Researchers proposed that all information initially entered a short-term storage, where it
stayed until the brain had time to ____ it into long-term memory.
a. transpose
b. rehearse
c. consolidate
d. transfer
Exposure to an extremely salty substance decreases sensitivity to other salty substances.
What is this phenomenon called?
a. adaptation
b. olfaction
c. umami
d. analgesia
A deficit of acetylcholine or its receptors:
a. cause involuntary movement
b. increase movement
c. impair movement
d. does not affect movement
Homeostasis is to ____ as allostasis is to ____.
a. constant, variable
b. variable, constant
c. constant, decreasing
d. variable, increasing
In addition to when you are in a dreamless sleep, consciousness does not occur when
you are ____
a. in a coma.
b. daydreaming.
c. watching television.
d. exercising.
According to the ____ theory, we experience emotion after we experience autonomic
arousal.
a. Lange-Jung
b. Lange-Papez
c. James-Jung
d. James-Lange
When Korsakoff’s syndrome patients read over a list of words, what evidence of
memory, if any, do they demonstrate?
a. None at all.
b. They remember the first word and the last word only.
c. They remember reading a list, although they cannot remember any of the words.
d. They say many of the correct words if they are given the first three letters.
What is the relationship between the lateral tract and the medial tract?
a. Most movements are controlled by one or the other, but not both.
b. Most movements rely on both, which work in a cooperative fashion.
c. Most movements that are initiated by one are terminated by the other.
d. One is excitatory while the other is inhibitory.
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.
How do most biological psychologists feel regarding the use of animals in research?
a. They believe that any animal has the same rights as any human.
b. They will avoid using painful procedures, unless they will directly benefit the animal.
c. They are working to replace all animal experimentation with computer simulations.
d. They use animals only if the potential benefits to humans outweigh the costs to the
animals.
The parasite Toxoplasma gondii is able to reinfect cats when the cats:
a. come into close contact with other infected cats.
b. are bitten by scared rats.
c. eat fearless infected rats.
d. are bitten by mosquitos carrying the parasite.
The biceps muscles of the arm have a ratio of ____ to more than a hundred fibers.
a. four
b. three
c. one
d. two
Suppose you want to DECREASE the aggressive behavior of an animal, and all you are
allowed to use is a nutritional supplement. Which might be a good choice?
a. increase tryptophan
b. increase phenylalanine
c. decrease thiamine
d. decrease lecithin
At many hippocampal synapses, long-term potentiation depends on the activation of
NMDA receptors, which are responsive to:
a. GABA.
b. glutamate.
c. dopamine.
d. norepinephrine.
____ modify the ____ sensitivity to different wavelengths of light.
a. Retinol; photopigments
b. Opsins; retinol
c. Photopigments; opsins
d. Opsins; photopigments
The amino acid tryptophan is the precursor to which neurotransmitter?
a. dopamine
b. endorphin
c. serotonin
d. nitric oxide
The most likely explanation for the excess proliferation of neurons in early
development is that it:
a. compensates for connection errors.
b. uses up excess stored fuel.
c. increases learning capacity when it is most needed.
d. prevents apoptosis.
Which of the following are selective as axons form synapses with target cells?
a. axons, but not target cells
b. target cells, but not axons
c. both axons and target cells
d. neither axons nor target cells
The retinohypothalamic path to the SCN comes from a special population of retinal
ganglion cells that have their own photopigment, called:
a. circaopsin.
b. photopsin
c. rodopsin.
d. melanopsin.
Which of the following aspects of brain and neural functioning can be most clearly
altered by experience?
a. velocity of action potentials
b. structure of dendrites and axons
c. chemical constituents of the ventricles
d. number of laminae in the cerebral cortex
Focal hand dystonia, sometimes called “musician’s cramp”, is caused by:
a. extreme overlap of cortical representation of the fingers.
b. deterioration of muscles in the hand.
c. demyelination of neurons in the fingers.
d. buildup of excess GABA in the temporal cortex.
A sharp blow to the head resulting from an assault or trauma that does not actually
puncture the brain is called a:
a. stroke.
b. cerebrovascular accident.
c. hemorrhage.
d. closed head injury.
If you eat a food containing tryptophan, what can you consume with it to increase its
entry to the brain?
a. phenylalanine
b. carbohydrates
c. fats
d. thiamine
Of the following choices, the most likely explanation for how testosterone may be
associated with violent behavior is that it:
a. may induce greater attention to situations of aggression and conflict.
b. creates greater muscle mass.
c. reduces inhibitions.
d. inhibits cells in the amygdala.
For what kind of sounds can differences in loudness be used most accurately for
localization?
a. loud
b. soft
c. low-pitched
d. high-pitched
An axon has many branches, each of which swells at its tip. These are known as:
a. presynaptic terminals.
b. efferent axons.
c. afferent axons.
d. intrinsic neurons.
At this point, the conclusions of studies on the evolutionary interpretations of mating
behavior suggest that these behaviors are:
a. primarily inherited.
b. primarily learned from cultural influence.
c. used to justify our behaviors.
d. lacking the scientific studies to allow us to draw a conclusion about them.
According to the all-or-none law:
a. all neurons produce an action potential at the same time or none at all.
b. all of the extracellular sodium enters the axon, or none at all.
c. once an axon reaches threshold, the amplitude and velocity of an action potential are
nearly equal each time.
d. neurons are either active all the time or not at all.
The nonhuman species that has made the most spectacular progress toward learning to
communicate by an approximation of human language is the:
a. common chimpanzee.
b. bonobo chimpanzee.
c. gorilla.
d. dolphin.
According to the James-Lange theory, we experience emotion:
a. first, then come our actions.
b. and act upon that emotion, simultaneously.
c. after we experience autonomic arousal.
d. and must label it before we can act on it.
In the visual system, the ____ and ____ constantly feed information back and forth.
a. thalamus; cortex
b. thalamus; inferior geniculate
c. inferior colliculus; thalamus
d. thalamus; lateral colliculus
Eating salty pretzels would most likely result in:
a. a craving for plain water.
b. a greater salt craving.
c. drinking sugary liquids.
d. hypovolemic thirst.