Question 1

According to the textbook, which one of the following conclusions is most true regarding factors that influence brain development?
A) Genetic factors have the strongest influence on brain development, particularly later in life.
B) Environmental factors and people's experiences have the strongest influence on brain development in middle childhood.
C) Together, brain development is shaped by genetic and environmental factors throughout the life span.
D) Environmental factors are particularly influential in abnormal brain development.

Accepted Answer

The textbook states that brain development is shaped by both genetic and environmental factors throughout the life span, indicating that both factors are important and influential. While genetic factors do play a role, environmental factors, such as experiences and life events, can also have a significant impact on brain development. Additionally, abnormal brain development can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetic mutations and environmental toxins, but the statement made in option D is too narrow to be accurate. Therefore, Option C is the most appropriate answer.

Question 2

Three of the following describe methods what researchers commonly use to determine how the human brain probably functions. Which one is not a commonly used method to study the brain?
A) Documenting the behaviors of people with various kinds of brain injuries
B) Recording brain activity through PET scans, CAT scans, and similar technologies
C) Measuring the levels of various hormones and other substances in the blood
D) Removing a certain part of an animal's brain and observing the animal's subsequent behaviors

Accepted Answer

While measuring the levels of various hormones and other substances in the blood can provide valuable information about brain function, it is not a commonly used direct method for studying the brain. The other options all involve directly observing or manipulating the brain itself.

Question 3

Three of the following statements are consistent with research findings about factors that influence brain development. Which statement has not been supported by research?
A) Genetic factors predispose some people to learning difficulties or mental illness.
B) High levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to mental retardation.
C) High levels of toxic substances e. g., lead, pesticides  have their greatest negative impact after puberty.
D) Opportunities to learn certain skills may lead to detectable differences in brain structures or patterns of brain activation.

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently shown that exposure to high levels of toxic substances, such as lead and pesticides, can have a negative impact on brain development, regardless of age. There is no evidence to suggest that these substances have a greater negative impact after puberty.

Question 4

Given what psychologists believe to be true about how information is typically stored in the brain, how is the concept dog probably represented in your brain?
A) As a single neuron located in the prefrontal cortex
B) As a network of neurons spread across multiple brain regions
C) As a cluster of interconnected neurons located in the left parietal lobe
D) As a cluster of interconnected neurons located in one of the occipital lobes

Accepted Answer

According to what psychologists believe about how information is typically stored in the brain, concepts are represented as a network of neurons that are spread across multiple brain regions. Therefore, choice B is the best option as it describes how the concept of dog is probably represented in the brain.

Question 5

Which one of the following research findings is most consistent with the concept of core knowledge as described in the textbook?
A) Children must have basic knowledge of numbers and counting before they can master arithmetic operations such as addition and multiplication.
B) Some motor skills are prerequisites for others; for example, children must learn how to walk before they can learn how to run or skip.
C) Some linguistic knowledge is prerequisite to other knowledge; for example, children must know how to read before they can learn how to write.
D) Very young infants appear to have more knowledge of the physical world than they could have acquired from their own, limited experiences with objects.

Accepted Answer

The concept of core knowledge refers to the innate, foundational knowledge that humans possess. Option D is the most consistent with this concept because it suggests that very young infants have knowledge about the physical world that cannot be solely attributed to their limited experiences. This implies that they have some innate understanding or core knowledge of the physical world. The other options describe knowledge acquisition that builds on previous knowledge, but they do not necessarily speak to the concept of innate or core knowledge.

Question 6

Three of the following educators are using an accurate understanding of the brain and its development to guide their teaching. Which one is not?
A) Mr. Ornstein divides his class into two groups-left-brain thinkers and right-brain thinkers-and gives each group different activities, tailored to the strengths of their dominant hemisphere.
B) Ms. Chen knows that her middle school students could struggle to control their impulses, so she has them practice appropriate behaviors before their scheduled field trip.
C) Ms. Alda, a music teacher, knows that the plasticity of the brain could help her students make connections between music and math.
D) Mr. Helbert knows that the environment, not just genetics, affects student learning, so he plans for Aisha to participate in the same science activities as her classmates, despite the fact that he taught her brother last year and he struggled with certain concepts.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Three of the following educators are using...

Question 7

Which one of the following best describes the growth of neurons during the prenatal period?
A) An overabundance of neurons emerges early in prenatal development, but about half of the neurons die before birth.
B) Neurons continue to be generated at a rapid rate throughout the last six months of the prenatal period.
C) Neurons begin to develop in the fifth month of pregnancy, and they proliferate rapidly during the third trimester.
D) Neurons that will support basic physiological functioning appear in the first two months after conception; those that will be responsible for higher-level thinking processes don't appear until two or three months before birth.

