) TMS
B) fMRI
C) EEG
D) MRI

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT a primary function of glial cells?

A) provide support for neurons
B) facilitate the development of the nervous system
C) release neurotransmitters
D) clean up waste

Question 28

Ben and Quinn both have lesions in their left frontal lobes. Ben has trouble producing speech; Quinn has difficulties comprehending speech. Both Ben and Quinn are likely to receive a diagnosis of

A) neglect syndrome.
B) apraxia.
C) agnosia.
D) aphasia.

Question 29

Motor and sensory cortices combined make up what portion of the brain?

A) less than 10%
B) roughly 25%
C) just over 50%
D) nearly 85%

Question 30

Which of the following would NOT be considered part of the fovea?

A) a cluster of cones in the center of the retina
B) the area of the retina found far out in the periphery
C) the region of the retina with the greatest acuity
D) the area of the retina on which we place a target image in order to see the target clearly

Question 31

Once a cell fires, the part of a neuron that transmits information to another location is the

A) dendrite.
B) cell body.
C) axon.
D) nucleus.

Question 32

A synapse is

A) a message sent from one neuron to another.
B) part of a neuron's cell body.
C) made up of the end of one neuron's axon, another neuron's receiving membrane, and the gap between these two.
D) the name of the electric signal that occurs when a cell reaches its threshold.

Question 33

Researchers have used fMRI to investigate activation in the fusiform face area (FFA) and the parahippocampal place area (PPA). When participants are shown a picture of a face to one eye and a picture of a house to the other eye (producing binocular rivalry), we expect to see

A) no increase in activation in either the FFA or the PPA relative to a baseline.
B) equal activation in the FFA and the PPA.
C) only activation in the brain region linked to the picture in the dominant eye (e.g., if a picture of a face is presented to the dominant eye, then only the FFA will show increased activation).
D) an increase in activation in the FFA when the participant is consciously aware of the face and similarly increased activation in the PPA when the participant is consciously aware of the house.

Question 34

The auditory cortex follows the principle of contralateral control. Thus, the

A) right temporal lobe receives most of its input from the left ear.
B) right temporal lobe receives most of its input from the right ear.
C) right temporal lobe receives equal input from both ears.
D) information received by the right temporal lobe depends on whether the listener favors his or her right or left ear.

Question 35

A neuron's initial, internal response to an incoming signal can vary in size. The ultimate, external response of the cell, however, does not vary in size. If the signal is sent, it is always of the same magnitude. This effect is called the

A) whole-firing potential.
B) all-or-none law.
C) uniform response law.
D) threshold potential.

Question 36

Olivia has sustained damage to the prefrontal area. As a result, she is most likely to have

A) neglect syndrome.
B) a variety of problems, including problems planning and implementing strategies.
C) exclusively difficulties with memory.
D) primarily language problems.

Question 37

The electroencephalogram (EEG) provides an estimate of brain activity by measuring

A) glucose consumption.
B) blood flow.
C) neurotransmitter release.
D) electrical signals produced by neurons.

Question 38

A patient with visual agnosia will probably show an inability to

A) remember a list of words heard 1 hour before.
B) detect brief flashes of light.
C) recall the color of familiar objects (e.g., that stop signs are red).
D) identify common objects in plain view.

Question 39

A neuron is

A) a group of cells specialized for a particular type of information storage.
B) one of the fibers connecting the eye to the visual cortex.
C) an individual cell within the nervous system.
D) a region within the brain dedicated to a single function.

Question 40

The primary motor projection area forms a "map" of the body, and the projections control movement to specific areas of the body. What is the variation in the amount of cortical tissue dedicated to different parts of the body based on?

A) the size of the body part
B) the distance of the body part from the brain
C) the precision of movement for the body part
D) The cortical area does not vary; it is the same for all body parts.

Question 41

To perceive the visual world, we have to reunite various elements of a scene together so that these elements are perceived in an integrated fashion. Which of the following is NOT likely to be involved in this task?

A) attention
B) memory
C) spatial position
D) different groups of neurons firing in synchrony

Question 42

Compare and contrast the use of fMRI and TMS and describe their application in psychology. What sort of information does each approach give us? Which technique can be used to make causal statements about the link between brain activity and behavior?

