Questions and Answers of Developmental Psychology

Which develops first, a neuron’s axon or its dendrites?
Which of these is the least acceptable explanation for how an altruistic gene might spread in a population?a. Selection for a gene that benefits the individuals’relativesb. Selection for helping
What, if anything, can we predict about the future of human evolution?a. People will get smarter, wiser, and more cooperative.b. People will not change, because evolution no longer affects humans.c.
The information about phenylketonuria (PKU) supports which of these conclusions?a. Several genes active in the human brain are not found in other species.b. Each brain area controls a different
Suppose someone determines the heritability of IQ scores for a given population. Then society changes in a way that provides the best possible opportunity for everyone within that population. How
Which of the following is NOT one of the main types of evidence to estimate the heritability of some behavior?a. Comparisons between monozygotic and dizygotic twinsb. Similarities between adopted
How does adding a methyl or acetyl group to a histone protein alter gene activity?a. A methyl group turns genes off. An acetyl group loosens histone’s grip and increases gene activation.b. A methyl
How does an epigenetic change differ from a mutation?a. An epigenetic change is a duplication or deletion of part of a gene.b. An epigenetic change is an alteration of gene activity without
Suppose someone identifies a “gene for” certain aspects of sexual development. In what ways might that statement be misleading?a. The statement didn’t specify whether the gene was dominant or
What is a sex-limited gene?a. A gene on the X chromosomeb. A gene on the Y chromosomec. A gene that sex hormones activated. A gene that becomes active during sexual activity
Suppose you have high sensitivity to the taste of PTC. If your mother has low sensitivity, what (if anything) can you predict about your father’s taste sensitivity?a. He has high taste
Suppose you have high sensitivity to the taste of PTC. If your mother also has high sensitivity, what (if anything) can you predict about your father’s taste sensitivity?a. He has high taste
Genetic differences probably account for part of the difference between people who age slowly and gracefully and others who grow old more rapidly and die younger. Given that the genes controlling old
For what human behaviors, if any, are you sure that heritability would be extremely low?
What are plausible ways for possible altruistic genes to spread in a population?
Many people believe the human appendix is useless.Will it become smaller and smaller with each generation?
What example illustrates the point that even if some characteristic is highly heritable, a change in the environment can alter it?
Suppose someone determines the heritability of IQ scores for a given population. Then society changes in a way that provides the best possible opportunity for everyone within that population. Will
What are the main types of evidence to estimate the heritability of some behavior?
How does adding a methyl or acetyl group to a histone protein alter gene activity?
How does an epigenetic change differ from a mutation?
Suppose someone identifies a “gene for” certain aspects of sexual development. In what ways might that statement be misleading?
How does a sex-linked gene differ from a sex-limited gene?
Suppose you have high sensitivity to the taste of PTC. If your mother has low sensitivity, what (if anything) can you predict about your father’s taste sensitivity?
Suppose you have high sensitivity to tasting PTC. If your mother can also taste it easily, what (if anything) can you predict about your father’s ability to taste it?
In which way do men and women differ most, on the average?a. Intellectual performanceb. Gray matter (neuron cell bodies)c. White matter (axons)
Most studies using modern methods show a moderate positive correlation between brain size and IQ scores.Nevertheless, interpreting these results is problematic. Why?a. As children grow older, their
In which regard, if either, do human brains exceed those of all other species?a. Humans have the largest brains in total mass.b. Humans have the largest brain-to-body ratio.c. Humans do not exceed
Comparing MRI and fMRI, which one(s) measure the responses of brain chemicals to a magnetic field? Which one(s)show which brain areas are most active at the moment?a. Only MRI measures responses of
Which of these methods measures brain anatomy but NOT brain activity?a. EEGb. PETc. MRId. fMRI
Suppose someone demonstrates that a particular brain area becomes active when people listen to music. What would be a good way to test whether this brain area is really specialized for music
What is one advantage of fMRI over PET scans?a. The fMRI technique measures activity on a millisecond-by-millisecond basis.b. The fMRI technique does not require inserting an electrode into the
Which of these is the first step for positron-emission tomography (PET)?a. Inject a radioactive chemical into the blood.b. Insert an electrode into the brain.c. Subject the brain to a strong magnetic
Which of these is the first step in using the optogenetic technique?a. Inject a radioactive chemical into the blood.b. Insert an electrode into the brain.c. Subject the brain to a strong magnetic
Which of the following is a method to inactivate a brain area temporarily?a. Stereotaxic instrumentb. Transcranial magnetic stimulationc. Lesiond. Ablation
Certain unusual aspects of brain structure were observed in the brain of Albert Einstein (Falk, Lepore, &Noe, 2013). One interpretation is that he was born with certain specialized brain features
In which way do men and women differ most—intellectual performance, total gray matter, or total white matter?
