Question 1

The complete loss of the ability to understand language, or to speak, read, or write is called _______ aphasia.
A) pragmatic
B) fluent
C) global
D) galactic

Accepted Answer

Global aphasia is the most severe form of aphasia, where the individual loses all language abilities and cannot understand language or speak, read, or write. Pragmatic aphasia affects the ability to use language appropriately in social situations, fluent aphasia affects the ability to produce language, and galactic aphasia does not exist as a recognized form of aphasia.

Question 2

Damage to the _______, which transmits information between Wernicke's area and Broca's area leads to _______ aphasia.
A) arcuate fasciculus; conduction
B) angular gyrus; fluent
C) motor cortex; nonfluent
D) primary visual cortex; global

Accepted Answer

Damage to the arcuate fasciculus, the white matter tract that connects Wernicke's and Broca's areas, can cause conduction aphasia, which is characterized by difficulties in repeating spoken language despite intact comprehension and spontaneous speech. The other options refer to damage in different brain regions and result in different types of aphasia.

Question 3

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings
A) support hemispheric specialization of spatial cognition.
B) suggest that micropolygyria does not occur in the brains of children.
C) are inconsistent with the connectionist model of aphasia.
D) offer definitive proof for the neural basis of word blindness.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings
A) support hemispheric...

Question 4

Consistent with the motor theory of speech perception, deaf people who use American Sign Language use _______ language-related regions of the left hemisphere as hearing people who use spoken language do.
A) the same
B) overlapping but different
C) slightly different
D) completely different

Accepted Answer

The answer of Consistent with the motor theory of speech...

Question 5

Early studies using electrodes to stimulate discrete areas of cortex, thereby disrupting neural function, found
A) many new brain regions important in vision.
B) many new brain regions important in auditory processing.
C) that electrical stimulation enhanced language abilities.
D) that electrical stimulation interfered with language abilities.

Accepted Answer

Early studies using electrodes to stimulate discrete areas of cortex found that electrical stimulation interfered with language abilities.

Question 6

TMS brain mapping has shown that _______ regions of Broca's area are important for _______ processing.
A) posterior; semantic
B) anterior; phonological
C) posterior; phonological
D) anterior; semantic

Accepted Answer

TMS brain mapping studies have indicated that the posterior regions of Broca's area are crucial for phonological processing.

Question 7

If conscious subjects receive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of anterior portions of Broca's area, they
A) are unable to make gestures with their hands.
B) have difficulty with the patterning of speech sounds.
C) are unable to speak.
D) have difficulty understanding the meanings of words.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If conscious subjects receive transcranial magnetic stimulation...

Question 8

PET scans of brain activation during progressively more complex language processing tasks showed _______ in Broca's area as compared to activation during simple word repetition or reading aloud.
A) minor activation
B) marked activation
C) decreased activity
D) no activity

Accepted Answer

PET scans have shown marked activation in Broca's area as the complexity of language processing tasks increases, indicating its importance in language production and comprehension.

Question 9

In ERP studies of normal subjects, it has been found that a grammatically correct sentence containing a word whose meaning does not fit into the sentence provokes a(n) _______ wave from _______ cortex.
A) N400; temporoparietal
B) N400; dorsolateral
C) P600; temporoparietal
D) P600; dorsolateral

Accepted Answer

This is a classic finding in ERP studies and the wave is the N400, which is a negative wave that occurs around 400ms after the stimulus onset. The region of the brain that is most affected by this wave is the temporoparietal cortex.

Question 10

The sounds that make up a language are called _______, and the system of rules for producing sentences is called _______.
A) linguists; pragmatics
B) dichotics; syntax
C) morphemes; prosody
D) phonemes; grammar

Accepted Answer

Phonemes are the individual sounds that make up a language, and grammar is the system of rules for producing sentences. None of the other options are accurate definitions for these terms.

Question 11

Which of the following is correct about the word "unbreakable"?
A) It consists of three phonemes.
B) U is a morpheme.
C) Break is an example of pragmatics.
D) Able is a morpheme.

Accepted Answer

"Able" is a morpheme because it is a meaningful unit of language that can be added to other words to change their meaning.

Question 12

Which statement about the evolution of languages is most accurate?
A) The number of human languages is expanding sharply as global populations increase.
B) The number of human languages is staying remarkably stable in spite of rising global population.
C) Languages are being lost or absorbed as a result of increasing globalization.
D) Many new languages are emerging as a result of increasingly sophisticated communications systems.

Accepted Answer

With increasing globalization and the dominance of a few major languages, many local languages are being lost or absorbed. This phenomenon is known as language death or language shift. This trend has been observed for many years and is likely to continue in the future. While some new languages may emerge as a result of communication systems, they are not significant enough to outweigh the loss of local languages.

Question 13

The human brain shows a clear _______, during which exposure and practice with language must occur in order for language skills to develop normally.
A) syntax phase
B) time delay
C) critical period
D) developmental interlude

Accepted Answer

The term "critical period" refers to a developmental window during which certain skills or abilities must be acquired in order to develop normally. In the case of language, research has shown that the brain goes through a critical period during which exposure to language is necessary in order for language skills to be learned and developed effectively. This period typically ends around puberty, after which it becomes more difficult to acquire a new language or attain native-like proficiency in a second language. Choice A, "syntax phase," is not a commonly used term in developmental psychology and does not accurately describe the critical period for language acquisition. Choice B, "time delay," is not a term that applies to this concept. Choice D, "developmental interlude," is also not a commonly used term in this context.

