Question 1

Recent research on the plasticity of the adolescent's brain and the continuing development of the prefrontal cortex through adolescence support the view that ________ can benefit adolescents considerably.
A)stress
B)education
C)environmental experiences
D)reward seeking

Accepted Answer

B

Question 2

Which of the following statements about synaptogenesis is NOT true?
A)Synaptogenesis begins in infancy.
B)Synaptogenesis continues in adolescence.
C)Synaptogenesis ends in late childhood.
D)Synaptogenesis is the process of building connections between neurons.

Accepted Answer

Synaptogenesis actually continues throughout the lifespan, with peaks in infancy, adolescence, and adulthood. It is the process of building connections between neurons, which is necessary for learning, memory, and overall brain function. Therefore, statement C is not true.

Question 3

Increasing age interferes with the brain's ability to recover from injury because
A)the brain repairs itself best in childhood and adolescence.
B)brain plasticity disappears entirely by emerging adulthood.
C)brain plasticity is best in middle age.
D)None of these choices are correct.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that the brain has the best ability to repair itself during childhood and adolescence, and this ability diminishes as we age. This is due to a decline in neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to adapt and reorganize itself in response to injury or changes in the environment. Therefore, increasing age interferes with the brain's ability to recover from injury.

Question 4

What process is going on when individuals change their existing way of thinking as a result of new information?
A)accommodation
B)equilibration
C)synthesis
D)assimilation

Accepted Answer

Accommodation is the process of changing one's existing way of thinking as a result of new information. It involves modifying one's existing schemas to accommodate new information. Equilibration refers to the overall process of seeking balance between existing knowledge and new experiences, while synthesis involves integrating multiple sources of information into a coherent whole. Assimilation, on the other hand, involves fitting new information into existing schemas without changing them.

Question 5

According to Piaget,adolescents are motivated to understand their world because doing so
A)makes them look "cool" to their friends.
B)makes them look grown up to their parents.
C)is biologically adaptive.
D)is necessary for making friends and starting romances.

Accepted Answer

According to Piaget, adolescents are motivated to understand their world because it is biologically adaptive. Piaget believed that cognitive development was driven by the need to adapt to the environment and that we constantly strive to construct an understanding of the world around us.

Question 6

What is the main difference between a myelinated cell process and a cell process without myelin?
A)Myelinated cell processes are more efficient at information processing than non-myelinated cell processes.
B)Myelinated cell processes are slower at information processing than non-myelinated cell processes.
C)Nonmyelinated cell processes are faster at information processing than myelinated cell processes.
D)There is no difference between myelinated and non-myelinated cell processes.

Accepted Answer

Myelinated cell processes have a covering of myelin, a fatty substance that insulates the nerve fiber, allowing electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells. This makes myelinated processes more efficient at information processing compared to non-myelinated processes, which lack this insulation and therefore conduct impulses more slowly.

Question 7

Stan tells you that he sustained a head injury as the result of a car accident.He has since lost his sense of smell.Stan's accident likely damaged his
A)olfactory bulb.
B)amygdala.
C)occipital lobe.
D)association area.

Accepted Answer

The olfactory bulb is responsible for processing and transmitting information related to the sense of smell. Damage to this area of the brain can result in anosmia, or the loss of the sense of smell. Therefore, it's likely that Stan's head injury damaged his olfactory bulb, resulting in his loss of sense of smell.

Question 8

Piaget proposed that children and adolescents use and adopt their schemas through the processes of ________ and accommodation.
A)adaptation
B)analysis
C)assimilation
D)application

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory of cognitive development includes the processes of assimilation, where individuals integrate new information into existing schemas, and accommodation, where schemas are modified to incorporate new information.

Question 9

The bundle of axon fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain is called the
A)corpus callosum.
B)prefrontal cortex.
C)hippocampus.
D)amygdala.

Accepted Answer

The bundle of axon fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain is called the corpus callosum. The prefrontal cortex is a region in the front part of the brain responsible for decision-making and social behavior. The hippocampus is a region involved in the formation of new memories. The amygdala is a structure involved in the processing of emotions and motivation. Only choice A is the correct answer for this question.

Question 10

Which of the following statements regarding neurogenesis is NOT true?
A)People can generate new brain cells throughout their lives.
B)Researchers have documented neurogenesis in the hippocampus.
C)Drugs,stress,and exercise may affect neurogenesis.
D)Researchers have documented neurogenesis in the prefrontal cortex.

Accepted Answer

As of now, there is limited evidence to suggest that neurogenesis occurs in the prefrontal cortex. Most research has focused on the hippocampus. While other areas of the brain may exhibit some degree of neurogenesis, it is not currently well-established.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a basic part of a neuron?
A)dendrite(s)
B)axon
C)cell body
D)synapse

Accepted Answer

A synapse is not a basic part of a neuron, but rather the point of connection between two neurons or a neuron and a muscle cell.

Question 12

The prefrontal cortex is primarily involved with
A)reasoning.
B)decision making.
C)self-control.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex is involved with reasoning, decision making, and self-control. Therefore, all of these choices are correct.

