Brain and Behavior Test Questions
Course Introduction
This course explores the complex relationship between the brain and human behavior, examining how biological processes underpin thoughts, emotions, and actions. Students will investigate the structure and function of the nervous system, including neuronal communication, brain anatomy, and the impact of neurotransmitters on mood and cognition. The course also covers various psychological and neurological disorders, the effects of brain injury, and the influence of genetics and environment on behavior. Through an integration of neuroscience and psychology, learners will gain a deeper understanding of how brain mechanisms shape perception, decision-making, learning, and personality.
Recommended Textbook
Biological Psychology 11th Edition by
James W. Kalat
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15 Chapters
3327 Verified Questions
3327 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The Major Issues
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207 Verified Questions
207 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Chromosomes consist of large, double-stranded molecules of:
A) deoxyribonucleic acid.
B) ribonucleic acid.
C) autosomal genes.
D) recombination genes.
Answer: A
Q2) Individuals afflicted with PKU need to avoid:
A) foods high in phenylalanine.
B) foods high in vitamin K.
C) alcohol.
D) sunlight.
Answer: A
Q3) Which of the following would contribute to an overestimation of heritability?
A) Increasing the genetic similarity between people
B) Eliminating the multiplier effect
C) Overestimating the effect of the environment
D) Ignoring the effect of the prenatal environment
Answer: D
Q4) In what circumstance is a woman color deficient?
Answer: If the woman has that recessive gene on both of her X chromosomes
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Nerve Cells and Nerve Impulses
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228 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Glial cells serve many functions.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Suppose we applied a drug to a neuron that caused its sodium gates to suddenly open wide. What would happen?
A) hyperpolarization of the membrane
B) an increase in the threshold
C) an action potential
D) nothing, because potassium gates would compensate
Answer: C
Q3) The presence of an all-or-none law suggests that neurons can only convey different messages by changing their:
A) rate or pattern of action potentials.
B) size of action potentials.
C) speed of action potentials.
D) sodium-potassium pump activity.
Answer: A
Q4) List the parts of a neuron.
Answer: Dendrites, a soma (cell body), an axon, and presynaptic terminals.
Page 4
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Chapter 3: Synapses
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225 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Rapid changes in heart rate are probably due to the activity of ionotropic receptors.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) A metabotropic synapse, by way of its second messenger, ____.
A) has effects localized to one point on the membrane
B) can influence activity in much of the presynaptic cell
C) can influence activity in much or all of the postsynaptic cell
D) has minimal effect on the postsynaptic cell
Answer: C
Q3) Given a repetitive series of action potentials in a given neuron, we can expect that:
A) each action potential will release the same amount of neurotransmitter.
B) later action potentials in a series will release more neurotransmitter than the first.
C) many action potentials will fail to release any neurotransmitters at all.
D) some action potentials will release one chemical as the neurotransmitter, and others will release other chemicals.
Answer: C
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Chapter 4: Anatomy of the Nervous System
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the primary target area on the cerebral cortex for touch and other skin sensations?
A) olfactory bulbs
B) striate cortex
C) precentral gyrus
D) postcentral gyrus
Q2) Although the pituitary is often called the master gland, its activity is regulated by the:
A) basal ganglia.
B) hippocampus.
C) hypothalamus.
D) thalamus.
Q3) The medulla controls a number of reflexes through:
A) the midbrain.
B) the forebrain.
C) cranial nerves.
D) skeletal nerves.
Q4) Damage to the medulla is frequently fatal.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: Development and Plasticity of the Brain
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215 Verified Questions
215 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Following a stroke, amphetamine could help by:
A) inducing apoptosis.
B) blocking activity in overstimulated areas of the brain.
C) blocking glutamate release.
D) increasing activity in understimulated areas of the brain.
Q2) Which of the following factors seems to be particularly important for branching of neurons during brain development?
A) Physical activity
B) Playing logic games
C) Having good teachers
D) Having a sterile environment
Q3) The function of neurotrophins is to:
A) inhibit proliferation.
B) promote survival of axons.
C) be used as fuel.
D) signal that an axon has been "rejected."
Q4) Physical exercise is important for increased dendrite growth and branching.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Define denervation supersensitivity.