Why do recent studies show a stronger relationship between brain size and IQ than older studies did?
Why are both brain size and brain-to-body ratio unsatisfactory ways of estimating animal intelligence?
What are the similarities and differences between MRI and fMRI?
Suppose someone demonstrates that a particular brain area becomes active when people are listening to music.When that area becomes active later, what if anything can we conclude?
What does fMRI measure?
What determines whether optogenetic stimulation excites a neuron or inhibits it?
What is the difference between a lesion and an ablation?
Which of the following is necessary for binding to occur?a. Perceiving different aspects of a sensation as coming from the same locationb. Correctly perceiving the size and shape of a stimulusc.
The main functions of the prefrontal cortex include which of the following?a. Perceiving the location of body parts in spaceb. Providing a pool of immature neurons to replace those damaged in other
Which of these is in the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex?a. Primary visual cortexb. Primary auditory cortexc. Primary somatosensory cortexd. Primary motor cortex
Which of these is in the occipital lobe of the cerebral cortex?a. Primary visual cortexb. Primary auditory cortexc. Primary somatosensory cortexd. Primary motor cortex
Which of these is in the parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex?a. Primary visual cortexb. Primary auditory cortexc. Primary somatosensory cortexd. Primary motor cortex
Which of these is in the temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex?a. Primary visual cortexb. Primary auditory cortexc. Primary somatosensory cortexd. Primary motor cortex
If we compare the brains of humans to those of smaller mammals, which of these patterns do we find?a. The location of the visual cortex varies relative to other brain areas.b. The proportion of the
What is meant by the binding problem, and what is necessary for binding to occur?
What are the functions of the prefrontal cortex?
Which lobe of the cerebral cortex includes the primary motor cortex?
Which lobe of the cerebral cortex includes the primary visual cortex?
Which lobe of the cerebral cortex includes the primary somatosensory cortex?
Which lobe of the cerebral cortex includes the primary auditory cortex?
If several neurons of the visual cortex all respond best when the retina is exposed to horizontal lines of light, then those neurons are probably in the same _____.
The pituitary gland is attached to which brain structure?a. Cerebellumb. Medullac. Thalamusd. Hypothalamus
Of the following, which one is part of the forebrain?a. Cerebellumb. Ponsc. Superior colliculusd. Hippocampus
Why do most cold remedies increase heart rate and blood pressure?a. These drugs block the sympathetic nervous system.b. These drugs block the parasympathetic nervous system.c. These drugs block the
What is the difference between the dorsal and ventral roots of the spinal cord?a. The dorsal roots control “fight-or-flight” activity, and the ventral roots control vegetative, nonemergency
A plane that shows structures as viewed from the left or right side is called what?a. Sagittalb. Frontalc. Coronald. Horizontal
If two structures are on the same side of the body, they are to each other. If they are on opposite sides, they are .a. medial . . . lateralb. lateral . . . medialc. ipsilateral . . . contralaterald.
The term meaning toward the midline is , and its opposite is .a. medial . . . lateralb. lateral . . . medialc. ventral . . . dorsald. dorsal . . . ventral
The term meaning toward the stomach side is , and its opposite is .a. medial . . . lateralb. lateral . . . medialc. ventral . . . dorsald. dorsal . . . ventral
Which area is the main source of input to the cerebral cortex?
