Question 1

According to Hauser (2009) what is one role for biology in explaining cultural variability?
A) Different genes might determine whether one is more likely to be collectivist or individualist.
B) Biology may constrain the possible types of culture that are observed.
C) Biology has no role to play, and cultural variability is entirely down to socio-historical factors.
D) Different genes may determine the degree of materialistic values.

Accepted Answer

Hauser (2009) argues that biology may constrain the possible types of culture that are observed. While socio-historical factors certainly play a significant role in cultural variability, Hauser suggests that biological factors, such as evolved cognitive mechanisms, may also influence the development and transmission of cultural practices.

Question 2

What is the blank slate scenario?
A) The brain accepts, stores, and processes whatever information is given to it without pre-existing biases, limitations, or knowledge.
B) An attempt to infer the nature of cognitive processes from neuroscience data
C) The view that culture adapts evolutionarily older mechanisms in the brain for new purposes
D) The brain biases the nature of social interactions because of its innate underlying organisation.

Accepted Answer

The blank slate scenario posits that the brain starts out as a "blank slate" and is shaped entirely by experiences and the environment, without any pre-existing biases or knowledge.

Question 3

What line of evidence (from the following) is most problematic for the blank slate scenario?
A) The finding that infants have a preference, soon after birth, for the mothers voice
B) The finding that tool-use is universal across cultures
C) The finding that the brain can reorganise itself following lesions in childhood
D) The finding that infants have a preference, soon after birth, for face-like stimuli

Accepted Answer

The finding that infants have a preference, soon after birth, for face-like stimuli is the most problematic for the blank slate scenario because it suggests that there may be an innate, biological predisposition for processing facial information. This contradicts the idea that all cognitive and behavioral traits are learned through experience alone, which is a core tenet of the blank slate theory. The other findings (tool-use universality, brain plasticity, and preference for mother's voice) do not necessarily contradict the blank slate theory as they could still be learned through experience.

Question 4

What term describes an attempt to infer the nature of cognitive processes from neuroscience data?
A) Domain specificity
B) Reductionism
C) Reverse inference
D) Materialism

Accepted Answer

Reverse inference is the term used to describe an attempt to infer the nature of cognitive processes from neuroscience data, such as brain imaging. This approach starts from observing activity in a given brain region and infers the cognitive process that this brain region might be involved in.

Question 5

What term is given to denote 'the idea that a cognitive process (or brain region) is specialized for processing only one particular kind of information'?
A) Single dissociation
B) Reverse inference
C) Domain specificity
D) Effective connectivity

Accepted Answer

Domain specificity refers to the idea that a cognitive process (or brain region) is specialized for processing only one particular kind of information. Single dissociation refers to a method of testing the function of a particular brain area by showing that one type of task is impaired while another is not. Reverse inference refers to making inferences about the brain based on observed behavior. Effective connectivity refers to the influence one brain area has on another.

Question 6

What term refers to a change in scientific thinking such that one type of explanation is replaced with another, more basic, type of explanation?
A) Simplificationism
B) Reverse inference
C) Reductionism
D) Dualism

Accepted Answer

The term that refers to a change in scientific thinking such that one type of explanation is replaced with another, more basic, type of explanation is reductionism. Reductionism is the idea that complex systems can be understood by reducing them to their individual parts and analyzing those parts separately. This approach has been used in various scientific fields, including biology, chemistry, and physics.

Question 7

What type of function has NOT been linked to the functioning of mirror systems?
A) Empathy
B) Attachment
C) Imitation
D) Mind-reading

Accepted Answer

Mirror systems have been linked to functions such as empathy, imitation, and mind-reading, but there is no direct evidence linking them specifically to attachment processes. Attachment is more broadly related to emotional bonds and security, which involve a wider range of brain systems and psychological processes beyond the mirror neuron system.

Question 8

What type of neuron responds both when the animal performs an action and sees someone else performing the same action?
A) Complex cell
B) Simple cell
C) Mirror neuron
D) Grandmother neuron

Accepted Answer

Mirror neurons are a type of neuron that fires both when an animal performs an action and when the animal sees someone else performing the same action. They have been linked to social cognition and empathy, as they may be involved in understanding others' intentions and emotions through observation. Complex and simple cells are types of neurons in the visual cortex that respond to specific visual stimuli, and grandmother neurons are a hypothetical concept for a neuron that specifically responds to an image of one's own grandmother, which has not been scientifically proven to exist.

Question 9

Which philosopher is particularly associated with the concept of modularity?
A) Dennett
B) Fodor
C) Churchland
D) Descartes

Accepted Answer

Fodor is particularly associated with the concept of modularity in cognitive science. He proposes that the mind is composed of separate modules that process different types of information, such as visual perception or language comprehension. These modules are domain specific, operate automatically, and are informationally encapsulated, meaning they do not process information from other modules.

Question 10

What is phrenology?
A) A view of brain function in which different regions are responsible for highly specialised functions, and the different size of the regions relates to individual differences in cognition and personality
B) A view of brain function in which any brain region can acquire any function
C) A view of brain function related to massive parallel distributed processing
D) A view of brain function in which some parts of the brain are highly specialized and others can take on any function

Accepted Answer

Phrenology is an outdated view of brain function that posited different regions of the brain were responsible for specific cognitive abilities and personality traits, with the size of these regions indicating the strength of those abilities or traits in an individual.

Question 11

What is one of the main conclusions from the survey of Social Neuroscientists conducted by Stanley & Adolphs (2013)?
A) Future research should rely more on animal models of social behavior.
B) Future research should make more contact with real-world phenomena.
C) Future research should focus on understanding the brain as a modular system.
D) Future research should focus more on emotion regulation.

