Question 1

In order for a rat to transfer learning from one set of stimuli in a matching to sample task to another set of stimuli, the rat must learn
A)an S-R relationship.
B)an R-O relationship.
C)an S(R-O)relationship.
D)a general rule.

Accepted Answer

In order for the rat to transfer learning to a new set of stimuli, it must have learned a general rule that applies to all sets of stimuli, rather than just specific S-R, R-O, or S(R-O) relationships. Only a general rule can be applied across different stimuli sets, allowing for successful transfer of learning.

Question 2

Stimulus coding is primarily a task that occurs during
A)retention.
B)retrieval.
C)extinction.
D)acquisition.

Accepted Answer

Stimulus coding refers to the process of transforming sensory information into neural impulses that can be processed by the brain. This process occurs during acquisition, when new information is being learned and encoded into memory. Therefore, the best choice is D) acquisition.

Question 3

Sally has given you directions to her office. She has told you to turn right at the convenience store, left at the stop sign, and right again at the cow shaped mailbox. She is counting on your ability to navigate with
A)beacons.
B)landmarks.
C)geometric cues.
D)your GPS device.

Accepted Answer

Sally is using landmarks as cues for navigation. The convenience store, stop sign, and cow-shaped mailbox are all unique and identifiable landmarks that can be used to navigate. Beacons are typically electronic devices that emit signals for positioning, while geometric cues refer to patterns in the surrounding environment that can be used for navigation. Using a GPS device would also be a valid option, but Sally's directions do not explicitly rely on GPS technology.

Question 4

The duration of spatial memory in rats appears
A)to be for about as long as the rat remains in a maze.
B)to be about 5 to 10 minutes.
C)to be about 3 to 4 hours.
D)to last for over a day.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that the duration of spatial memory in rats can last for over a day, indicating their ability to retain information about a maze for an extended period of time.

Question 5

Sign tracking is an example of
A)beacon following.
B)landmark navigation.
C)using the relations between landmarks to guide behavior.
D)a complex cognitive map.

Accepted Answer

Sign tracking, also known as beacon following, involves an animal or person navigating towards or tracking a specific stimulus that signals the location of a goal, such as food.

Question 6

A trials-unique procedure results in an organism learning
A)an S-R relationship.
B)a general rule.
C)an R-O relationship.
D)an S(R-O)relationship.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A trials-unique procedure results in an organism...

Question 7

Doogie mice seem smarter because they show enhanced learning in a range of tests. The change that brings this about is
A)they produce NR2A longer than other mice.
B)they produce NR2B longer than other mice.
C)they produce AMPA longer than other mice.
D)they produce DOX longer than other mice.

Accepted Answer

Studies have found that Doogie mice produce higher levels of NR2B (a type of NMDA receptor subunit) in their hippocampus, which is associated with enhanced learning and memory.

Question 8

A Morris water maze
A)is an ecologically valid laboratory technique for studying memory in rodents.
B)is a useful tool for studying memory in rodents, but is not ecologically valid.
C)is an ecologically valid technique for studying foraging behavior, but not valid for memory tasks in rodents.
D)is neither valid nor useful in studies of rodent memory.

Accepted Answer

The Morris water maze is indeed a useful tool for studying spatial learning and memory in rodents, primarily because it relies on the animal's ability to learn and remember the location of a hidden platform to escape from water. However, it is not considered ecologically valid because the task does not mimic any natural behavior rodents would normally engage in their natural environment. Ecological validity refers to how well a study's findings can be generalized to real-life settings; since rodents do not naturally navigate water mazes, the task lacks ecological validity.

Question 9

The difference between using beacons and landmarks to find a goal is that
A)beacons are more salient than landmarks.
B)landmarks are at the goal site; beacons are not.
C)beacons are at the goal site; landmarks are not.
D)landmarks are more salient than beacons.

Accepted Answer

Beacons are typically located at the goal site and serve as direct indicators of a target location, whereas landmarks are not at the goal site but can provide navigational cues to help find a goal.

Question 10

Optogenetic studies with mice have demonstrated that
A)activating cells that were involved in the formation of a memory erases that memory.
B)activating cells that were involved in the formation of a memory enhances that memory.
C)activating cells that were involved in the formation of a memory can induce a memory related behavior.
D)activating cells that were involved in the formation of a memory prevents memory related behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Optogenetic studies with mice have demonstrated that
A)activating...

Question 11

The available evidence suggests that rats navigate correctly in radial arm mazes by
A)marking visited arms with urine.
B)relying on visual cues in the testing room.
C)choosing the arms in a fixed order.
D)All of the above

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that rats rely on visual cues in the testing room to navigate in radial arm mazes. There is little evidence to suggest that rats mark visited arms with urine or choose arms in a fixed order.

Question 12

A problem identified in the interpretation of data from studies with knockout mice is
A)that the protein products can turn on and off.
B)that the mice may not develop normally and therefore their brains may be different in a variety of ways.
C)that doxycycline added to their food can turn off gene expression.
D)that tTa added to their food can turn off gene expression.