Question 14

Speech mechanisms may have evolved from more ancient systems controlling gestures of the face and hands, in agreement with
A) the motor theory of language.
B) the connectionist model of aphasia.
C) observations of split-brain patients.
D) deficits seen in conduction aphasia.

Accepted Answer

The motor theory of language proposes that speech mechanisms evolved from more ancient systems controlling gestures of the face and hands. This theory suggests that the evolution of language involved adaptations of pre-existing motor systems for gestural communication.

Question 15

Williams syndrome provides evidence for
A) environmental influences on language.
B) the benefits of enrichment programs for children with dyslexia.
C) the heritability of language.
D) the epigenetics of language.

Accepted Answer

Williams syndrome is a genetic condition that affects many parts of the body and has a significant impact on language and cognitive abilities. Individuals with Williams syndrome often exhibit relatively strong verbal skills and social personalities despite other cognitive deficits, which suggests a genetic basis for language abilities, thus providing evidence for the heritability of language.

Question 16

In monkeys, stimulation of the _______, but not of the _______, results in vocalizations.
A) cortex; subcortical regions
B) cortex; frontal lobes
C) subcortical regions; cortex
D) cerebellum; frontal lobes

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is C because research suggests that stimulation of subcortical regions in monkeys, particularly the periaqueductal gray matter, results in vocalizations. Stimulation of the cortex alone does not produce vocalizations, although the cortex is involved in the processing of vocalizations.

Question 17

Because apes seem able to learn a version of American Sign Language (ASL), some researchers have concluded that they are able to acquire language. Those who disagree, however, offer which criticism of this conclusion?
A) Chimpanzees do not sign accurately enough to prove that they can acquire language.
B) Chimpanzees do not produce novel sequences of signs.
C) Chimpanzees may only be imitating the gestures of trainers.
D) Chimpanzees do not have the fine motor control to fully execute ASL.

Accepted Answer

Critics argue that chimpanzees might be merely imitating the gestures of their trainers rather than truly acquiring language, which involves understanding and generating novel communication.

Question 18

Birdsong is similar to human speech in that
A) proper expression of the FOXP2 gene appears to be crucial.
B) the right hemisphere has a greater effect on vocal behavior.
C) juveniles do not have to be exposed to vocal adults to develop normal singing behavior.
D) both human and bird communication incorporate prosody.

Accepted Answer

The FOXP2 gene is important for both birdsong and human speech, as it plays a crucial role in the development of vocalization abilities.

Question 19

A native English-speaking person with _______ dyslexia would have great difficulty reading the title The Tough Coughs as He Ploughs the Dough.
A) deep
B) surface
C) frontal
D) temporal

Accepted Answer

Surface dyslexia is a type of dyslexia in which the person has difficulty reading irregularly spelled words, such as "coughs" and "ploughs", as well as words with ambiguous spellings. This person would struggle to read the title of "The Tough Coughs as He Ploughs the Dough".

Question 20

_______ is an anatomical abnormality of developmental dyslexia that is associated with excessive cortical folding in areas such as the temporoparietal junction.
A) Micropolygyria
B) Tauopathy
C) Ectopia
D) Hemispherectomy

Accepted Answer

Micropolygyria is a condition where there is excessive folding of the cerebral cortex leading to abnormal brain structure. It has been associated with developmental dyslexia, particularly in the temporoparietal junction. Tauopathy is a term used to describe a group of disorders where there is an abnormal accumulation of tau protein in the brain, it is not typically associated with developmental dyslexia. Ectopia refers to an abnormal location of an organ or body part, it is not typically associated with developmental dyslexia. Hemispherectomy is a surgical procedure where one half of the brain is removed, it is not typically associated with developmental dyslexia.

Quiz 16: Language and Lateralization

The complete loss of the ability to understand language, or to speak, read, or write is called _______ aphasia.

Damage to the _, which transmits information between Wernicke's area and Broca's area leads to _ aphasia.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings

Consistent with the motor theory of speech perception, deaf people who use American Sign Language use _______ language-related regions of the left hemisphere as hearing people who use spoken language do.

Early studies using electrodes to stimulate discrete areas of cortex, thereby disrupting neural function, found

TMS brain mapping has shown that _ regions of Broca's area are important for _ processing.

If conscious subjects receive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of anterior portions of Broca's area, they

PET scans of brain activation during progressively more complex language processing tasks showed _______ in Broca's area as compared to activation during simple word repetition or reading aloud.

In ERP studies of normal subjects, it has been found that a grammatically correct sentence containing a word whose meaning does not fit into the sentence provokes a(n) _ wave from _ cortex.

The sounds that make up a language are called _, and the system of rules for producing sentences is called _.

Which of the following is correct about the word "unbreakable"?

Which statement about the evolution of languages is most accurate?

The human brain shows a clear _______, during which exposure and practice with language must occur in order for language skills to develop normally.

Speech mechanisms may have evolved from more ancient systems controlling gestures of the face and hands, in agreement with

Williams syndrome provides evidence for

In monkeys, stimulation of the _, but not of the _, results in vocalizations.

Because apes seem able to learn a version of American Sign Language (ASL) , some researchers have concluded that they are able to acquire language. Those who disagree, however, offer which criticism of this conclusion?

Birdsong is similar to human speech in that

A native English-speaking person with _______ dyslexia would have great difficulty reading the title The Tough Coughs as He Ploughs the Dough.

_______ is an anatomical abnormality of developmental dyslexia that is associated with excessive cortical folding in areas such as the temporoparietal junction.