Deck 7: Consciousness

Question 1

Psychologists describe consciousness as one's

A) ability to differentiate between abstract and concrete.
B) perception of his or her own mental processes.
C) awareness of the presence of other people.
D) perception of time and place.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Your professor has invented a device that can measure the change in brain activity of each student in her class, and she can now tell if you are dozing off during her lecture. She has solved the

A) brain-machine problem.
B) hard problem of consciousness.
C) easy problem of consciousness.
D) insight problem.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following describes the easy problem of consciousness?

A) Accounting for differences in people's subjective conscious experiences
B) Subjectively separating conscious and unconscious experiences
C) Connecting conscious experiences to different brain states
D) Assessing conscious experience through the verbalization of thoughts

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Psychologists and philosophers use the word qualia to refer to

A) the objective differences between animal and human minds.
B) a person's specific, subjective perceptual experiences.
C) similarities between the easy and hard problems of consciousness.
D) a lack of understanding of how non-humans perceive the world.

Question 5

The key aspect of the hard problem of consciousness is the _______ of each individual's conscious experience.

A) objectivity
B) reliability
C) validity
D) subjectivity

Question 6

Which of the following best demonstrates the simulation aspect of the function of consciousness?

A) You can recall where you parked last night because you wrote it on your hand.
B) You can "unplug" after a hard day's work by closing your eyes.
C) You can imagine how your parents might react when you show them your new tattoo.
D) You can tell that your friend is upset by the expression on her face.

Question 7

In rare cases of severe epilepsy, people can undergo _______ surgery, which severs the _______, the large band of neural fibers connecting the cerebral hemispheres.

A) cranial; temporal lobe
B) split brain; corpus callosum
C) split brain; cranial nerve
D) corpus callosum; thalamus

Question 8

When testing a split-brain patient, the key to accessing the information that the right hemisphere "sees" is having the participant

A) point to an object with his or her right hand.
B) relax until the words come out clearly.
C) point to an object with his or her left hand.
D) nod toward the object with his or her head.

Question 9

When a split-brain patient tries to describe in words why her left hand selected a stimulus card corresponding to an image presented in her left visual field, she engages in _______ to have her unconscious recognition make sense.

A) retrieval
B) brain self-stimulation
C) confabulation
D) hypnosis

Question 10

In philosophical terms, free will is essentially the opposite of

A) initiative.
B) fate.
C) choice.
D) decision-making.

Question 11

Which of the following statements best captures the essence of experiments on free will, consciousness, and brain activity?

A) Conscious decisions are immediately followed by activity in the motor cortex.
B) Unconscious processes do not lead directly to human action.
C) Conscious decisions are immediately preceded by activity in the motor cortex.
D) A conscious urge to move initiates readiness potential in the motor cortex.

Question 12

During an experiment in which participants press a button whenever they have the urge to do so, when would you expect their motor cortices to become active?

A) After they press the button
B) Several minutes before they press the button
C) A few hundred milliseconds before they press the button
D) Never, because the motor cortex does not become active for routine behaviors

Question 13

A circadian rhythm is a

A) cycle of hormone secretion that repeats every week.
B) cycle of sleeping and waking that occurs approximately every 24 hours.
C) progressive decline in synchronous brain activity during sleep.
D) set of slow waves seen during stage 3 sleep.

Question 14

Each of us has a(n) _______ that naturally keeps track of the passage of time and is often disrupted when we travel to different time zones.

A) set point
B) biological clock
C) analgesic response
D) hard problem of consciousness

Question 15

Refer to the map below.
Which of the following people is likely to experience the most serious case of jet lag?

A) Marie, who drove for 12 hours from Pittsburgh to Boston
B) Brett, who flew for six hours from San Francisco to Boston
C) Michelle, who flew for six hours from New York to Los Angeles
D) Jessica, who flew for two hours from Washington,D. C., to Boston after her flight was delayed for three hours on the runway

Question 16

The suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus regulates our

A) conscious awareness of emotions.
B) circadian rhythm.
C) ability to recall our dreams.
D) conscious awareness of hunger.

Question 17

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a brain imaging technique that

A) uses radio waves to map brain tissue.
B) measures the rate at which glucose is metabolized in different parts of the brain.
C) measures the amount of blood flow to different areas of the cortex.
D) measures rapid changes in voltage (electrical potential) throughout the brain.

Question 18

If you are awake and concentrating on a task while an EEG machine is recording your brain activity, the EEG should record

A) low-frequency, high-voltage spikes throughout your brain.
B) desynchronized, relatively high frequency activity.
C) synchronized, low-frequency activity.
D) a large number of delta waves.

Question 19

The alpha rhythm is a pattern of brain waves that occurs during

A) stage 3 sleep.
B) stage 2 sleep.
C) stage 4 sleep.
D) relaxed wakefulness.

