Question 1

If your leg were to become caught and squeezed in a bear trap,which sensation would you be LEAST likely to experience?
A) warmth and cold
B) stretching and steady pressure
C) pain
D) continued vibration

Accepted Answer

If your leg were to become caught and squeezed in a bear trap, continued vibration would be least likely to be experienced because once the trap snaps shut, the movement would be restricted and the leg cannot vibrate freely.

Question 2

When Angelica plunges her hand into a bucket of ice water,________ axons immediately carry pain information to her brain.When Erica sprains her ankle playing soccer,________ axons carry pain information to her brain for weeks.
A) unmyelinated; myelinated
B) myelinated; unmyelinated
C) temperature; pressure
D) pressure; temperature

Accepted Answer

Myelinated axons are faster at transmitting signals and can carry pain information more quickly than unmyelinated axons. Therefore, when Angelica plunges her hand into ice water, the pain information would be carried by myelinated axons that transmit the sensation quickly. On the other hand, when Erica sprains her ankle, the pain information would be carried by unmyelinated axons that transmit the sensation more slowly, leading to pain that can last for weeks.

Question 3

Randall does not immediately sense pain when he stays out too long in the snow,but he feels a painful sensation in his frostbitten toes for days afterward.Randall's inability to sense pain immediately is most likely due to damage to his:
A) somatosensory cortex.
B) slow fibers.
C) fast fibers.
D) thalamus.

Accepted Answer

Randall's inability to sense pain immediately suggests damage to his fast fibers, which are responsible for the transmission of messages related to sharp and sudden pain. The fact that he feels a painful sensation in his toes for days afterward suggests that his slow fibers, responsible for the transmission of messages related to dull, persistent pain, may not be damaged. The somatosensory cortex and thalamus are not directly involved in the transmission of pain signals.

Question 4

The attentional focus mechanism suggested by gate control theory relies on the notion of what kind of processing?
A) temporal coding
B) place coding
C) bottom-up
D) top-down

Accepted Answer

The gate control theory suggests that attentional focus mechanism relies on top-down processing, where prior knowledge, expectations, goals, and task demands guide our attention towards relevant information.

Question 5

The pain gate can theoretically reduce the sensation of pain sent by:
A) unmyelinated axons only.
B) myelinated axons only.
C) both unmyelinated and myelinated axons.
D) neither unmyelinated nor myelinated axons.

Accepted Answer

The pain gate theory suggests that the sensation of pain can be reduced by blocking or inhibiting the transmission of noxious stimuli through the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. This can occur for both unmyelinated and myelinated axons, as both types of axons can transmit pain signals. Therefore, choice C is the best answer.

Question 6

Pain medications such as Novocain work by:
A) changing pain stimuli so that they cannot be received by sensory pain neurons.
B) blocking transmission from sensory pain neurons to the brain.
C) integrating information from sensory pain neurons and sensory relief neurons.
D) diverting signals from the sensory pain neurons to the thalamus.

Accepted Answer

Pain medications such as Novocain work by blocking transmission from sensory pain neurons to the brain, effectively preventing the brain from receiving pain signals.

Question 7

After leaving the thalamus,axons projecting from tactile sensory neurons project to the ________ in the ________ lobe.
A) homunculus; parietal
B) homunculus; temporal
C) primary somatosensory cortex; parietal
D) primary somatosensory cortex; temporal

Accepted Answer

Tactile sensory neurons project to the primary somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe. The homunculus is a representation of the human body in the brain, but it is located in the primary somatosensory cortex, not a separate part of the brain. The temporal lobe is primarily associated with processing auditory information, not somatosensory information.

Question 8

According to gate control theory,pain:
A) is overwhelmingly biological.
B) is mainly psychological.
C) is largely immune to cultural influences.
D) reflects an interaction among biological,psychological,and cultural influences.

Accepted Answer

Gate control theory suggests that pain is not only biological but also influenced by psychological and cultural factors. The theory proposes that a gating mechanism in the spinal cord can either open or close to allow or prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. This gating mechanism can be influenced by a variety of factors such as attention, emotions, and cultural beliefs about pain. Therefore, pain reflects an interaction among biological, psychological, and cultural influences.

