Unit 1 Psychology: SAC 1 - Practice Test
Section A: Multiple choice questions
1. What section of a nerve cell receives incoming information from other neurons?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The dendrite
The axon
The terminal button
The synapse
2. According to ancient Greek history, ______________________ argued that the __________________ was
responsible for governing behaviour; while _________________ argued that it was the _______________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Galen, brain; Hippocrates; heart
Aristotle, brain; Descartes, pineal gland
Galen, heart; Aristotle, brain
Aristotle, heart; Hippocrates, brain
3. The most important processing unit of the brain is the:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Neurotransmitter
Glial cell
Synapse
Neuron
4. The purpose of the myelin sheath is to increase:
A.
B.
C.
D.
The frequency of firing
The speed of neural transmission
The number of neurotransmitters
The ratio of action potentials
5. Despite being fast asleep, you are woken by the awareness of a strange noise in your house. This would
primarily be due to the action of the:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Pituitary gland
Sympathetic nervous system
Reticular formation
Hypothalamus
6. If a patient had severe damage to the frontal lobe, you might predict he or she would have:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Difficulty in hearing sounds
Difficulty in identifying objects by touch
Difficulty in identifying visually complex forms
Impaired decision-making and problem-solving abilities, as well as the inability to inhibit
inappropriate social behaviours
7. Which of the following is not an established function of glial cells?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Hastening the proliferation of neural impulses
Maintaining the chemical environment surrounding nerve cells
Integrating information to assist neural processing
Providing scaffolds that assist neural development
8. Despite its lack of validity, what was phrenology’s positive contribution to neuropsychology?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It was the first approach to localise language comprehension and speech in the left hemisphere.
It proposed that functions are localised in specific regions of the brain.
It held that different faculties were absolutely independent of one another.
It was capable of diagnosing those with learning difficulties.
9. Which of the following statements is true regarding the somatosensory cortex?
A. The somatosensory cortex receives signals from body areas.
B. Nerve impulses are sent from the somatosensory cortex to skeletal muscles in the body.
C. The somatosensory cortex folds in on the motor cortex, forming a central fissure which separates
the frontal and temporal lobes.
D. Movements by the neck, hip and trunk are coordinated by a larger area of the somatosensory cortex
compared to most other body parts.
10. While she was out walking, Madison was startled by a dog suddenly barking at her from behind a fence,
causing her heart to race and her blood pressure to increase. As she continued on her walk, Madison’s blood
pressure and heart rate returned to normal levels due to activity in her _______________ nervous system.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Somatic
Sympathetic
Central
Parasympathetic
11. Linh fell heavily form her horse while riding in a cross-country event, and suffered head injuries as a result.
Following the accident, her vision became impaired. Linh probably suffered damage to her ______________
lobe.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Frontal
Occipital
Parietal
Temporal
12. The peripheral nervous system is divided into:
A.
B.
C.
D.
The somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
They sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
The afferent nervous system and efferent nervous system.
The brain and spinal cord.
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13. Jacinta experienced a brain haemorrhage resulting in decreased blood supply and inceased pressure on the
brain tissue, which caused damage to her Wernicke’s area.
Based on your knowledge of research of individuals who have sustained damage to their Wernicke’s area,
Jacinta would most likely:
A. Be able to pronounce words and use correct grammar; however, she may have an impeded ability to
understand the meaning of words illustrated by her speaking in a roundabout fashion and avoiding
the use of the most appropriate nouns.
B. Be able to understand what others are saying, but have an impeded ability to pronounce words and
communicate with others.
C. Have normal eyesight, but an impeded ability to identify familiar persons.
D. Experience blind spots on her visual field.
14. The structure of the neuron that sends information to another neuron is the:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Dendrite
Axon
Receptor
Neurotransmitter
15. Which philosopher focused much attention on the theory of dualism?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Plato
Aristotle
Descartes
Freud
16. Flourens began experimenting on animals to determine whether:
A.
B.
C.
D.
The mind was located in the heart.
There was a biological basis to phrenology.
The body and brain interacted through the pineal gland.
Galen’s assertion that all mental activity occurred in the brain rather than the heart was true.