Accepted Answer

Neurons proliferate extensively early in prenatal development, followed by a process of pruning where a significant number of these neurons die off, a process essential for healthy brain development. This ensures that the neurons that form connections are those that have established functional pathways, contributing to the efficiency of the brain's network.

Question 8

Which one of the following best describes psychologists' current beliefs about the brain and learning?
A) Learning involves changes in synapses and possibly also involves the growth of new neurons and astrocytes.
B) Large doses of certain vitamins promote brain growth and lead to more rapid learning.
C) Left-hemisphere-dominant individuals are, on average, more effective learners than right-hemisphere-dominant individuals.
D) The brains of rapid learners are about 20% larger than the brains of slower learners.

Accepted Answer

Psychologists currently believe that learning involves changes in synapses, specifically strengthening or weakening of connections between neurons. It is also possible that new neurons and astrocytes may be grown in certain areas of the brain involved in learning.

Question 9

In the human brain, a great deal of synaptic pruning occurs in early childhood. This pruning appears to be:
A) The unfortunate result of insufficiently stimulating home environments
B) An adaptive process that allows children to deal more efficiently with their environment
C) Due to an imbalance of important nutrients, and especially to low levels of the B vitamins in many children's diets
D) Reflective of the fact that the forebrain is slowly taking over responsibility for functions that have previously been regulated by the hindbrain and midbrain

Accepted Answer

Synaptic pruning in early childhood is an adaptive process that allows the brain to become more efficient in processing information and adapting to the environment. It is not solely due to environmental factors or nutritional imbalances, although these factors can certainly impact brain development. And while the forebrain does gradually take over many functions previously regulated by the hindbrain and midbrain, this is not the primary reason for synaptic pruning in early childhood.

Question 10

Which one of the following best describes mirror neurons?
A) They are pairs of neurons that have identical functions on opposite sides of the cortex.
B) They are the primary reason why infants can recognize their own reflections as early as 3 months of age.
C) They fire when a person either makes a particular response or observes someone else make that response.
D) They are the only kinds of neurons that are consistently found in all primate species.

Accepted Answer

Mirror neurons are neurons that fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action. This allows for empathy, imitation, and communication. Option A is incorrect as mirror neurons are not necessarily located on opposite sides of the cortex. Option B is not entirely correct as mirror neurons are not the only reason why infants can recognize their reflection. Option D is incorrect as mirror neurons are not the only kind of neurons found in primates, and they are not consistently found in all primates.

Question 11

Which one of the following statements most accurately describes a neuron's threshold of excitation?
A) A neuron responds when it is stimulated by some of its neighboring neurons, but not when it is stimulated by other neighbors.
B) A neuron fires only when its electrical charge reaches a particular level.
C) A neuron is receptive to stimulation from other neurons only at points where there are gaps in its myelin sheath.
D) A neuron will fire at a maximum rate of no more than once every three seconds.

Accepted Answer

The threshold of excitation is the minimum level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse or action potential. Once the neuron's electrical charge reaches a particular level, it will fire or send an action potential down its axon. Therefore, statement B is the most accurate description of a neuron's threshold of excitation. The other options either provide irrelevant information or are incorrect.

Question 12

Which one of the following best describes how neurons transmit messages to one another?
A) By stimulating the growth of surrounding glial cells
B) By attaching themselves to the same terminal buttons
C) By fusing the axon of one with a dendrite of the other
D) By sending chemical substances across a tiny gap between them

Accepted Answer

Neurons transmit messages to one another by sending chemical substances (neurotransmitters) across a tiny gap called the synapse, which separates the terminal buttons of one neuron from the dendrites of another. The neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the receiving neuron, causing an electrical signal to be generated in that neuron.

Question 13

Naomi wakes up several hours after a severe blow to her head has rendered her unconscious. She can remember nothing about events leading up to the incident, reflecting the importance of _____________ in learning and memory.
A) neurogenesis
B) consolidation
C) a critical period
D) the corpus callosum

Accepted Answer

Consolidation refers to the process by which memories are stored and strengthened over time. The fact that Naomi cannot remember events leading up to her head injury suggests that the consolidation process for those memories did not have enough time to occur before she was knocked unconscious.

Question 14

Which one of the following is the best example of a reflex as psychologists define the term?
A) Going to sleep when you are tired
B) Feeling sad when a close relative dies
C) Pulling your foot away from a painful object
D) Jumping up and down for joy when you get a good grade

Accepted Answer

A reflex is an automatic, involuntary response to a stimulus. Pulling your foot away from a painful object is a classic example of a reflex because it is an immediate and automatic response to the painful stimulus. The other options involve more complex cognitive processes and are not considered reflexes in the psychological sense.

