Question 1

When neuroscientists use PET scans (positron emission tomography),

Accepted Answer

PET scans involve injecting a small amount of radioactive substance into the body that attaches to glucose molecules. As the brain uses glucose for energy, the areas of the brain that are most active during a task will have increased blood flow and therefore more of the radioactive substance attached to them. The PET scan can then detect and create an image of these areas of increased activity.

Question 2

Suppose that you want to see whether the human brain responds differently when a person reads a pleasant word,rather than an unpleasant word.Which of the following neuroscience techniques would provide the most useful information about processing these two kinds of words?

Accepted Answer

The event-related potential (ERP) technique measures the electrical activity in the brain in response to stimuli (in this case, pleasant and unpleasant words). This technique can provide information on the timing and location of brain activity, which can reveal whether the brain responds differently to the two types of words. Choice B (the connectionist approach) is a theoretical framework, not a specific neuroscience technique. Choice C (the brain-lesion technique) involves studying patients with brain damage, which may not be relevant for this particular question. Choice D (a positron emission tomography (PET) scan) measures brain activity through the use of radioactive tracers and can reveal the location of brain activity, but is not as precise in terms of timing as the ERP technique.

Question 3

Which of the following is the best example of a schema?

Accepted Answer

A schema is a mental framework or organization of information. Option C describes an understanding of what is typically included in a dentist's office and what is not, which is an example of a schema. The other options describe specific abilities or skills rather than mental frameworks.

Question 4

Suppose that you meet a professor who is trying to determine what portions of the brain are involved in trying to recall a word that is on the tip of your tongue.This person is likely to use the approach of

Accepted Answer

Cognitive neuroscience is the study of the biological processes that underlie cognition, with a focus on how brain activity relates to mental processes. In this case, the professor is trying to determine which portions of the brain are involved in the cognitive process of trying to recall a word, making cognitive neuroscience the most appropriate approach to use.

Question 5

Some cognitive neuroscientists study brain lesions to learn more about brain functions.However,a major problem with this technique is that

Accepted Answer

The major problem with studying brain lesions is that brain damage may extend into several areas of the brain. This makes it difficult to determine which specific area of the brain is responsible for a particular function or behavior.

Question 6

A research team is studying which parts of the brain are active when a participant looks at a photograph of a person,and tries to judge how intelligent that person is.This kind of study is an example of

Accepted Answer

This study involves examining the brain activity involved in social cognition, specifically in relation to judgments of intelligence. Social cognitive neuroscience seeks to understand the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition and behavior. Therefore, this study is an example of the social cognitive neuroscience approach.

Question 7

An important characteristic of the connectionist approach is that

Accepted Answer

The connectionist approach is flexible enough to explain many cognitive skills, making it a useful model for understanding various aspects of cognition.

Question 8

A researcher wants to study how people's attention shifts when they see a visual stimulus in an unexpected portion of a screen that they are viewing; this attention shift occurs in just a fraction of a second.Which of the following techniques is this researcher most likely to use?

Accepted Answer

The event-related potential technique (ERP) is the best choice. This technique measures the electrical activity in the brain that occurs in response to a specific sensory stimulus, such as a visual stimulus. It has high temporal resolution, meaning it can detect changes in brain activity in real time. It is also noninvasive, making it a safe and convenient choice for studying human subjects.

Question 9

Which of the following students provides the best understanding of the PET scan technique?

Accepted Answer

Jamie provides the best understanding of the PET scan technique as he correctly states that the PET scan creates an image based on a chemical that travels through the bloodstream. This chemical is usually a form of radioactive sugar that accumulates in areas of the brain that are active. The resulting image shows where the sugar has accumulated, highlighting areas of brain activity.

Question 10

According to the first chapter in your textbook,research in cognitive neuroscience

Accepted Answer

The first chapter of the textbook indicates that research in cognitive neuroscience often obtains brain images while people are working on a cognitive task. Option A is incorrect because cognitive processes are not always localized to a specific location in the brain. Option C is incorrect because newer techniques, such as brain imaging, have gained popularity over the brain-lesion method. Option D is incorrect because research in cognitive neuroscience has actually become more popular in recent years due to advances in technology.

