Sample multiple-choice exam questions covering section lectures 1-6
(see end of file for sample essay questions)
1. The resting potential of a neuron:
A. is an electrical phenomenon unique to the squid giant neuron.
B. refers to the electrical current spread associated with the action potential.
C. is such that the inside of the neuron is negatively charged relative to the outside.
D. refers to the electrical difference induced by the introduction of a microelectrode into
the cell.
2. __________ provide supportive scaffolding for nerve cells and assist in the
repair of damaged brain tissue.
A. Interneurons
B. Vesicles
C. Glial cells
D. Anastomoses
3. Which of the following cannot be used for signaling the intensity of a
stimulus?
A. the type of neuron activated (e.g., low vs. high threshold neurons)
B. the number of neurons activated
C. amplitude of action potentials
D. the frequency of firing along axons
4. A spinal animal is one in which:
A. the spinal cord has been destroyed.
B. the spinal cord has been disconnected from the brain.
C. the spinal cord has been disconnected from the peripheral nerves.
D. the spinal cord has been disconnected from both the brain and the peripheral nerves.
5. Neurotransmitters and many psychoactive drugs have their effects at the:
A. cerebrum.
B. synapse.
C. neuromuscular junction.
D. axon.
6. Synaptic vesicles are structures:
A. in which transmitters are stored.
B. from which axon collaterals extend.
C. in the shape of bulbs, which protrude into the synaptic gap.
D. found in the postsynaptic membrane.
7. Fechner's law fails to describe the following psychophysical relation between
A. Perceived brightness and amount of light
B. Perceived pain and amount of electric shock
C. Perceived loudness and sound pressure level
D. Perceived sweetness and sugar concentration
8. A 1,000 Hz tone is played to a research participant. The frequency of
the tone is then slowly increased, and the research participant is instructed
to inform the experimenter when the pitch of the tone changes. At 1,050 Hz,
the research participant says that the pitch of the tone is not the same as
it was before. This experiment has just determined that for a 1,000 Hz tone,
a change of 50 Hz represents:
A. the absolute threshold.
B. the difference threshold.
C. the magnitude of the sensation.
D. the magnitude of the stimulus.
9. Suppose we can just tell the difference between 50 and 51 candles burning in
an otherwise unilluminated room. According to Weber's law, we should then be
able to just distinguish 300 candles from:
A. 301 candles.
B. 303 candles.
C. 306 candles.
D. 310 candles.
10. Which of the following psychophysical techniques or concepts has been
applied to studies of decision-making in fields outside of traditional
psychology, including criminal justice and medicine?
A. signal detection
B. Fechner's law
C. the Weber fraction
D. the difference threshold
11. The fact that a blow to the ear can result in an auditory stimulus ("ringing
of the ear") is consistent with:
A. the concept of an absolute threshold for sensation.
B. Muller's doctrine of specific nerve energies.
C. Fechner's rules for measuring sensation intensity.
D. the concept embodied in Weber's law.
12. In a detection experiment, the payoff matrix is changed so as to increase the
bias towards saying no. This change will increase the number of:
A. hits.
B. false alarms.
C. both a and b.
D. none of the above.
13. The semicircular canals signal:
A. the position of the head when a person is at rest.
B. the position of the head relative to the rest of the body.
C. the motion of the head when it rotates.
D. the position of the eyes as the head rotates.
14. Different frequencies of sound waves maximally deform different parts of the
basilar membrane, a phenomenon that supports:
A. opponent-process theory.
B. impulse frequency theory.
C. Fechner's law.
D. place theory.
E. the all-or-none law.
15. From the outside of the body inward, a sound wave travels from:
A.
B.
C.
D.
the external ear, to the cochlea, then to the ossicles.
the eardrum, to the ossicles, then to the cochlea.
the ossicles, to the eardrum, then to the oval window.
the ossicles, to the oval window, then to the eardrum.
16. The lens in the human eye flattens for objects at a distance, and thickens
for objects nearby. This process is called:
A. refraction.
B. accommodation.
C. pupillary contraction.
D. convergence.
17. We cannot see colors in very dim light because:
A. receptors for color are not sensitive to dim light.
B. lateral inhibition is activated.
C. opponent processes cannot operate at low levels of light.
D. all of the above
18. An object seen only out of the corner of the eye, in the peripheral vision:
A. is best seen in infrared light.
B. can only be seen at night.
C. activates the opponent-color system.
D. primarily stimulates rods.
19. Televisions are designed in a way that is consistent with the YoungHelmholtz theory of color vision. Specifically, a television image is
composed of small dots of colors that seem to blend together to form
visual images in a variety of colors. What colors are these dots?
A. red, green, and blue
B. red, yellow, and blue
C. red, green, yellow, and blue
D. red, yellow, black, and blue
20. The neurons in the visual cortex of normal cats will probably respond
best to:
A. diffuse lighting of the entire visual field.
B. small circular spots of light on specific areas of the retina.
C. complex learned shapes like the outline of another cat.
borders and lines at specific orientations.
21. The image-focusing portion of the eye consists of the
1. retina, fovea, and receptors.
2. rods and cones.
3. cornea, lens, and retina.
4. cornea, lens, and pupil.
22. The weakest visual stimulus we detect is the equivalent of a candle seen from 30mi on a
dark, clear night. The proper psychophysical term for such a stimulus is
1. brightness constancy
2. just noticeable difference
3. difference threshold
4. absolute threshold
1C Page: 49
2C Page: 47
3C Page: 50
4B Page: 53
5B Page: 60
6A Page: 56
7B
8B Page: 174
9C Page: 175
10A Page: 176
11B Page: 180
12D Page: 178
13C Page: 181
114D Page: 191
15B Page: 190
16B Page: 194
17A Page: 195
18D Page: 196
19A Page: 205
20D
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Sample essay questions covering lectures 1-6.
1.
Describe axonal transmission in as much detail as you can.
2.
Draw a dark-adaptation curve and explain the origins of its parts.
3.
A psychophysicist claims that Weber’s law governs perceived sweetness of aspartame
(Nutrasweet). Describe how you would collect data to verify her hypothesis and what the data
would look like if she were correct.
4. Explain the Opponent-processes theory of color vision.
5. Describe the two theories of pitch perception.