Question 1

At the very onset of sleep,Melanie experienced pressure on her body followed by a feeling that she was falling.Her experience best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The pressure and falling sensation that Melanie experienced are typical of hypnagogic sensations, which occur during the initial stage of sleep as one transitions from wakefulness into sleep. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep. REM rebound refers to the increased amount and intensity of REM sleep following deprivation or disruption. Night terrors are intense episodes of fear or terror during sleep, typically experienced during non-REM sleep. None of these explanations fit Melanie's experience as well as hypnagogic sensations.

Question 2

Compared with alpha waves,delta waves are

Accepted Answer

Delta waves are slower than alpha waves, with frequencies typically ranging from 0.5 to 4 Hz. However, delta waves are larger than alpha waves, with amplitudes ranging from 20 to 200 microvolts.

Question 3

NREM-1 sleep is likely to be associated with

Accepted Answer

NREM-1 sleep is also known as the transitional phase between wakefulness and sleep. During this stage, a person may experience hypnagogic sensations such as falling or floating, which are not associated with genital arousal or delta waves. However, night terrors may occur during deeper stages of NREM sleep (NREM-3), not during NREM-1.

Question 4

Failing to notice changes in our immediate surroundings is called

Accepted Answer

Failing to notice changes in our immediate surroundings is called change blindness.

Question 5

The impact of circadian rhythms is best illustrated by

Accepted Answer

Circadian rhythms are the internal biological clock that control a variety of physiological and behavioral processes over a 24-hour cycle. Fluctuations in energy level and alertness across the span of a day are examples of the impact of circadian rhythms on human behavior. A, C, and D are not related to circadian rhythms.

Question 6

Which of the following is most likely to be associated with the end of slow-wave sleep?

Accepted Answer

Bed-wetting is most likely to occur at the end of slow-wave sleep, which is the deepest stage of non-REM sleep.

Question 7

Standing in the checkout line at the grocery store,Jerry was concentrating on a cell phone conversation.As a result,he failed to see that a store employee was clearly being robbed by a person just in front of him.Jerry most clearly experienced

Accepted Answer

Inattentional blindness refers to the phenomenon of failing to perceive a visible and audible stimulus when attention is focused on another task or stimulus. In this scenario, Jerry was so focused on his cell phone conversation that he failed to perceive the robbery of the store employee in front of him.

Question 8

Women become increasingly morning-oriented "larks" as they have children and also as they transition to menopause.This best illustrates that age and experience can alter our

Accepted Answer

The fact that women become morning-oriented "larks" as they have children and transition to menopause suggests that their circadian rhythm may be altered by age and experience.

Question 9

Thinking is sharpest and memory is most accurate when people are at their daily peak in

Accepted Answer

Circadian arousal refers to the peak level of alertness and wakefulness that occurs during a person's natural biological rhythm. This is typically during the daytime for most people and has been shown to be the time when cognitive function is at its best, including thinking and memory. Melatonin secretion and hypnagogic sensations are not associated with cognitive function at peak times, and REM rebound refers to an increase in the amount of REM sleep after a period of sleep deprivation, which is not directly related to daily peak cognitive function.

Question 10

Human body temperatures typically

Accepted Answer

Human body temperatures typically rise with the approach of morning and fall with the approach of night. This is due to the body's circadian rhythm, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle and other physiological functions. As a result, body temperature tends to be lowest during the early morning hours, and highest in the late afternoon or early evening.

Question 11

When Jason briefly turned to summon the waiter,his wife quickly switched her glass of red wine with his glass of white wine.Jason's failure to notice that his chosen wine had been replaced best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Change blindness refers to the phenomenon of failing to notice changes in an environment or a visual scene. In this case, Jason failed to notice the change in his wine glass, indicating his susceptibility to change blindness. This suggests that individuals may not perceive changes in their environment when they are not paying close attention or expect changes to occur.

Question 12

Sleep is best defined as

Accepted Answer

Sleep is a periodic natural loss of consciousness that involves distinct stages, including REM and non-REM sleep.

Question 13

Activity in brain areas vital to driving ________ when a driver is attending to conversation.A study that focused video cams on teen drivers found that driver distraction from other passengers or phones occurred just before a ________ of their crashes.

Accepted Answer

When a driver is distracted by conversation, brain activity in areas crucial for driving decreases. The study found that such distractions occurred just before a majority of crashes.

Question 14

During NREM-1 sleep,people may experience fantastic images that resemble

Accepted Answer

During NREM-1 sleep, people may experience hypnagogic hallucinations, which are vivid and fantastic images that may feel real. These hallucinations can be caused by the brain transitioning from waking to sleeping states, and can be similar to the visual and auditory hallucinations experienced during some forms of meditation or sensory deprivation.

Question 15

Inattentional blindness refers to

Accepted Answer

Inattentional blindness refers to the tendency of not seeing visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere. For example, if someone is texting while driving, they may not see a pedestrian crossing the road because their attention is on their phone rather than the road.

Question 16

The pattern of biological functioning that occurs on a roughly 24-hour cycle is called the

Accepted Answer

Circadian rhythm refers to the biological processes that occur on a roughly 24-hour cycle, including sleep-wake cycles, hormone production, and body temperature fluctuations. REM rebound, alpha wave pattern, and hypnagogic sensation are not related to the 24-hour cycle of biological functioning.

Question 17

Cindi prefers to take exams in the late afternoon rather than during the morning because her energy level and ability to concentrate are better at that time.Her experience most likely reflects the influence of

Accepted Answer

The circadian rhythm is the internal biological clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and other bodily processes over a 24-hour period. Cindi's preference for taking exams in the late afternoon suggests that her circadian rhythm is optimized during that time, leading to better energy and concentration levels. Choice A (REM rebound) is not relevant to this scenario, as it refers to an increase in the amount and intensity of REM sleep following a period of sleep deprivation. Choice B (menstrual cycle) is also unlikely to play a significant role in Cindi's exam performance, as there is little evidence to suggest that menstrual cycle affects cognitive abilities like concentration and memory. Choice D (hypnagogic sensations) refers to the hallucinations and vivid sensory experiences that can occur during the transition from wakefulness to sleep, and is also not relevant to Cindi's situation.

Question 18

Inattentional blindness is best described as a by-product of

Accepted Answer

Inattentional blindness occurs when selective attention focuses on one task or object, causing individuals to miss unexpected stimuli or events that they are not looking for.

Question 19

When people are experiencing vivid dreams

Accepted Answer

When people are experiencing vivid dreams, their eyes are likely to move under their closed eyelids. This is known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, which is characterized by a faster brain wave pattern similar to when someone is awake. However, the body is usually paralyzed during REM sleep, which prevents movements in accordance with what is being dreamt. Sleepwalking is more common during other stages of sleep, such as non-REM sleep.

Question 20

Long-haul truck drivers are at a much-greater-than-normal risk of a collision if texting while driving.This best illustrates the impact of

Accepted Answer

Selective attention is the ability to focus on one task or stimulus while ignoring others. Texting while driving requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention, which means that the driver isn't paying full attention to the road. This puts them at an increased risk of a collision, making selective attention the best choice to illustrate the impact. Hypnagogic sensations, parallel processing, and REM rebound are not relevant to this scenario.

Quiz 2: The Biology of Mind and Consciousness