Question 11

In contrast to a PET scan,the fMRI technique

Accepted Answer

fMRI provides more precise information when measuring a series of events in the brain compared to a PET scan. PET scans do require an injection of a radioactive chemical, but fMRI does not. While fMRI can detect activity in certain regions of the brain that correspond to emotions or thoughts, it cannot accurately determine whether a person's thoughts are pleasant or unpleasant. Additionally, fMRI does not involve placing electrodes on a person's scalp.

Question 12

Research on people with brain lesions

Accepted Answer

Research on people with brain lesions studies people who cannot perform specific cognitive tasks after they have had a stroke, tumor, or accident. This is a common approach in clinical neuropsychology. Option A is incorrect because research on people with brain lesions does not solely focus on the way that isolated nerve cells function. Option B is incorrect because brain plasticity and recovery after stroke have been well documented in the field of neuroscience. Option C is incorrect because research on people with brain lesions has been ongoing for many decades.

Question 13

According to the discussion of cognitive neuroscience,the PET-scan technique

Accepted Answer

PET-scan is a technique that measures blood flow in the brain. This allows researchers to see which areas of the brain are active during specific cognitive processes.

Question 14

Metacognition refers to

Accepted Answer

Metacognition refers to your ability to think about your own thinking processes. It involves being aware of your own thinking processes and making conscious decisions about how to use them effectively.

Question 15

How does the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging technique (fMRI)compare with other imaging techniques?

Accepted Answer

fMRI is more effective than the PET scan in measuring brain activity that occurs rapidly.

Question 16

According to Chapter 1's introduction to the chapters in your textbook,perceptual processes

Accepted Answer

The introduction to the chapters in the textbook explains that perceptual processes involve using previous knowledge and experience to interpret information gathered by our senses. Therefore, option A is the best answer. Option B is incorrect because while concept formation may be a part of perceptual processes, it is not the primary focus. Option C is incorrect because attention is a critical component of perceptual processes. Option D is incorrect because behaviorism does not fully explain the complexity of perceptual processes.

Question 17

Suppose that you hear about a research project in linguistics that is exploring the topic called discourse.Which of the following would be the most likely topic for this research?

Accepted Answer

Discourse refers to the way in which language is used in a larger context, including conversations, narratives, and other forms of communication. Therefore, researching the ideas and expectations that students have about how a story should end falls within the realm of discourse. A, B, and C are more related to phonetics, grammar, and syntax, respectively.

Question 18

One component of your general knowledge focuses on semantic memory.Which of the following would be an example of semantic memory?

Accepted Answer

Semantic memory refers to our general knowledge of the world, including facts, concepts, and ideas. Knowing that the word "bear" is similar to the word "lion" is an example of semantic memory. Options A, B, and C are not related to semantic memory as they involve different types of cognitive processes.

Question 19

Imagine that some researchers are trying to design a computer-simulation model for an arithmetic task.They would be most likely to

Accepted Answer

The researchers are trying to design a computer-simulation model for an arithmetic task, which means they want the computer to behave like humans in solving the problem. Choice D suggests creating a system that uses a problem-solving technique similar to the way humans would solve the problem. Therefore, option D is the most appropriate choice. A might be useful at later stages for studying neural processing, but not initial designing. B is not relevant as speed is not the primary concern. C could be an approach for better understanding human strategies for the task but may not be directly relevant to designing the computer-simulation model.

Question 20

An important difference between the classical AI approach and the connectionist approach is that the classical AI approach

Accepted Answer

The classical AI approach proceeds one step at a time, while the connectionist approach uses parallel distributed processing. None of the other options are true statements about the difference between the two approaches.

Quiz 1: An Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

When neuroscientists use PET scans (positron emission tomography) ,