Question 1

Which of the following brain areas receives sensory information very directly and quickly, bypassing the cortex and allowing persons to respond to potential danger before they really know what's happening?

Accepted Answer

The amygdala plays a key role in processing emotions and is involved in how we respond to potential threats. It receives sensory information directly, enabling quick responses to danger before the cortex processes the details, allowing for rapid reactions to potentially threatening situations.

Question 2

Our primitive fear response is not under the control of higher brain centers and is, therefore, a form of __________ processing.

Accepted Answer

Our primitive fear response is a form of experiential processing because it is automatic and does not involve conscious thought or reflection, relying instead on direct experience and instinctual reactions.

Question 3

Which of the following directly measures brain activity, thus bypassing the traditional approach of measuring indirect signs of emotional arousal?

Accepted Answer

fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) directly measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. This technique allows researchers to see which parts of the brain are active during various tasks, including emotional processing, thus providing a direct measure of brain activity.

Question 4

Even if they are basic emotions and processed first in the limbic system, all emotions are eventually sent to the cortex where they give rise to more or less complicated emotional feelings through __________ processing.

Accepted Answer

Reflective processing in the cortex allows for the more complex emotional feelings to develop from basic emotions, integrating them with cognitive processes such as memory and attention, leading to nuanced emotional experiences.

Question 5

An armed robber could hold a gun to your head, and you would not feel fear, if which part of your brain were damaged?

Accepted Answer

The amygdala plays a crucial role in processing emotions, including fear. Damage to the amygdala can impair the ability to feel fear in response to threats.

Question 6

When used to detect lying, the functional MRI scan measures

Accepted Answer

Functional MRI (fMRI) scans measure brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. When used to detect lying, they focus on the activation of extra brain areas that are involved in the process of deception, as lying typically requires more cognitive resources than telling the truth.

Question 7

Psychiatrist Daniel Langleben theorizes that a liar must inhibit telling the truth in order to lie; therefore, an fMRI brain image of the person's brain would show

Accepted Answer

Langleben's theory suggests that lying requires additional cognitive effort to suppress the truth, which would activate extra brain areas involved in this process, as seen on an fMRI.

Question 8

The amygdala specializes in producing fear and is part of the

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is part of the limbic system, which is involved in emotion regulation, including fear.

Question 9

The use of lie detectors to screen job applicants and check the honesty of employees is questionable because

Accepted Answer

Lie detectors, or polygraphs, are controversial for several reasons. They are considered invasive of privacy (A), as they probe deeply into personal matters. They also cannot distinguish between the physiological responses associated with lying and those caused by other emotions like anxiety (B), which can lead to false positives. Moreover, the accuracy of lie detectors is widely debated, with many studies suggesting they are not reliably accurate (C). Therefore, all of these concerns (A, B, and C) make the use of lie detectors for screening job applicants and checking employee honesty questionable.

Question 10

Which of the following can be found buried within the temporal lobes on each side of the brain and provides quick processing of emotional stimuli and allows us to react involuntarily to danger?

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is located within the temporal lobes of the brain and plays a key role in processing emotions, especially fear, which helps us react to potential threats.

Question 11

If you damaged your amygdala, you could still do which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is primarily associated with processing emotions, especially fear, and social behaviors. Damage to it can impair emotional processing and social interactions but does not typically affect the ability to name familiar people and objects by sight, which involves different brain areas such as the temporal lobes and visual cortex.

Question 12

The National Academy of Sciences recently concluded that polygraph tests

Accepted Answer

The National Academy of Sciences concluded that polygraph tests should not be used to screen employees due to concerns about their reliability and effectiveness.

Question 13

Regarding polygraph testing, which of the following statements is\are TRUE?

Accepted Answer

The polygraph test measures physiological responses that can be similar when a person is lying or when they are simply nervous, anxious, or afraid. This means it cannot definitively distinguish between deception and emotional states like fear or anxiety.

Question 14

Regarding the lie detector test, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

The most common error of the polygraph test is actually to label an innocent person as guilty, not the other way around. This is due to its sensitivity to physiological responses that may not necessarily be indicative of lying.

Question 15

You are feeling a great deal of fear, the brain site most likely involved is the

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is a key brain structure involved in processing emotions, including fear. It plays a central role in the emotional response and emotional memory, particularly those related to fear.

Question 16

People who suffer damage to which part of the brain become "blind" to emotion and are unable to feel fear in a life-threatening situation or to relate normally to family and friends?

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is crucial for processing emotions, especially fear. Damage to this part of the brain can impair a person's ability to experience fear and significantly affect their emotional responses and social interactions.

Question 17

You go to a zoo and place your face close to the glass in front of a rattlesnake display. Suddenly, the rattlesnake strikes at your face. Even though you know you are safe, Joseph LeDoux predicts that you will recoil from the snake's attack because of the actions of which part of your brain?

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is responsible for processing emotions, such as fear, and initiates the body's response to perceived threats, leading to the instinctual reaction of recoiling from the snake's attack.

Question 18

Regarding polygraph testing, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

Polygraph tests measure physiological responses such as heart rate, blood pressure, and perspiration, which can be triggered by lying but also by fear, anxiety, or other emotions. They cannot directly tell the difference between lying and these other emotional states.

Question 19

You are being given a polygraph test as a condition of being employed at your company. The best advice would be for you to

Accepted Answer

Remaining calm during a polygraph test is advisable to ensure accurate results. If the results inaccurately question your honesty, challenging them is a reasonable course of action. Polygraph tests are not 99 percent accurate, and attempting to manipulate the results or refusing the test and suing the company are not constructive approaches.

Question 20

Rami is unable to "read" or understand other people's emotional expressions, especially as conveyed by their eyes, which prevents him from relating normally to friends, family, and coworkers. Rami most likely has damage to which part of his brain?

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is crucial for emotion processing and emotional learning, including the recognition of emotional expressions in others, particularly fear. Damage to the amygdala can impair the ability to understand and interpret others' emotional states, as described in Rami's case.

Quiz 10: Motivation and Emotion