Question 43

Cells detecting the boundary of a surface are subject to less lateral inhibition than cells detecting the center of the same surface. This leads to an effect called

A) lateral enhancement.
B) edge enhancement.
C) the boundary rule.
D) the all-or-none law.

Question 44

You are at the zoo watching a tiger sleep. It suddenly awakes and lurches in your direction. Spatial position would NOT provide information about the tiger's

A) form.
B) color.
C) motion patterns.
D) dangerous nature.

Question 45

Parvo cells do NOT differ from magno cells in what way?

A) size of the cell
B) size of the receptive field
C) pattern of firing
D) location in the visual system

Question 46

It has been argued that the visual system relies on a "divide and conquer" strategy. What does this mean? Provide one example of the organization of the visual system that provides support for your conclusion.

Question 47

A researcher has identified the receptive field for a neuron and has determined that the receptive field has a center-surround organization. If the researcher were to shine light into the entire receptive field, including both the center and the surrounding area, we would expect the neuron to

A) continue firing at its resting rate.
B) increase its firing rate.
C) decrease its firing rate.
D) cease firing.

Question 48

The specialization evident in visual processing shows that

A) the visual system relies on parallel processing.
B) all of the various aspects of visual processing occur within the occipital cortex.
C) the visual system relies exclusively on serial processing.
D) all visual processing occurs in the right hemisphere.

Question 49

Which of the following statements does NOT illustrate the difference between rods and cones?

A) Rods are sensitive to lower levels of light.
B) Only cones are able to discriminate color (hue).
C) There are three types of rods (for three different wavelengths of light) and only one type of cone.
D) Cones have greater acuity.

Question 50

The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) acts as

A) a way station between the eye and the occipital cortex, located in the thalamus.
B) an important area in the amygdala, associated with long-term memory.
C) a relay station to the amygdala.
D) the location in the temporal cortex where auditory information is stored.

Question 51

Describe Capgras syndrome and one possible explanation (physiological or cognitive) for the disorder. What does this disorder tell us about the interactive nature of the brain?

Question 52

Visual agnosia is associated with damage to which of the following?

A) area V1
B) the "where" system, which carries information from the occipital cortex to the parietal cortex
C) the "what" system, which carries information from the occipital cortex to the temporal cortex
D) area MT

Question 53

A researcher wishes to determine exactly when a particular neuron is firing. A technique well suited to this purpose is

A) neuropsychological testing.
B) lesion studies.
C) stereotaxis.
D) single-cell recording.

Question 54

A researcher wishes to define the receptive field for a particular neuron in the visual cortex. To do this, the researcher will need to specify

A) the portion of the neuron that receives input from neighboring neurons.
B) an area within the visual field, wherein the cell will fire if the target appears.
C) where the neuron is located within the visual cortex.
D) the brain area from which the neuron is receiving its input.

Question 55

Cells A and B receive the same high levels of stimulation, but cell A shows a lower level of activity relative to cell B. A likely explanation for this fact is that

A) cell A is defective.
B) cell A is receiving input from the edge of a surface, while cell B is receiving input from a portion of the surface away from the edge.
C) cell A is being laterally inhibited by other nearby cells.
D) cell A has a higher resting level than cell B.

Question 56

Patients who have suffered damage to the occipital-parietal pathway (the "where" system) will have difficulties with which of the following tasks?

A) visually identifying a toothbrush on the counter in front of them
B) describing the function of the toothbrush without touching it
C) reaching in the correct direction to retrieve the toothbrush
D) knowing how to use the toothbrush once they have retrieved it

Question 57

Human brains have a distinct division-of-labor strategy. Each task is achieved as a result of multiple brain areas working together. But the work of the various parts of the brain must be compiled into a finished whole. The issue of how this reassembly works is referred to as the

A) binding problem.
B) Humpty Dumpty dilemma.
C) reassembly law.
D) ultimate puzzle.

Question 58

Imagine that neuron X communicates with neuron Y. Describe the process by which neuron X can send a message to neuron Y. What possible effects will this signal have on the firing of neuron Y?

Question 59

Explain the relevance of split-brain patients in psychology by answering the following questions.
a. What area of the brain is lesioned in these patients? Why do these patients elect to have this surgery?
b. How does behavior change after the surgery? How does it stay the same?
c. What have we learned about the brain and behavior as a result of this procedure?