17. Which of the following terms did Broca use to describe language impairment that results from brain
damage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Agnosia
Aphemia
Apraxia
Aphasia
18. Damage to the left frontal lobe may result in:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Wernicke’s aphasia
Broca’s aphasia
Difficulty understanding speech
Difficulty remembering the meaning of words
19. Penfield used electrical stimulation of the brain to demonstrate that the right hemisphere controls
movement:
A. On the right side of the body.
B. On the right and left side of the body.
C. On the left side of the body.
D. Of muscles involved in speech.
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20. Which of the following neuroimaging techniques provides the most detailed information on brain structure
and function?
A.
B.
C.
D.
MRI
CT scan
fMRI
PET scan
21. Which of the following activities is a function of the somatic nervous system?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Writing a text message
Digesting after eating a large bowl of pasta
Your heart rate elevating when watching a horror movie
Your breathing rate decreasing after turning off a horror movie
22. Which of the following statements about the nervous system is not true?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The CNS has two major divisions
The CNS is composed of the somatic nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
The autonomic nervous system regulates the activity of involuntary muscles, organs and glands
The spinal cord carries incoming sensory information to the brain and outgoing movement messages
from the brain to the rest of the body
23. Which of the following is not likely to occur when the sympathetic nervous system is dominating?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Dry mouth
Increased heart rate
Increased respiration rate
Decreased perspiration
24. Which parts of a neuron release neurotransmitters?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The synapses
The axon terminals
The somas
The dendrites
25. Where are the interneurons located?
A.
B.
C.
D.
In the brain
In the spinal cord
In the brain and spinal cord
Outside the CNS
26. The _______________ are the glial cells that provide myelin in the CNS.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Astrocytes
Oligodendroglia
Microglia
Schwann cells
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27. Phagocytosis is the process by which:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Astrocytes build myelin around the neuron’s axon
Oligodendroglia build myelin around the neuron’s axon
Astrocytes clean up neuronal debris and keep neurons healthy
Microglia and Astrocytes clean up neuronal debris and keep neurons healthy
28. After Tia has played in the grand final of the netball season, she is likely to want to calm her body down.
Which of the following statements is not true about this process?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Her pupils will constrict
Her heart rate will drop
Her body will slowly achieve homeostasis
She will decrease her production of saliva and increase perspiration
29. Which of the following is a PNS glial cell?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A Schwann cell
A microglial cell
A oligodendrocyte
An astrocyte
30. Glial cells are primarily responsible for:
A.
B.
C.
D.
The reception of sensory information
The support of neurons
The processing of information
The production of actions or motor outputs
Section B: Short answer questions
1. The branch of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movement of the skeletal muscles and
transmits messages from sensory receptors to the central nervous system is the:
___________________________________________________________________________ nervous system.
1 mark
2. The branch of the peripheral nervous system that connects the central nervous system with the internal
organs and glands, and controls the arousal and subsequent relaxation of these organs is the:
__________________________________________________________________________ nervous system.
1 mark
3. In the Heart versus Brain debate, on which side was taken by:
Aristotle _________________________________________
Galen ___________________________________________
2 marks
5
4. Match the researcher with their theory or research.
a) Gall
b) Descartes
c) Fritsch, Hitzig and Penfield
d) Burkhardt and Moniz
e) Flourens
Researcher
Theory/Research
Lobotomy
Brain Intervention
Phrenology
Brain Mapping
Dualism
5 marks
5. Label the structures of the neuron; axon, dendrites, myelin sheath, nodes of Ranvier, synapse, axon
terminals, soma and nucleus.
1
4
2
5
3
6
7
8
8 marks
6. Identify the nervous system for the different types of glial cells:
Astrocytes
______________________________________
Scwann cells
______________________________________
Satellite cells
______________________________________
Microglia
______________________________________
Oligodendroglia ______________________________________
5 marks
6
7. In which brain region would you find the cerebellum?
________________________________________________________________________________________
1 mark
8. Describe one advantage and one limitation for the neuroimaging technique MRI:
Advantage
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Limitation
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2 marks
9. What is one example of how the Hypothalamus directs the Pituitary Gland to release hormones?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2 marks
10. List two specialised functions of the Left Hemisphere.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2 marks
11. Where is Broca’s Area located?
________________________________________________________________________________________
1 mark
12. What is Wernicke’s Aphasia?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
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2 marks
13. What is the difference between Adaptive Plasticity and Developmental Plasticity?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2 marks
14. Identify two psychological and two physiological changes you might observe in someone who had frontal
lobe damage.
Psychological
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Physiological
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
4 marks
15. Explain how dopamine agonists help to reduce the effects of Parkinson’s disease.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2 marks
END OF TEST
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