Question 1

The significance of the study conducted by Insel, Scanlan, Champoux, and Soumi (1988) in which rhesus monkeys were raised either with a sense of control or without one and later exposed to an anxiety-inducing drug is that chemicals such as neurotransmitters

Accepted Answer

The study showed that the monkeys who were raised in an environment with a sense of control were less affected by the anxiety-inducing drug than those who were not. This suggests that an individual's psychological history (in this case, their sense of control) can influence how they respond to certain chemicals such as neurotransmitters. Therefore, the answer is B, as it demonstrates that chemicals such as neurotransmitters influence behavior in different ways depending upon the psychological history of the individual.

Question 2

Recent research suggests that learning and experience

Accepted Answer

Recent research has shown that the brain can change and adapt at any age based on learning and experience. This phenomenon is known as neuroplasticity.

Question 3

Studies regarding rat learning and brain structure by Greenough, et al. (1990) and Wallace, et al. (1992) suggest that

Accepted Answer

The studies suggest that learning experiences can cause physical changes in the brain, which indicates that choice A is the best answer. The other choices are not supported by the studies mentioned.

Question 4

When comparing the brains of rats raised in a rich environment requiring lots of learning and motor behavior with the brains of rats raised as "couch potatoes" (Greenough, et al., 1990), the cerebellums of the more active rats

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that rats raised in a rich environment with lots of learning and motor behavior have cerebellums containing more neuronal connections and dendrites, indicating greater neural plasticity and cognitive function compared to “couch potato” rats.

Question 5

In a recent study (Petrovic, Kalso, Peterson & Ingvar, 2002), subjects were exposed to a painful stimulus (heat to the hand) under three conditions: opiate medication, placebo (sugar pill) medication, and no medication. Brain scans indicated that a subject's experience of reduced pain with the placebo is due to

Accepted Answer

The study found that the brain regions activated by the placebo were overlapping, but not identical to those activated by opiate medication. This suggests that the placebo effect may involve similar neural mechanisms as actual pain relief medication, but may not be identical.

Question 6

Drugs often seem to work in a manner by reaching higher areas of the cortex where thinking occurs last. This is called _.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Drugs often seem to work in a...

Question 7

Placing a rat in a cage where electrical shocks over which the rat has no control are occasionally administered through the floor is a way to create .

Accepted Answer

Placing a rat in a cage where electrical shocks over which the rat has no control are occasionally administered through the floor is a way to create learned helplessness. This is a state of passivity or resignation that is learned when an organism is repeatedly subjected to aversive or painful stimuli that it cannot escape or avoid. This can lead to a sense of hopelessness and a lack of motivation to try to improve the situation, even when escape or avoidance becomes possible.

Question 8

Cognitive-behavior therapy facilitates changes in thinking patterns in the cortex, which in turn affects the emotional brain. This is called .

Accepted Answer

Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) involves changing negative or irrational thought patterns, which are processed in the cortex of the brain. As a result of these changes, the emotional brain is impacted, leading to a decrease in negative emotions and symptoms. This process is referred to as a top-down change, as it originates in the cortex and affects the emotional brain.

Question 9

Learned helplessness is demonstrated in laboratory animals by

Accepted Answer

Learned helplessness is demonstrated when animals are repeatedly exposed to aversive stimuli that they cannot control, leading them to believe that they are helpless and unable to escape or avoid the stimuli. This can result in a lack of effort to try to escape or avoid the stimuli in the future, even if it becomes possible for them to do so.

Question 10

Insel, Scanlan, Champoux, and Soumi (1988) raised one group of rhesus monkeys with the ability to control things in their environment and another group of monkeys who had no control of their environment (e.g., when they would receive treats and toys). When injected with a drug that produces a feeling of severe anxiety, the monkeys

Accepted Answer

The study by Insel, Scanlan, Champoux, and Suomi (1988) found that monkeys raised with a sense of control over their environment reacted to a drug that induces anxiety with anger and aggression, while those raised without control exhibited signs of anxiety. This suggests that the ability to exert control over one's environment can influence how stressors are perceived and responded to.