Question 20

Stage 1 sleep and relaxed wakefulness are both associated with _______ in the EEG.

A) beta waves
B) delta waves
C) sleep spindles
D) alpha rhythms

Question 21

Stage 2 sleep is marked by the appearance of _______, trains of spikes in the EEG, and also larger single spikes called _______.

A) K complexes; sleep spindles
B) K complexes; delta waves
C) sleep spindles; delta waves
D) sleep spindles; K complexes

Question 22

Stage 3 sleep is also called slow-wave sleep because the EEG

A) will show short bursts of asynchronous activity.
B) is defined by very low-frequency waves.
C) is defined by very high-frequency waves.
D) will show no coherent activity.

Question 23

The delta waves seen in the EEG when someone is in stage 3 sleep can be likened to

A) a room full of chattering parrots.
B) the slow movement of "the wave" around a stadium.
C) a busy parking lot with cars moving in different directions.
D) the slow flow of water out of a tap.

Question 24

Your roommate wakes up and reports that she was dreaming about a large insect chasing her around your dorm room. She was likely in _______ sleep.

A) slow-wave
B) stage 2
C) stage 3
D) rapid eye movement (REM)

Question 25

If you could recall a dream from non-REM sleep it would likely be

A) less vivid than an REM dream.
B) full of emotional content.
C) full of latent content.
D) more vivid than an REM dream.

Question 26

You do not act out your vivid dreams because

A) your body is not actually experiencing the events of the dream.
B) your brain inhibits motor neurons, and you cannot move.
C) your brain does not actually communicate with your body during sleep.
D) you can only act out events that you have experienced before.

Question 27

Use the following to answer questions :
Refer to the figure below.

-Which conclusion about sleep is most consistent with the data shown?

A) Our brains are generally very active during all stages of sleep.
B) It is normal to experience about five bouts of REM sleep during the night.
C) It is easiest to rouse someone from stage 4 sleep.
D) We spend the majority of our sleep hours in stage 3 sleep.

Question 28

Use the following to answer questions :
Refer to the figure below.

-A friend tells you that she typically sleeps for about eight hours but often wakes up in the morning right out of anxiety-provoking dreams. Based on the figure, you tell her that this is

A) abnormal, and she is dreaming too much.
B) normal, because we usually awaken in the morning from stage 4 sleep.
C) abnormal, and she should see a sleep specialist about her insomnia.
D) normal, because our final episode of REM sleep occurs right before waking.

Question 29

Last night Enrico dreamt that he was walking through a strange city and was surrounded by tall buildings. According to Freud, the buildings themselves are the _______ content of Enrico's dream.

A) latent
B) manifest
C) habitual
D) literal

Question 30

According to the activation-synthesis hypothesis about dreaming, the content of dreams results from

A) unconscious thoughts and feelings.
B) your brain attempting to make meaning out of random bursts of neural activity.
C) whatever events you experienced just before bed.
D) a specific pattern of activity that emerges the same way from the brainstem every night.

Question 31

If not for the subcoeruleus, you would

A) act out your dreams.
B) never dream at all.
C) never fall asleep.
D) experience vivid dreams.

Question 32

You hear of a student in your dorm who, while he was asleep, tried to attack his roommate. He is likely suffering from

A) narcolepsy.
B) niche adaptation.
C) fatal familial insomnia.
D) REM behavior disorder.

Question 33

Without the _______ , you would not cycle through slow-wave sleep.

A) cerebellum
B) basal forebrain
C) pons
D) reticular formation

Question 34

Electrical stimulation of the _______ will rouse a sleeping animal from its slumber.

A) hypothalamus
B) basal forebrain
C) pons
D) reticular formation

Question 35

Your friend sometimes falls asleep during short car rides, meals, and even conversations. He also seems to have sudden bouts of muscle weakness and severe fatigue whenever he gets excited or stressed. He is likely suffering from

A) narcolepsy.
B) REM behavior disorder.
C) insomnia.
D) sleep debt.

Question 36

The poor functioning of receptors for hypocretin in the hypothalamus plays a central role in the symptoms of

A) sleep paralysis.
B) sleep debt.
C) narcolepsy.
D) REM behavior disorder.

Question 37

Your roommate walks into the kitchen rather shaken and tells you that, upon waking, she was unable to move or speak for about thirty seconds. This phenomenon is called

A) sleep debt.
B) sleep paralysis.
C) REM behavior disorder.
D) insomnia.

Question 38

Which of the following statements is the most accurate?

A) Without REM sleep we could not consolidate memories.
B) We sleep for one reason alone: so our bodies can conserve needed energy.
C) Sleep allows for physical and mental restoration and energy conservation.
D) People do not die from sleep deprivation, which tells us that sleep is important but not essential.

Question 39

Which of the following examples best captures the concept of sleep debt?