Question 13

Which of the following statements regarding the corpus callosum is NOT true?
A)It is a large bundle of axon fibers.
B)It becomes smaller in adolescence.
C)Its change in adolescence improves the ability to process information.
D)All of these are false.

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum does not become smaller in adolescence; instead, it continues to develop and mature, which can contribute to improved information processing abilities.

Question 14

Increases in levels of dopamine can do which of the following?
A)increase risk of onset of schizophrenia
B)increase risk-taking behavior
C)increase risk of use of addictive drugs
D)All of these choices are correct.

Accepted Answer

Increases in levels of dopamine have been linked to all of the choices listed. High levels of dopamine have been associated with the onset of schizophrenia, an increase in risk-taking behavior, and an increased likelihood of using addictive drugs. All of these choices are correct.

Question 15

Adolescents ________ their experiences to help them ________ their cognitive worlds.
A)organize; passively construct
B)passive construct; adapt
C)adapt; assimilate
D)organize; actively construct

Accepted Answer

Adolescents actively construct their cognitive worlds by organizing their experiences. This process helps them make sense of the world around them, form new concepts, and develop schemas or mental models for understanding and organizing information. Passive construction or assimilation may also be involved in this process, but active construction through organization is the most critical aspect.

Question 16

The basic units of the nervous system are
A)synapses.
B)neurons.
C)neuronal matrixes.
D)neurofibrillary plaques.

Accepted Answer

The basic units of the nervous system are neurons, which are specialized cells that transmit information throughout the body. Synapses are the junctions between neurons, but they do not constitute the fundamental unit of the nervous system. Neuronal matrixes and neurofibrillary plaques are not recognized as basic units of the nervous system.

Question 17

What process is going on when individuals incorporate new knowledge into their existing knowledge bases?
A)accommodation
B)equilibration
C)synthesis
D)assimilation

Accepted Answer

Assimilation is the process where individuals incorporate new knowledge into their existing knowledge bases by fitting new information into preexisting cognitive schemas. This allows for individuals to maintain a sense of consistency and structure within their cognitive frameworks.

Question 18

Lisa,age 18,finds that she cannot control her emotions when she becomes angry.She lashes out at those around her in an inappropriate way.Nelson and colleagues would say that Lisa's ________ is not able to handle the emotional intensity of her ________.
A)amygdala; prefrontal cortex
B)prefrontal cortex; amygdala
C)median forebrain bundle; cerebellum
D)pons; amygdala

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for regulating emotions and impulses, including anger, by exerting control over the amygdala, which is involved in emotional processing. If Lisa cannot control her emotions, it suggests her prefrontal cortex is not effectively managing the emotional intensity generated by her amygdala.

Question 19

Julie suffered a stroke in the area of her hippocampus.Which of the following difficulties would you expect Julie to experience?
A)difficulty in maintaining her balance
B)problems with her memory
C)problems with night vision
D)loss of her sense of touch

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is responsible for memory processing, so damage to this area would result in problems with memory.

Question 20

Which of the following statements regarding the amygdala is TRUE?
A)It is the seat of emotions.
B)It is part of the limbic system.
C)It matures much earlier than the prefrontal cortex.
D)All of these choices are correct.

Accepted Answer

All of the given statements are true. The amygdala is responsible for processing emotions and is part of the limbic system. It is also true that the amygdala matures much earlier than the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making and impulse control.

Quiz 3: The Brain and Cognitive Development

Recent research on the plasticity of the adolescent's brain and the continuing development of the prefrontal cortex through adolescence support the view that ________ can benefit adolescents considerably.

Which of the following statements about synaptogenesis is NOT true?

Increasing age interferes with the brain's ability to recover from injury because

What process is going on when individuals change their existing way of thinking as a result of new information?

According to Piaget,adolescents are motivated to understand their world because doing so

What is the main difference between a myelinated cell process and a cell process without myelin?

Stan tells you that he sustained a head injury as the result of a car accident.He has since lost his sense of smell.Stan's accident likely damaged his

Piaget proposed that children and adolescents use and adopt their schemas through the processes of ________ and accommodation.

The bundle of axon fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain is called the

Which of the following statements regarding neurogenesis is NOT true?

Which of the following is NOT a basic part of a neuron?

The prefrontal cortex is primarily involved with

Which of the following statements regarding the corpus callosum is NOT true?

Increases in levels of dopamine can do which of the following?

Adolescents their experiences to help them their cognitive worlds.

The basic units of the nervous system are

What process is going on when individuals incorporate new knowledge into their existing knowledge bases?

Lisa,age 18,finds that she cannot control her emotions when she becomes angry.She lashes out at those around her in an inappropriate way.Nelson and colleagues would say that Lisa's is not able to handle the emotional intensity of her .

Julie suffered a stroke in the area of her hippocampus.Which of the following difficulties would you expect Julie to experience?

Which of the following statements regarding the amygdala is TRUE?