Question 11

Rescorla (1988) demonstrated that simply pairing two events closely in time

Accepted Answer

Rescorla's research showed that the key factor in classical conditioning is the predictive value of the conditioned stimulus (CS) for the unconditioned stimulus (US), rather than simply pairing the two closely in time. Therefore, choice D is the correct answer as it highlights the importance of the predictive relationship between the CS and US, rather than the temporal relationship between the two events.

Question 12

Regarding biological influences on the development of psychopathology, the most accurate statement is

Accepted Answer

There is a strong interplay between genetics and life events on the development of brain structure and function that can affect vulnerability to psychopathology. Both can contribute to the development of different psychiatric disorders. For example, research indicates that a genetic predisposition for anxiety can be activated by stressful life events.

Question 13

In the 1992 studies conducted by Baxter et al., OCD patients were provided with cognitive-behavioral therapy (exposure and response prevention) but no drugs. This study is important because brain imaging showed that

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the 1992 studies conducted by Baxter...

Question 14

Extremely low levels of dopamine activity are associated with .

Accepted Answer

Extremely low levels of dopamine activity are associated with symptoms commonly observed in Parkinson's disease, including muscle rigidity, tremors, and impaired judgment.

Question 15

It is important to understand the process of how learned helplessness is created in laboratory animals because learned helplessness in animals resembles the human disorder of .

Accepted Answer

Learned helplessness is a phenomenon observed in laboratory animals when they are exposed to uncontrollable negative stimuli, which leads to a state of passive behavior and not trying to escape from the situation. This behavior resembles the symptoms of depression in humans, such as loss of motivation, low mood, and hopelessness. Panic disorder is characterized by sudden and intense episodes of fear and anxiety, which is not related to learned helplessness. Mania is a state of elevated or irritable mood, which is not similar to the symptoms of learned helplessness. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a range of symptoms, including delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and abnormal behavior, which is not similar to the symptoms of learned helplessness.

Question 16

Bullying studies in mice suggest that the functions of the mesolimbic system

Accepted Answer

The answer of Bullying studies in mice suggest that the...

Question 17

When one examines the current state of knowledge regarding genetics and life experience effects on brain structure and function, the best overall conclusion is that most psychological disorders are

Accepted Answer

The current state of knowledge suggests that most psychological disorders are caused by a complex interaction of biological (genetics and faulty neurotransmitter circuits) and psychosocial factors (stressful early life experiences and their negative effects on brain structure or function). Thus, both factors contribute to the development of psychological disorders, rather than just one or the other.

Question 18

The most recent research evidence suggests that the relationship between the brain (structure, function, neurotransmitters) and psychosocial factors (socialization, rearing, life events) is best described as

Accepted Answer

The most recent research evidence points to an interaction between the brain and psychosocial factors, where both affect each other. This means that the brain affects our psychosocial factors (such as our behavior and emotions), and our psychosocial factors also impact our brain (such as through socialization and life events). It is not a one-way relationship, but rather a complex and dynamic interplay between the two.

Question 19

One conclusion that can be drawn from the studies regarding rat learning and brain structure (Greenough, et al., 1990; Wallace, et al., 1992) is that

Accepted Answer

The studies suggest that early psychological experience does have an impact on the development of the nervous system, which can influence vulnerability to psychological disorders later in life. This is supported by the findings of Greenough et al. (1990) and Wallace et al. (1992) that early environmental enrichment led to structural changes in the brains of rats and improved learning ability. Therefore, choice C is the best answer.

Question 20

What is one of the conclusions generally drawn from the 1990s studies of OCD, brain imaging, and cognitive- behavioral therapy by Baxter et al., and the follow up studies by Schwartz et al.?

Accepted Answer

The studies suggest that cognitive-behavioral therapy, a psychosocial factor, can impact neurotransmitters, indicating that psychosocial factors can affect how neurotransmitters function.

Quiz 2: An Integrative Approach to Psychopathology