A) You develop a cold after staying up all night to study for an exam.
B) You pull two "all-nighters" in a row, and the next night you sleep slightly longer than normal.
C) Your psychology presentation goes poorly because you did not sleep well the night before.
D) You need only about five hours of sleep each night.

Question 40

One problem that sufferers of _______ face is _______, a disorder in which people seem to be unaware of when they actually are asleep.

A) insomnia; sleep-state misperception
B) narcolepsy; sleep-state misperception
C) insomnia; REM behavior disorder
D) narcolepsy; fatal familial insomnia

Question 41

Fatal familial insomnia is a rare genetic disorder afflicting adults in middle age. Sufferers

A) progressively sleep less and less, until they stop sleeping and ultimately die.
B) have no control over whether or not they will fall asleep most nights.
C) die from a lack of REM sleep, not from a lack of slow-wave sleep.
D) progressively sleep more and more, until they fall into a coma and die.

Question 42

You volunteer for a sleep study and the researchers discover that your blood oxygen level drops many times during the night. It is likely that you have

A) sleep-onset insomnia.
B) REM behavior disorder.
C) narcolepsy.
D) sleep apnea.

Question 43

Some have speculated that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is actually the result of

A) sleep apnea.
B) narcolepsy.
C) poor nutrition.
D) poor hygiene.

Question 44

As we age, which type of sleep will eventually cease altogether?

A) Stage 1
B) Stage 2
C) REM
D) Slow-wave

Question 45

During your therapy session, your therapist speaks very softly, suggesting that you concentrate first on her voice and then on the image of a calm, cool ocean. This therapist is likely practicing

A) hypnosis.
B) cognitive therapy.
C) meditation.
D) resistance therapy.

Question 46

The Stanford hypnotic susceptibility test is used to

A) gauge whether or not you will believe that a stage hypnotist is real.
B) estimate whether or not you will follow hypnotic suggestions.
C) measure the effectiveness of hypnosis in occupational therapy.
D) assess the ethical standards of hypnotherapy.

Question 47

Hypnosis can be effective in reducing pain, if the hypnotist trains the patient to

A) distract from all bodily sensations with the use of a mantra.
B) disconnect from the unpleasant emotions attached to the pain.
C) deny that he or she is aware of the painful stimulus.
D) induce a loss of consciousness to block out the pain.

Question 48

Imagine that you are trying to help an elderly aunt manage the chronic pain of arthritis. Your success is more likely if you suggest to her that the pain

A) has completely subsided.
B) is too intense to ignore.
C) is very manageable, and that she is capable of coping with it.
D) will only increase if she does not practice hypnosis.

Question 49

The classic theory about hypnosis being a uniquely altered state of consciousness is known as the _______ theory of hypnosis.

A) social
B) regression
C) stage
D) trance

Question 50

The social theory of hypnosis states that

A) most people who are hypnotized slip into an altered state of consciousness.
B) everyone is susceptible to hypnosis.
C) hypnosis is likely a function of a person accommodating the hypnotist.
D) meditation and hypnosis are actually the same phenomenon.

Question 51

You come home to find your roommate sitting in the middle of the floor, slowly repeating the words "relax, let go, be at peace" with his eyes closed. He is practicing

A) hypnosis.
B) meditation.
C) psychedelic drug therapy.
D) REM behavior therapy.

Question 52

Some psychoactive drugs work as _______, meaning that they artificially stimulate receptors in a neurotransmitter system. Others work as _______, meaning that they block activity at particular receptors.

A) agonists; neuromodulators
B) neuromodulators; antagonists
C) antagonists; agonists
D) agonists; antagonists

Question 53

Unlike agonists and antagonists, _______ do not interfere with the normal binding of neurotransmitters to receptors.

A) neuromodulators
B) neuropeptides
C) endogenous opiates
D) endocannabinoids

Question 54

Drugs classified as depressants typically

A) speed up metabolism.
B) slow down neural transmission and behavior.
C) increase the likelihood of the sympathetic nervous system becoming active.
D) act as antagonists that block the effect of GABA.

Question 55

Though not readily prescribed as medication, _______ are depressants that are used as anesthetics.

A) benzodiazepines
B) tranquilizers
C) barbiturates
D) analgesics

Question 56

If your doctor prescribes Xanax to alleviate anxiety, she is prescribing a(n)

A) tranquilizer.
B) barbiturate.
C) stimulant.
D) opiate.

Question 57

Your friend insists that cigarette smoking calms his nerves, but you are skeptical because in reality, nicotine is a(n)

A) depressant.
B) neuromodulator.
C) stimulant.
D) opiate.

Question 58

Stimulant drugs generally

A) speed up mental activity and neural transmission.
B) produce a calming effect.
C) slow down mental activity and neural transmission.
D) counteract the effects of cannabinoids.