Question 15

In which one of the following situations should we be most concerned about missing a critical period in a person's development?
A) Rachel is born with a cataract in her left eye that is surgically removed when she is 8 years old.
B) Phoebe doesn't learn how to write until she is 12 years old.
C) Although Ross knows how to count, he gets no formal instruction in mathematics until he is 15.
D) Joey has his first tennis lesson when he is 25.

Accepted Answer

Critical periods are specific times during development when the brain is particularly receptive to learning certain skills or knowledge. Rachel's situation involves vision, which has a well-documented critical period in early childhood for developing normal visual acuity and depth perception. Delaying the removal of a cataract until 8 years old risks missing this critical period, potentially resulting in permanent vision deficits.

Question 16

Which one of the following best exemplifies experience-expectant plasticity?
A) Learning how to play the guitar
B) Mastering one's native language
C) Understanding abstract ideas in philosophy
D) Applying principles of psychology to real-world settings

Accepted Answer

Experience-expectant plasticity refers to the brain's innate ability to develop in response to typical experiences during development. Mastering one's native language is an example of experience-expectant plasticity because the brain has the built-in ability to develop language skills as long as it is exposed to typical language input during critical periods of development. The other options listed are examples of experience-dependent plasticity, which involves brain development in response to unique or individual experiences.

Question 17

After a severe head injury, Mary has exceptional difficulty setting goals and in other ways planning her actions. Without knowing anything else about Mary's injury, you might reasonably conclude that it affected her:
A) forebrain
B) midbrain
C) hindbrain
D) reticular formation

Accepted Answer

The forebrain is responsible for higher cognitive functions, such as planning, decision making, and goal setting. Therefore, it is likely that Mary's injury affected this area of her brain. The midbrain and hindbrain are more involved in basic functions such as movement and sensory processing, while the reticular formation is more related to arousal and attention.

Question 18

As children grow older, many of their neurons begin to transmit messages more rapidly than they did in the early years of life, thanks to:
A) synaptic pruning
B) synaptogenesis
C) myelination
D) maturation of the limbic system

Accepted Answer

The answer of As children grow older, many of their...

Question 19

Which one of the following best exemplifies experience-dependent plasticity?
A) Hearing subtle differences in similar-sounding words
B) Learning how to pronounce words like a native speaker
C) Learning syntactical structures of one's native language
D) Learning how to read

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which one of the following best exemplifies...

Question 20

During the elementary and secondary school years, much of the brain's development occurs in regions of the brain that are largely responsible for
A) thinking and reasoning
B) generation of emotional responses
C) muscular strength and coordination
D) making discriminations among highly similar stimuli

Accepted Answer

The answer of During the elementary and secondary school years,...

Quiz 2: Learning and the Brain

According to the textbook, which one of the following conclusions is most true regarding factors that influence brain development?

Three of the following describe methods what researchers commonly use to determine how the human brain probably functions. Which one is not a commonly used method to study the brain?

Three of the following statements are consistent with research findings about factors that influence brain development. Which statement has not been supported by research?

Given what psychologists believe to be true about how information is typically stored in the brain, how is the concept dog probably represented in your brain?

Which one of the following research findings is most consistent with the concept of core knowledge as described in the textbook?

Three of the following educators are using an accurate understanding of the brain and its development to guide their teaching. Which one is not?

Which one of the following best describes the growth of neurons during the prenatal period?

Which one of the following best describes psychologists' current beliefs about the brain and learning?

In the human brain, a great deal of synaptic pruning occurs in early childhood. This pruning appears to be:

Which one of the following best describes mirror neurons?

Which one of the following statements most accurately describes a neuron's threshold of excitation?

Which one of the following best describes how neurons transmit messages to one another?

Naomi wakes up several hours after a severe blow to her head has rendered her unconscious. She can remember nothing about events leading up to the incident, reflecting the importance of _____________ in learning and memory.

Which one of the following is the best example of a reflex as psychologists define the term?

In which one of the following situations should we be most concerned about missing a critical period in a person's development?

Which one of the following best exemplifies experience-expectant plasticity?

After a severe head injury, Mary has exceptional difficulty setting goals and in other ways planning her actions. Without knowing anything else about Mary's injury, you might reasonably conclude that it affected her:

As children grow older, many of their neurons begin to transmit messages more rapidly than they did in the early years of life, thanks to:

Which one of the following best exemplifies experience-dependent plasticity?

During the elementary and secondary school years, much of the brain's development occurs in regions of the brain that are largely responsible for