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Chapter 6: Vision
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237 Verified Questions
237 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Neurons whose responses indicate a particular feature of a stimulus, such as the presence of a bar, line, or edge are referred to as:
A) hypercomplex cells.
B) magnocellular cells.
C) feature detectors.
D) shape detectors.
Q2) Suppose someone has a genetic defect that prevents the formation of horizontal cells in the retina. Which visual phenomenon is most likely to be impaired?
A) lateral inhibition
B) movement perception
C) dark adaptation
D) size constancy
Q3) Some people with damage to area V1 show a surprising phenomenon called blindsight.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Cones are essential for color vision.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 7: The Other Sensory Systems
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244 Verified Questions
244 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which statement about tinnitus is FALSE?
A) Many people with nerve deafness experience tinnitus.
B) Many people with conductive deafness experience tinnitus.
C) Tinnitus is common among the elderly.
D) Tinnitus is a frequent or constant ringing in the ears.
Q2) Patients with damage in area MT have problems with perception of:
A) location of sounds.
B) location of objects.
C) movement of objects and sounds.
D) high frequency sounds.
Q3) The somatosensory system involves sensation of:
A) sight and sound.
B) sound and touch.
C) the body and its movements.
D) the head and movements of the eyes.
Q4) The major problem with the frequency theory of pitch perception is that neurons can't produce action potentials frequently enough to match high frequency sound waves.
A)True
B)False
9
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Chapter 8: Movement
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224 Verified Questions
224 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The role of heredity in late-onset Parkinson's disease:
A) equals that of early onset Parkinson's disease.
B) is probably not as great as with early onset Parkinson's disease.
C) is greater for DZ twins that MZ twins.
D) is greater for females than males.
Q2) Most types of movement can be clearly classified as voluntary or involuntary.
A)True
B)False
Q3) At least some cases of Parkinson's disease are apparently linked to what cause?
A) A recessive gene on chromosome 4
B) The accumulation of aluminum in the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus
C) A chronic lack of vitamin B-1
D) A toxic substance found in a heroin substitute
Q4) What happens when a fish swims at low temperatures?
A) Muscle fibers contract more vigorously than at high temperatures.
B) The fish swims more slowly.
C) The fish swims at its usual speed but fatigues more rapidly.
D) The fish swims at its usual speed but fatigues more slowly.
Q5) Describe the areas and major functions of the primary motor cortex (include the relevant areas near to the motor cortex).
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Wakefulness and Sleep
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Sample Questions
Q1) If we compare either different species or different ages, what trend emerges?
A) The less total sleep, the higher the percentage of REM sleep
B) The more total sleep, the higher the percentage of REM sleep
C) The more activity during wakefulness, the higher the percentage of REM sleep
D) The more activity during wakefulness, the lower the percentage of REM sleep
Q2) A person's circadian activity cycle would most likely drift out of phase with the activity of other people if the person:
A) spends a period of time in the wilderness, away from clocks.
B) habitually eats a big meal just before bedtime.
C) spends a period of time in seclusion, away from sunlight.
D) lives near the equator, where the seasons do not vary.
Q3) It appears from research with cats that one function of the messages from the pons to the spinal cord is to prevent us from:
A) dreaming.
B) sleeping too soundly.
C) acting out our dreams.
D) having difficulty falling asleep.
Q4) Define the term endogenous circadian rhythm.
Q5) Describe how light resets the SCN.
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Chapter 10: Internal Regulation
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Sample Questions
Q1) Much of motivated behavior can be described as:
A) diabetic feedback.
B) negative feedback.
C) positive feedback.
D) homeothermic mechanisms.
Q2) In what way is a rat with damage to the ventromedial hypothalamus similar to a starving animal?
A) Both will eat a large amount of whatever food is available, regardless of its taste.
B) Both empty food out of their stomachs at a rate that is slower than normal.
C) Both have low levels of fuel available to its cells.
D) Both go through long periods of refusing to eat.
Q3) Which of the following is NOT true about the hormone CCK (cholecystokinin)?
A) The duodenum releases CCK when food distends the duodenum.
B) CCK tightens the sphincter muscle between the stomach and duodenum.
C) CCK crosses the blood-brain barrier and inhibits cells in the hypothalamus.
D) CCK stimulates the vagus nerve and causes cells in the hypothalamus to release CCK as a neurotransmitter.
