Question 1

Walking home from work late one night,Jaydra suddenly hears footsteps behind her.Her heart pounds,her muscles tense,and her mouth goes dry.These bodily responses are activated by her ________ nervous system.

Accepted Answer

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body's fight-or-flight response, which includes rapid heart rate, muscle tension, dry mouth, and other bodily changes that prepare the body to respond to perceived threats. These bodily responses are exactly what Jaydra is experiencing as she walks home and hears footsteps behind her. The central nervous system refers to the brain and spinal cord, while the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for rest and digestion. The somatic nervous system controls voluntary movements of the body. None of these systems are directly related to Jaydra's bodily responses in this scenario.

Question 2

In reflecting on his professional acting career,Mr.Scott notes that his worst performances typically occurred when he experienced either too little or too much autonomic nervous system arousal.His experience best illustrates the

Accepted Answer

The Yerkes-Dodson law states that performance on a task is best when arousal is moderate, and both high and low levels of arousal can lead to poor performance. This explains Mr. Scott's experience of his worst performances occurring when he experienced either too little or too much autonomic nervous system arousal. The James-Lange theory suggests that emotions arise from physiological arousal, while the two-factor theory posits that emotions are a combination of physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. The Cannon-Bard theory suggests that physiological arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously and independently. None of these theories specifically address the relationship between arousal and performance on a task.

Question 3

The "low road" from the thalamus to the amygdala most directly contributes to ________ emotional responses.

Accepted Answer

The "low road" refers to a neural pathway that bypasses conscious thought and allows for automatic, immediate emotional responses. Therefore, choice B (automatic) is the best answer.

Question 4

Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system

Accepted Answer

Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system slows down heart rate and accelerates digestion. This is because the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for promoting rest and relaxation, and digestion is an important part of that process.

Question 5

Lillian will be taking an entrance exam for law school this afternoon.She is likely to ________ on the exam if her physiological arousal is ________.

Accepted Answer

Moderate physiological arousal is associated with performing well on exams, as it helps increase alertness and focus without causing overwhelming anxiety or distraction.

Question 6

We sometimes interpret our arousal before experiencing a complex emotional reaction such as hatred.These complex emotional reactions follow a neural pathway from

Accepted Answer

The thalamus is responsible for receiving sensory input and relaying it to the cerebral cortex, where it is processed and interpreted. The amygdala is involved in processing emotions such as fear and aggression. Therefore, the neural pathway from the thalamus to the cerebral cortex to the amygdala makes the most sense in terms of the sequence of processing sensory input and emotional response.

Question 7

Astrid was emotionally aroused by a TV horror movie.She became extremely angry when her younger brother momentarily blocked her view of the screen.When her movie viewing was interrupted by a phone call from her boyfriend,however,she experienced unusually intense romantic feelings.Astrid's different emotional reactions to her brother and her boyfriend are best explained by the

Accepted Answer

The two-factor theory states that emotions are composed of both physiological arousal and cognitive labeling. In Astrid's case, her emotional arousal from the horror movie may have contributed to her anger when her brother blocked her view, but her intense romantic feelings after her phone call with her boyfriend may have been due to a different cognitive label for the same physiological arousal. Therefore, the two-factor theory best explains her different emotional reactions.

Question 8

Which of the following emotional reactions is most likely to precede any conscious thinking?

Accepted Answer

Fear is often considered a primal or automatic emotional response that can occur before any conscious thinking takes place. When faced with a perceived threat or danger, our brains can trigger fear as a way to protect ourselves before we even have time to process what is happening.

Question 9

Whether we feel angry or depressed in response to a low exam grade depends on whether we attribute the poor grade to an unfair test or to our own low intelligence.This best illustrates that emotions are influenced by

Accepted Answer

The sentence suggests that our emotions are influenced by how we appraise the situation, whether we attribute the poor grade to an unfair test or to our own low intelligence. This refers to cognitive appraisals, which are evaluations we make about a situation that shape our emotional responses.