Question 9

As Devin runs to catch the quarterback's throw,he automatically checks the position of his arms and hands and adjusts them to the path of the ball.Which sense allows him to position his hands and arms so well?
A) kinesthetic
B) vestibular
C) olfactory
D) visual

Accepted Answer

The kinesthetic sense allows one to be aware of the position and movement of their body parts without relying on visual feedback. In this scenario, Devin is able to adjust his arm and hand positions to catch the ball based on his kinesthetic sense.

Question 10

Imagine you are participating in a friend's psychology experiment.She asks you to close your eyes and hold out your finger.She tells you that she will prick your finger with a needle in the same place several times and then will start to prick other places.Your task is to tell her when you first feel the pin prick in a different place.She then repeats the same process,but starts on your back.You might predict that the distance at which you could first detect a pin prick in a new location would be:
A) much smaller on the finger than the back.
B) much smaller on the back than the finger.
C) approximately equal in the two places.
D) a little bit smaller on the back than the finger.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine you are participating in a friend's...

Question 11

Bincheng has been taught to visualize the pain from his migraine headaches as simply a part of his experience of life.While he is engaging in this visualization,an fMRI scan of his brain would be likely to show ________ in activity while his perceptual experience of pain would likely ________.
A) a change; increase
B) no change; increase
C) a change; decrease
D) no change; decrease

Accepted Answer

Bincheng's visualization of pain as a part of life would likely lead to a change in activity in the brain regions involved in processing pain, as he is altering his perception and interpretation of the pain. This would likely lead to a decrease in the perceptual experience of pain, as he is less focused on the pain itself and more focused on accepting it as a part of his experience. Therefore, choice C is the best answer.

Question 12

The pain control gate is located in the:
A) thalamus.
B) haptic receptors.
C) spinal cord.
D) frontal lobe.

Accepted Answer

The pain control gate is located in the spinal cord, specifically in the dorsal horn. It controls whether pain signals are transmitted to the brain or not.

Question 13

Avi broke his ankle skiing.At first,he felt a sharp and intense pain.The next day,the sharp pain was gone,but his ankle ached almost all the time.The sharp immediate pain was due to ________; the later aching pain was due to ________.
A) unmyelinated axons; myelinated axons
B) myelinated axons; unmyelinated axons
C) pain receptors; pressure receptors
D) pressure receptors; pain receptors

Accepted Answer

The sharp immediate pain was due to the stimulation of myelinated axons, which are responsible for transmitting signals quickly and rapidly from the site of injury to the spinal cord and brain. Once the injury has occurred, the myelin sheath is damaged, and the axons become hyperexcitable, leading to the sensation of pain. The later aching pain was due to the activation of unmyelinated axons, which are slower to transmit signals, but convey a more persistent, dull and nagging type of pain that persists even after the initial injury has healed.

Question 14

Ouch! A paper cut! The sharp sting travels along ________ pain fibers,which are ________.
A) slow; unmyelinated
B) slow; myelinated
C) fast; unmyelinated
D) fast; myelinated

Accepted Answer

The sting of a paper cut travels along fast pain fibers, which are myelinated. Myelination helps to increase the speed of nerve impulses, allowing the sensation of pain to travel more quickly to the brain. Slow pain fibers are unmyelinated and are responsible for the duller, longer-lasting sensation of pain that follows an injury.

Question 15

The sudden,sharp pain you feel when you hit your finger with a hammer travels across what type of axon?
A) myelinated
B) unmyelinated
C) kinesthetic
D) stretch

Accepted Answer

The sudden, sharp pain, as well as other rapid signals like touch and pressure, travels across myelinated axons. Myelination helps increase the speed of nerve impulse conduction, allowing for quick responses to stimuli such as pain from hitting your finger.

Question 16

A new,complex organism discovered by scientists can be severely injured by any exposure to hydrogen peroxide.What type of haptic receptor is this organism likely to have evolved that responds to hydrogen peroxide?
A) fast-acting pain receptor
B) slow-acting pain receptor
C) gate controlled receptors
D) kinesthetic receptors

Accepted Answer

The organism likely evolved fast-acting pain receptors to quickly respond to the harmful effects of hydrogen peroxide exposure, minimizing injury.

Question 17

Kwamie has broken his wrist.His friend Sam has taken him to the ER.While they are waiting,Sam starts an argument with Kwamie about the presidential election.While they are arguing,Kwamie is feeling very little pain.This result has most likely occurred because:
A) anger is incompatible with the experience of pain.
B) pain always decreases over time.
C) focusing on the argument closed the pain gate.
D) Kwamie's nerve fibers thickened as a physical symptom of anger.