Of the following, which are in the hindbrain, which in the midbrain, and which in the forebrain: basal ganglia, cerebellum, hippocampus, hypothalamus, medulla, pituitary gland, pons, substantia
Which functions are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system? Which are controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system?
Sensory nerves enter which side of the spinal cord, dorsal or ventral?
The bulges in the cerebral cortex are called _____. The grooves between them are called _____.
If two structures are both on the left side of the body, they are _____ to each other. If one is on the left and the other is on the right, they are _____ to each other.
What term means toward the side, away from the midline, and what is its opposite?
What does dorsal mean, and what is its opposite?
In what way is a neuropeptide intermediate between neurotransmitters and hormones?a. A neuropeptide diffuses more widely than other neurotransmitters but less than a hormone.b. A neuropeptide is
In contrast to the posterior pituitary, the anterior pituitary . . .a. is neural tissue that releases oxytocin and vasopressin.b. is glandular tissue that releases oxytocin and vasopressin.c. is
Which of these drugs acts by inhibiting release of neurotransmitters from the presynaptic neuron?a. Opiates such as morphineb. Cannabinoids (found in marijuana)c. Nicotined. Amphetamine and cocaine
Except for the magnitude and speed of effects, methylphenidate (Ritalin) affects synapses the same way as which other drug?a. Heroinb. Cocainec. Nicotined. Marijuana
What does a transporter protein do at a synapse?a. It carries neurotransmitter molecules from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron.b. It carries neurotransmitter molecules from the cell
Which neurotransmitter is broken into two pieces to inactivate it, after it excites the postsynaptic neuron?a. Dopamineb. Acetylcholinec. Glutamated. Serotonin
Which of these drugs exerts its behavioral effects by binding to the same receptor as a neurotransmitter?a. Amphetamineb. Cocainec. Nicotined. Marijuana
Which of the following is true of neuropeptides?a. They are released close to their receptors.b. A neuron releases them at a steady rate almost constantly.c. They produce rapid, brief effects.d. They
What is a second messenger?a. A chemical released by the presynaptic neuron a few milliseconds after release of the first neurotransmitterb. A chemical released inside a cell after stimulation at a
In which of these ways does a metabotropic synapse differ from an ionotropic synapse?a. Its effects are slower to start and last longer.b. Its effects are faster to start and last longer.c. Its
The brain’s most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter is ____, and its most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter is _____.a. GABA . . . serotoninb. serotonin . . . dopaminec. dopamine . . .
Suppose you want to cause the presynaptic terminal of an axon to release its transmitter. How could you do so without an action potential?a. Decrease the temperature at the synapse.b. Use an
The amino acid tryptophan is a precursor to which neurotransmitter?a. Serotoninb. Dopaminec. Glutamated. Acetylcholine
Which of the following is NOT one of the brain’s neurotransmitters?a. Glutamateb. GABAc. Glucosed. Serotonin
What was Loewi’s evidence that neurotransmission depends on the release of chemicals?a. He applied adrenaline to muscles and saw them contract.b. He applied drugs at various synapses and observed
In what way is a neuropeptide intermediate between neurotransmitters and hormones?
Which part of the pituitary—anterior or posterior—is neural tissue, similar to the hypothalamus? Which part is glandular tissue and produces hormones that control the secretions by other
How do cannabinoids affect neurons?
Why is methylphenidate generally less disruptive to behavior than cocaine is despite the drugs’ similar mechanisms?
How do amphetamine and cocaine influence dopamine synapses?
What happens to serotonin and catecholamine molecules after they stimulate a postsynaptic receptor?
What happens to acetylcholine molecules after they stimulate a postsynaptic receptor?
How do LSD, nicotine, and opiate drugs influence behavior?
How are neuropeptides special compared to other transmitters?
What are second messengers, and which type of synapse relies on them?
How do ionotropic and metabotropic synapses differ in speed and duration of effects?

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