Question 59

You are worried that your friend has a dangerously high tolerance for coffee because he

A) sometimes complains of a headache before his morning coffee.
B) typically drinks six or eight cups a day just to stay focused.
C) never drinks coffee except when he is anxious.
D) often forgets to turn off the coffee pot.

Question 60

The active substance in the opium poppy is _______, one of the most effective _______, or painkillers.

A) morphine; analgesics
B) Xanax; analgesics
C) morphine; anxiolytics
D) morphine; stimulants

Question 61

Heroin and morphine exert their effects by acting as agonists at receptor sites for a class of neurotransmitters called

A) endogenous opiates.
B) endogenous cannabinoids.
C) catecholamines.
D) neuromodulators.

Question 62

Opioid receptors are responsible for the pain-killing effects of morphine. One area of the brain in which opioids are found is the

A) forebrain.
B) thalamus.
C) midbrain.
D) brainstem.

Question 63

Your friend comes home from a party in an altered state and mistakes your housecat for a lion. Your friend may have taken a(n)

A) hallucinogen.
B) amphetamine.
C) depressant.
D) opiate.

Question 64

Drugs like psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and mescaline are classified as hallucinogens because they cause

A) loss of consciousness and death.
B) radically altered perceptions and sensory experiences.
C) heightened euphoria associated with improved vision.
D) total detachment from the surrounding environment and coma.

Question 65

If you accidentally ingested PCP, you would probably feel

A) very agitated, but focused.
B) relaxed and euphoric.
C) silly and lethargic.
D) as if you were having an out-of-body experience.

Question 66

MDMA, or ecstasy, increases the risk of depression because the drug produces significant changes in the activity of

A) serotonin.
B) endorphins.
C) norepinephrine.
D) glutamate.

Question 67

Use the following to answer questions :
Refer to the figure below.

-According to the figure, President Nixon's War on Drugs

A) has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of people buying cocaine.
B) is correlated with a large increase in the number of people in prison.
C) immediately triggered a 200 percent increase in the prison population.
D) successfully reduced the number of non-violent drug offenders behind bars.

Question 68

Use the following to answer questions :
Refer to the figure below.

-The data in the figure suggest that the war on drugs

A) has been a wasted effort because it has not led to a reduction in drug-related deaths.
B) is remarkably successful because it has put many drug dealers in jail.
C) may have contributed to an increase in the nation's prison population.
D) has effectively decreased the number of people distributing addictive substances.

Question 69

The primary active substance in marijuana, THC, binds to _______ receptors.

A) cannabinoid
B) GABA
C) dopamine
D) acetylcholine

Question 70

Psychologists have clinically defined drug addiction as substance use disorder, which is essentially the

A) strong desire to withdraw from drugs.
B) strong desire to self-administer a drug of abuse.
C) dysphoria associated with stopping a drug.
D) temporary euphoria often experienced by drug users.

Question 71

Your friend is cutting back severely on her coffee intake. She is experiencing headaches, fatigue, and irritability as a result of

A) withdrawal.
B) brain self-stimulation.
C) nicotine addiction.
D) caffeine intolerance.

Question 72

If you had a device implanted in your brain that allowed you to stimulate the release of dopamine in the forebrain, you would likely

A) avoid all other activities in favor of self-stimulation.
B) avoid self-stimulation unless you were quite sad.
C) seek to use the self-stimulator only late at night.
D) become tolerant to the self-stimulator and eventually stop using it.

Question 73

The reward pathway is a network of neurons running from the _______ to the _______.

A) midbrain; frontal lobe
B) brainstem; midbrain
C) cerebellum; midbrain
D) brainstem; forebrain

Question 74

A prominent part of the reward pathway of the brain is the _______, located at the base of the frontal lobe.

A) locus coeruleus
B) suprachiasmatic nucleus
C) nucleus accumbens
D) reticular formation

Question 75

Which of the following statements best captures what happens to a person's feelings of pleasure when he or she habitually abuses a drug?

A) Frank loves enhancing his sense of fun by taking ecstasy before going out for the night.
B) Jeff's addiction to heroin supplanted all of the other pleasurable activities in his life, including eating and sex.
C) Due to her binge drinking, Rachel now has two DUI charges.
D) Sarah never used to smoke marijuana, but she feels so good when she smokes it now that she smokes it almost every weekend.

Question 76

If you were able to truly experience another person's emotions, you would have solved the _______ of consciousness.

Question 77

If your friend underwent split-brain surgery, his _______ would be severed, but he would rarely be conscious of the effect of the surgery.

Question 78

If you believe that everything happens for a reason or that fate controls people's decisions, you do not believe in _______.

Question 79

Imagine you work in a sleep-observation laboratory. You know that a person has entered _______ if the EEG shows rapid activity that resembles a waking brain, though the person remains asleep.

Question 80

Freud believed that dreams contain _______, the real wishes behind the images and events that you dream about.