Q4) Describe how the digestive system influences food selection.
Q5) Describe three mechanisms we have for increasing our body temperature.
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Chapter 11: Reproductive Behaviors
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211 Verified Questions
211 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The most widely used and most effective birth control pill is one that contains which hormone(s)?
A) luteinizing hormone
B) androgen, but not estrogen
C) both estrogen and androgen
D) both estrogen and progesterone
Q2) In general, when do hormones produce "organizing effects"?
A) whenever the levels of some other hormone have decreased
B) during early stages in development
C) during adulthood
D) temporarily at any time in life
Q3) Which hormone(s) is/are likely to be found more abundantly in females than in males?
A) Peptide hormones
B) Androgens
C) Progesterone
D) Estrogens
Q4) Describe some of the evidence that brain anatomy may differ as a function of sexual orientation.
Q5) Describe activating effects of sex hormones and give specific examples.
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Emotional Behaviors
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Sample Questions
Q1) A search for the happiness center in the brain is unlikely to be successful because:
A) brain areas associated with particular emotions vary considerably.
B) happiness is only an epiphenomenon.
C) fear activates the identical brain areas as happiness does.
D) no one has been able to define happiness.
Q2) Among identical twins, if one of them has PTSD, then the other is also likely to have a:
A) small hippocampus.
B) large hippocampus.
C) large adrenal gland.
D) small adrenal gland.
Q3) The autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts; the ____ nervous system (which prepares the body for emergency action), and the ____ nervous system (which calms the body).
A) sympathetic; parasympathetic
B) parasympathetic; sympathetic
C) somatic; craniosacral
D) craniosacral; somatic
Q4) Describe the role of heredity and environment of violent behavior..
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Page 14
Chapter 13: The Biology of Learning and Memory
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Sample Questions
Q1) The ability to state a memory in words is termed:
A) procedural memory.
B) declarative memory.
C) implicit memory.
D) short term memory.
Q2) The general function of working memory is to:
A) hold information until it has time to get to long-term storage.
B) store memories of life events permanently.
C) attend to and operate on current information.
D) store information related to repetitious motor movements.
Q3) If a stimulus is presented repeatedly, followed by no other stimulus, the animal will gradually stop responding. This is known as:
A) sensitization.
B) habituation.
C) classical conditioning.
D) imprinting.
Q4) After LTP is established, NMDA receptors are not required to maintain it.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What is sensitization as it relates to memory research?
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Cognitive Functions
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201 Verified Questions
201 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Right-hemisphere damage results in deficits with tasks that require:
A) understanding sentences with a complex grammatical structure.
B) memory of recent events.
C) control of the right hand.
D) spatial processing.
Q2) Lateralization refers to the:
A) formation of the sulci and gyri in the cortex.
B) functional asymmetries of the brain.
C) slow rate of maturation in forebrain structures.
D) physical changes that occur in neurons as learning takes place.
Q3) Several months after split-brain surgery, the number of incidents of conflicts between the two hemispheres diminishes because:
A) portions of the corpus callosum grow back.
B) the right hemisphere begins to control all body muscles.
C) the hemispheres learn ways of cooperating with each other.
D) the cerebellum assumes the former functions of the corpus callosum.
Q4) Observations of Williams syndrome indicate that language is not simply a by-product of overall intelligence.
A)True
B)False
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Mood Disorders and Schizophrenia
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Sample Questions
Q1) Several lines of evidence suggest that depressed people have lower than normal levels of activity in the:
A) parietal lobes.
B) occipital lobes.
C) right hemisphere.
D) left hemisphere.
Q2) Briefly describe some of the abnormalities of hemispheric dominance in the brains of depressed people.
Q3) Which of the following is true of depression?
A) A single gene has been identified that causes depression.
B) Men are more likely to be depressed than women.
C) The influence of traumatic events during young adulthood depends on particular genes for serotonin.
D) Female hormone levels are strongly correlated with depression.
Q4) Tricyclic drugs work by:
A) blocking the release of catecholamines.
B) preventing the presynaptic cell from reabsorbing catecholamines.
C) directly stimulating the postsynaptic cell's catecholamine receptors.
D) increasing the rate of synthesis of catecholamines.
Q5) Describe some of the alternate treatments for depression.
Page 17
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