Accepted Answer

Knockout mice may not develop normally due to the absence of the targeted gene, which can lead to alterations in brain development and function. This can potentially impact the interpretation of data obtained from studies using knockout mice. While options A, C, and D describe methods for regulating gene expression in mice, they are not directly related to the potential developmental abnormalities seen in knockout mice.

Question 13

Radial arm mazes are used primarily to test
A)performance in spatial memory tasks.
B)performance in delayed matching to sample trials.
C)performance in food preference trials.
D)performance in locomotor preference trials.

Accepted Answer

Radial arm mazes are used to test performance in spatial memory tasks, specifically to assess an animal's ability to remember which arms of the maze it has previously visited and which arms contain food rewards.

Question 14

Doogie mice differ from normal mice in that
A)they produce NR2A into adulthood.
B)they produce NR2B into adulthood.
C)they have more difficulty in the Morris water maze.
D)they have more difficulty in stimulus discrimination tasks.

Accepted Answer

Doogie mice differ from normal mice in that they produce NR2B (a subunit of the NMDA receptor) into adulthood. This results in enhanced learning and memory capabilities in the Doogie mice. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Doogie mice have more difficulty in the Morris water maze or stimulus discrimination tasks.

Question 15

Which of the following is true of delayed matching to sample tasks?
A)Pigeons learn only specific stimulus-response relations; chimps can learn general rules.
B)Trials-unique procedures increase the likelihood of stimulus-response learning in pigeons, but not in chimps.
C)Pigeons and chimps can learn "same-as rules."
D)Pigeons often solve delayed matching to sample tasks by orienting their bodies towards the sample stimulus; chimps use general rules.

Accepted Answer

Pigeons and chimps can both learn "same-as rules" in delayed matching to sample tasks. This means that they are able to match a novel stimulus to a previously presented stimulus based on whether the two stimuli are the same or different. This indicates that both species have the ability to form abstract concepts and apply them to different situations, rather than relying purely on stimulus-response associations. Options A, B, and D are incorrect based on current research.

Question 16

Which of the following has been determined to most influence the behavior of rats in a radial arm maze?
A)odor cues
B)the presence or absence of food
C)a fixed sequence of responses
D)visual cues in the testing room

Accepted Answer

Visual cues in the testing room have been determined to most influence the behavior of rats in a radial arm maze. This is because rats use visual cues to navigate and remember which arms of the maze they have already explored.

Question 17

NR2B is typically found
A)as a subunit of NMDA that interferes with LTP in adulthood.
B)as a subunit of NMDA that interferes with LTP in juveniles.
C)as a subunit of NMDA that promotes LTP in adulthood.
D)as a subunit of NMDA that promotes LTP in juveniles.

Accepted Answer

NR2B is a subunit of the NMDA receptor that is particularly associated with promoting long-term potentiation (LTP) in the developing or juvenile brain, which is crucial for synaptic plasticity and learning.

Question 18

CaMKII enhances synaptic efficacy by activating
A)CaM receptors.
B)NMDA receptors.
C)AMPA receptors.
D)KII receptors.

Accepted Answer

CaMKII activates AMPA receptors, leading to an increase in synaptic efficacy.

Question 19

Knockout mice lacking the gene to code for CaKMII demonstrate
A)enhanced learning in tasks requiring spatial memory.
B)impaired learning in tasks requiring spatial memory.
C)no differences in learning in tasks requiring spatial memory.
D)CaKMII is not involved in spatial memory

Accepted Answer

Knockout mice lacking the gene to code for CaKMII have been shown to have impaired learning in tasks requiring spatial memory. This suggests that CaKMII is involved in spatial memory processes.

Question 20

Stimulus coding refers to
A)the literal record of past events in memory.
B)creating a neural representation of an experience.
C)the use of current stimuli to decode or understand previous events.
D)creating a stimulus that can be perceived and used by a given species.

Accepted Answer

Stimulus coding refers to the creation of a neural representation of an experience or stimulus in the brain. This process involves the conversion of physical sensations into neural impulses that can be interpreted by the brain.

Quiz 11: Comparative Cognition I

In order for a rat to transfer learning from one set of stimuli in a matching to sample task to another set of stimuli, the rat must learn

Stimulus coding is primarily a task that occurs during

Sally has given you directions to her office. She has told you to turn right at the convenience store, left at the stop sign, and right again at the cow shaped mailbox. She is counting on your ability to navigate with

The duration of spatial memory in rats appears

Sign tracking is an example of

A trials-unique procedure results in an organism learning

Doogie mice seem smarter because they show enhanced learning in a range of tests. The change that brings this about is

A Morris water maze

The difference between using beacons and landmarks to find a goal is that

Optogenetic studies with mice have demonstrated that

The available evidence suggests that rats navigate correctly in radial arm mazes by

A problem identified in the interpretation of data from studies with knockout mice is

Radial arm mazes are used primarily to test

Doogie mice differ from normal mice in that

Which of the following is true of delayed matching to sample tasks?

Which of the following has been determined to most influence the behavior of rats in a radial arm maze?

NR2B is typically found

CaMKII enhances synaptic efficacy by activating

Knockout mice lacking the gene to code for CaKMII demonstrate

Stimulus coding refers to