Question 10

During a state of emotional arousal,the adrenal glands release ________ into the bloodstream.

Accepted Answer

During a state of emotional arousal, the adrenal glands release norepinephrine into the bloodstream. This hormone helps the body prepare for a "fight or flight" response by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Insulin is released by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar levels, acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter involved in muscle movement and cognitive function, and glucose is a form of sugar that provides energy to the body.

Question 11

The tendency for people to perform best on certain tasks when they are moderately aroused is known as the

Accepted Answer

The Yerkes-Dodson law states that performance is best when arousal is at a moderate level, not too high or too low. This means that if arousal is too low, motivation may not be sufficient for good performance, whereas if arousal is too high, anxiety and stress may impede performance. The other options (spillover effect, guilty knowledge test, two-factor theory) do not relate specifically to the idea of optimal arousal levels for performance.

Question 12

The emotions of anger and fear involve similar

Accepted Answer

Patterns of autonomic arousal are similar for both anger and fear, involving physiological responses such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, which are part of the body's fight-or-flight response.

Question 13

Kitty,an inexperienced pilot,prepares for an emergency landing after her single-engine plane loses power.Kitty's emotional arousal is likely to be accompanied by

Accepted Answer

In an emergency situation, the body's sympathetic nervous system is activated, leading to increased adrenaline and cortisol levels, which in turn cause an increase in blood sugar levels to provide energy for the body's fight or flight response. Decreased respiration (A) and pupil constriction (B) are not consistent with physiological responses to an emergency situation. Increased salivation (D) is also not a common response to emergency situations.

Question 14

Who suggested that a "low road" neural shortcut enables rapid emotional responses before our conscious intellect intervenes?

Accepted Answer

Joseph LeDoux suggested that a "low road" neural shortcut enables rapid emotional responses before our conscious intellect intervenes.

Question 15

The insula is activated when people experience emotions such as

Accepted Answer

The insula is known to be involved in the subjective experience of various emotions, including pride, lust, and disgust, as well as other emotions such as anger, fear, and sadness. Therefore, any of these emotions could activate the insula.

Question 16

Turning in at her street,Dominique saw six fire trucks in front of her apartment building.Her heart beat wildly until someone yelled,"Just a false alarm." Her pulse then began to return to normal,due to the action of her ________ nervous system.

Accepted Answer

The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for slowing down the body's response to stress and returning it to a calm state, such as after a false alarm. The other options (central, somatic, and sympathetic) all relate to different functions and are not directly involved in this scenario.

Question 17

Observers watching fearful faces show more brain activity in the ________ than do those watching angry faces.

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is a part of the brain that is responsible for processing emotions, particularly fear. Studies have shown that when people are observing fearful faces, there is increased activity in the amygdala compared to when they are observing angry faces. Therefore, the best choice would be C - amygdala.

Question 18

Which division of the nervous system arouses the body and mobilizes its energy in emotionally stressful situations?

Accepted Answer

The sympathetic division of the nervous system is responsible for activating the body's fight or flight response in emotionally stressful situations, mobilizing energy reserves and increasing heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and sweating.

Question 19

Evidence that visual input is routed from the thalamus directly to the amygdala has been used to support the claim that

Accepted Answer

The evidence that visual input is routed from the thalamus directly to the amygdala supports the claim that some emotional reactions may occur without conscious thinking. This is because the amygdala is known to play a key role in processing emotions, and if visual input can reach it directly without going through conscious thought processes, it suggests that emotions can sometimes be triggered unconsciously.

Question 20

The sympathetic nervous system is to the parasympathetic nervous system as ________ is to ________.

Accepted Answer

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the fight or flight response, which inhibits digestion, while the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the rest and digest response, which accelerates digestion. Therefore, choice A is the correct answer. The other options do not accurately reflect the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

Quiz 13: Emotions, Stress, and Health