Accepted Answer

According to the Gate Control Theory of pain, the perception of pain can be reduced if the pain signals are stopped from reaching the brain. One way to do this is to engage in activities that draw attention away from the pain, such as focusing on an argument. This is known as closing the pain gate. Therefore, the argument with Sam may have helped Kwamie feel less pain in his broken wrist.

Question 18

Cognitive factors,including ________,can close the neural gate in the spinal cord that allows the signals of pain to be sent to the brain.
A) stress
B) anxiety
C) distraction
D) fear

Accepted Answer

Cognitive factors such as distraction can divert attention away from the pain, thereby decreasing the signal sent to the brain. This can close the neural gate in the spinal cord and reduce the perception of pain. While stress, anxiety, and fear can also impact pain perception, they are more likely to increase the signal sent to the brain rather than close the neural gate.

Question 19

Cordelia is massaging her shoulders to rid herself of a tension headache.According to gate control theory,the massage should:
A) distract Cordelia from the headache,closing the pain gate "from the brain down."
B) intensify the pain by sending additional sensory messages to the brain.
C) have little effect.
D) activate large sensory nerves,closing the pain gate "from the spinal cord up."

Accepted Answer

According to gate control theory, activating large sensory nerves can close the pain gate "from the spinal cord up." Therefore, Cordelia's massage should activate these large sensory nerves and reduce the sensation of her tension headache. Choices A and B are incorrect as they suggest distraction or intensification of pain, respectively, which are not in line with gate control theory. Choice C is also not entirely accurate as the massage should have some effect, as explained by the theory.

Question 20

Days after breaking his nose in a football game,Ben still perceives a dull pain in his nose.The dull ache travels along ________ pain fibers,which are ________.
A) slow; unmyelinated
B) slow; myelinated
C) fast; unmyelinated
D) fast; myelinated

Accepted Answer

The dull pain traveling along pain fibers indicates slow-conducting fibers. The fact that the pain is still present days after the injury suggests that the fibers are unmyelinated, as myelinated fibers transmit signals faster and may not contribute to the persistence of pain.

Quiz 5: Sensation and Perception

If your leg were to become caught and squeezed in a bear trap,which sensation would you be LEAST likely to experience?

When Angelica plunges her hand into a bucket of ice water, axons immediately carry pain information to her brain.When Erica sprains her ankle playing soccer, axons carry pain information to her brain for weeks.

Randall does not immediately sense pain when he stays out too long in the snow,but he feels a painful sensation in his frostbitten toes for days afterward.Randall's inability to sense pain immediately is most likely due to damage to his:

The attentional focus mechanism suggested by gate control theory relies on the notion of what kind of processing?

The pain gate can theoretically reduce the sensation of pain sent by:

Pain medications such as Novocain work by:

After leaving the thalamus,axons projecting from tactile sensory neurons project to the in the lobe.

According to gate control theory,pain:

As Devin runs to catch the quarterback's throw,he automatically checks the position of his arms and hands and adjusts them to the path of the ball.Which sense allows him to position his hands and arms so well?

Bincheng has been taught to visualize the pain from his migraine headaches as simply a part of his experience of life.While he is engaging in this visualization,an fMRI scan of his brain would be likely to show in activity while his perceptual experience of pain would likely .

The pain control gate is located in the:

Avi broke his ankle skiing.At first,he felt a sharp and intense pain.The next day,the sharp pain was gone,but his ankle ached almost all the time.The sharp immediate pain was due to ; the later aching pain was due to .

Ouch! A paper cut! The sharp sting travels along pain fibers,which are .

The sudden,sharp pain you feel when you hit your finger with a hammer travels across what type of axon?

A new,complex organism discovered by scientists can be severely injured by any exposure to hydrogen peroxide.What type of haptic receptor is this organism likely to have evolved that responds to hydrogen peroxide?

Kwamie has broken his wrist.His friend Sam has taken him to the ER.While they are waiting,Sam starts an argument with Kwamie about the presidential election.While they are arguing,Kwamie is feeling very little pain.This result has most likely occurred because:

Cognitive factors,including ________,can close the neural gate in the spinal cord that allows the signals of pain to be sent to the brain.

Cordelia is massaging her shoulders to rid herself of a tension headache.According to gate control theory,the massage should:

Days after breaking his nose in a football game,Ben still perceives a dull pain in his nose.The dull ache travels along pain fibers,which are .