Question 1

Which statement is TRUE of the two hemispheres of the brain?:

Accepted Answer

There is substantial cross-talk between the two hemispheres. While the left hemisphere is more associated with language, logic, reasoning, and analytical thinking, the right hemisphere is more associated with creativity, intuition, and spatial awareness. However, it is important to note that both hemispheres work together and communicate with each other to process and analyze information.

Question 2

You are referred a patient who is experiencing difficulty walking and maintaining balance when upright. Given your understanding of the brain and its functioning, where might you suspect a lesion?

Accepted Answer

The cerebellum is responsible for coordinating movement and maintaining balance. Lesions in this area can result in difficulty walking and maintaining balance. The other options do not have direct involvement in motor control and balance.

Question 3

An older client is being evaluated for memory deficits. After completing an assessment, the clinician suspects that the client suffers from Alzheimer's disease. This client would most likely have problems in which part of the limbic system?

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is an important structure in the limbic system for memory formation and consolidation. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by neurodegeneration in the hippocampus, which is why memory deficits are a common symptom of the disease. The other structures listed (caudate, amygdala, and cingulate gyrus) are also part of the limbic system but are not typically affected in Alzheimer's disease.

Question 4

An evolutionary perspective has revealed that

Accepted Answer

The concept of evolutionary perspective in neuroscience suggests that brain areas associated with the most basic aspects of functioning, such as those involved in perception, sensation, and movement, appeared earliest in evolution. This is because these functions are critical for survival, and thus their development and preservation over time has been favored by natural selection.

Question 5

The endocrine system regulates bodily systems through

Accepted Answer

The endocrine system operates through the use of hormones, which are chemical messengers secreted by glands and carried throughout the body by the bloodstream. These hormones help regulate bodily functions such as growth and development, metabolism, and reproductive processes.

Question 6

The human nervous system is composed of two parts, the

Accepted Answer

The human nervous system is composed of two parts, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system includes all the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord. The autonomic nervous system is a part of the peripheral nervous system. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Question 7

The fiber used by a cell to transport information to other cells is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

Axons are long fibers that transmit information away from the cell body of a neuron and to other cells, such as other neurons or muscle cells.

Question 8

The experience of emotion, the regulation of emotional expression, and basic biological drives are of particular interest in abnormal psychology. These functions are controlled by structures in the ________ system.

Accepted Answer

The limbic system is responsible for emotional processing and regulation, as well as motivation and basic drives such as hunger and thirst. The endocrine system is responsible for hormone production, which can influence emotion and behavior, but it is not directly involved in regulating emotional expression or basic drives. The nervous system as a whole plays a role, but the limbic system specifically is the primary focus for these functions. The reticular activating system helps regulate arousal and attention, but is not as directly involved in emotion or drives.

Question 9

Translational research is best described as research that

Accepted Answer

Translational research focuses on bridging the gap between basic science and applied clinical research, with the goal of translating scientific findings into practical applications and treatments for patients.

Question 10

Kathleen has been arrested several times for shoplifting. Because she is a repeat offender, the judge requested a psychological evaluation. The results show a young woman with difficulty thinking through problems and generating appropriate solutions. In addition, she has impaired judgment and difficulty controlling impulses. What brain lobe would most likely be involved in this type of cognitive dysfunction?

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobe is responsible for executive functioning, which includes problem-solving, impulse control, and judgment. Impairment of these functions is often associated with damage or dysfunction in the frontal lobe.

Question 11

The oldest part of the brain is the

Accepted Answer

The brain stem is the oldest and most primitive part of the brain. It controls basic functions necessary for survival like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. The cerebellum, medulla, and pons are also located in the brain stem, but they are not the oldest parts of the brain.

Question 12

The brain area that is the center of visual processing is the _____ lobe.

Accepted Answer

The occipital lobe is responsible for processing visual information.

Question 13

The pituitary gland is known as the "master gland." In females, it controls many functions including the menstrual cycle, lactation, and

Accepted Answer

The pituitary gland plays a crucial role in childbirth by releasing hormones like oxytocin, which stimulates uterine contractions during labor.

Question 14

You are walking toward your car in the campus parking garage late at night. Suddenly, you hear a car horn and are startled. Instantaneously, your heart begins to race and your breathing becomes shallow. Which system of your body responded to the car horn?

Accepted Answer

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the fight or flight response in the body, which include an increased heart rate and shallow breathing. Hearing a car horn in a potentially dangerous situation could trigger this response. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for calming the body down after a stressor, and the peripheral and sensory-somatic nervous systems do not specifically respond to stimuli in the same way as the sympathetic nervous system.

Question 15

Which of the following is the primary function of the hypothalamus?

Accepted Answer

The primary function of the hypothalamus is to maintain homeostasis throughout the body, including regulating body temperature, hunger and thirst, and controlling the release of hormones from the pituitary gland.

Other choices:
A) The hypothalamus does play a role in regulating sleep and arousal, but it is not its primary function.
C) The coordination of fine motor movement is primarily controlled by the cerebellum.
D) While the hypothalamus does play a role in regulation of emotions, it is not its primary function.

Question 16

After being startled by a balloon that popped, you once again calm down. Which nervous systems, in order, are involved in this example?

Accepted Answer

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body's "fight or flight" response, which would be activated when startled by a popping balloon. The parasympathetic nervous system helps the body to calm down and return to a state of rest after the initial reaction, thus they are involved in order.

Question 17

Drug treatments affect neurotransmitters mainly by influencing their

Accepted Answer

Drug treatments primarily affect neurotransmitters by influencing their availability or action in the brain. For example, drugs like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin, thereby increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain. Other drugs may mimic or block the action of specific neurotransmitters, but these actions still ultimately affect availability and function within the brain.

Question 18

You are able to read and understand this question because of processing and information integration that takes place in your

Accepted Answer

The cerebral cortex is responsible for processing and integrating information related to language comprehension and interpretation, which allows us to read and understand the question. The hindbrain and brainstem are responsible for more basic functions such as respiration and heart rate, while the midbrain is responsible for sensory processing and arousal.

Question 19

The case of Henry Gustav Molaison, cited in your text, demonstrates two significant findings about the relationship between memory and the hippocampus: short-term memories are not dependent on a functioning hippocampus, and long-term memories

Accepted Answer

Henry Gustav Molaison's case showed that while short-term memories can be formed without a functioning hippocampus, long-term memories must pass through the hippocampus to be stored elsewhere in the brain. This indicates the hippocampus's role as a critical gateway or processing center for the consolidation of long-term memories.

Question 20

The brain stem is critical to survival because it

Accepted Answer

The brain stem controls many basic life-sustaining functions such as heart rate, breathing, sleeping, and eating, making it critical to survival.

Quiz 2: Research Methods in Abnormal Psychology