Accepted Answer

The survey found that social neuroscientists considered it important for their research to make contact with real-world phenomena, indicating that future research should prioritize this aspect.

Question 12

Genes linked to increased social sensitivity are more prevalent in which kinds of culture?
A) Individualist
B) Collectivist
C) Simple
D) Complex

Accepted Answer

Collectivist cultures prioritize the group over the individual, emphasizing interconnectedness and interdependence among members. Increased social sensitivity, or the ability to accurately perceive and respond to social cues, would be advantageous in such a culture. In contrast, individualist cultures prioritize individual autonomy and may place less value on social sensitivity. There is no clear relationship between this trait and the complexity of a culture.

Question 13

Mitchell (2009) argued, from neuroscience data, that social psychology is a 'natural kind'. What did he mean by this?
A) That human social cognition is innate
B) We are biased to perceive unrelated social phenomena as connected.
C) That the same set of neural mechanisms that support social cognition also support non-social cognition
D) A core set of neural structures are involved in implementing the diverse range of social cognitions studied by social psychologists.

Accepted Answer

Mitchell argued that social psychology is a 'natural kind' in the sense that a core set of neural structures are involved in implementing the diverse range of social cognitions studied by social psychologists. He suggested that these neural structures are evolutionarily conserved and have been shaped by the selective pressures of social living, making them particularly adapted to processing social information.

Question 14

Short allele carriers of the serotonin transporter gene are more prone to what?
A) Depression
B) A positive self-esteem
C) Prosopagnosia
D) Aggression

Accepted Answer

Short allele carriers of the serotonin transporter gene have been found to have a higher risk of developing depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders, as well as an increased risk of suicidal behavior.

Question 15

The idea that genes bias the creation of certain environments, and certain environments select for certain genotypes is known as:
A) Cultural neuroscience
B) Gene-culture coevolution
C) The blank slate hypothesis
D) Dualism

Accepted Answer

Gene-culture coevolution refers to the mutual influence of genes and culture on each other's evolution. It suggests that genes can influence the cultural practices that shape a particular environment, and in turn, cultural practices can influence the selection of certain genotypes. Cultural neuroscience often studies the interactions of culture and genetics, but it is not the same as gene-culture coevolution. The blank slate hypothesis suggests that humans are born without innate abilities or predispositions, which is not supported by empirical evidence. Dualism is a philosophical belief that the mind and body are separate entities.

Question 16

The term 'social neuroscience' first appeared in a paper by Cacioppo & Berntson in which year?
A) 1992
B) 1990
C) 1994
D) 1996

Accepted Answer

The term 'social neuroscience' first appeared in a paper by Cacioppo & Berntson in 1992.

Question 17

What can be concluded from the fact that individual differences in levels of testosterone interact with socio-economic status, SES, in predicting aggressive acts (i.e. effect of testosterone appears greater for low SES individuals)?
A) Testosterone levels are less important than socio-economic factors.
B) Socio-economic factors are less important than hormonal/biological factors.
C) SES is an inappropriate variable to consider in social neuroscience research.
D) Neither social nor hormonal explanations are likely to be sufficient to explain aggression in isolation.

Accepted Answer

The interaction between testosterone levels and socio-economic status in predicting aggression suggests that both biological (hormonal) and social (socio-economic) factors play a role in explaining aggressive behavior, indicating that neither type of explanation is likely to be sufficient on its own.

Question 18

What conclusion did Barrett & Satpute (2013) reach about the nature of the social brain?
A) There are networks of regions in which each region in the network has a high degree of specialization.
B) There are brain regions that are specialized for processing particular kinds of social information and non-social information.
C) Social information is a natural kind
D) Neither brain regions nor individual brain networks are functionally specialized or segregated into social and non-social functions.

Accepted Answer

Barrett & Satpute (2013) concluded that the brain does not segregate its functions into strictly social and non-social domains, challenging the idea of highly specialized brain regions or networks for processing social versus non-social information.

Question 19

What is hyper-fMRI?
A) fMRI with high magnetic field strength
B) fMRI scanning of two (or more) brains at the same time
C) fMRI with improved temporal resolution
D) fMRI with improved spatial resolution

Accepted Answer

Hyper-fMRI refers to the process of scanning two or more brains simultaneously to study social interactions and brain-to-brain synchrony.

Question 20

Who provided the following definition of social psychology? 'An attempt to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings and behaviour of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.'
A) Allport (1968)
B) Bandura (1962)
C) Milgram (1963)
D) Festinger (1956)

Accepted Answer

Allport (1968) provided this definition of social psychology, emphasizing the influence of others' presence on an individual's mental and behavioral processes.

Quiz 1: Introduction to Social Neuroscience

According to Hauser (2009) what is one role for biology in explaining cultural variability?

What is the blank slate scenario?

What line of evidence (from the following) is most problematic for the blank slate scenario?

What term describes an attempt to infer the nature of cognitive processes from neuroscience data?

What term is given to denote 'the idea that a cognitive process (or brain region) is specialized for processing only one particular kind of information'?

What term refers to a change in scientific thinking such that one type of explanation is replaced with another, more basic, type of explanation?

What type of function has NOT been linked to the functioning of mirror systems?

What type of neuron responds both when the animal performs an action and sees someone else performing the same action?

Which philosopher is particularly associated with the concept of modularity?

What is phrenology?

What is one of the main conclusions from the survey of Social Neuroscientists conducted by Stanley & Adolphs (2013) ?

Genes linked to increased social sensitivity are more prevalent in which kinds of culture?

Mitchell (2009) argued, from neuroscience data, that social psychology is a 'natural kind'. What did he mean by this?

Short allele carriers of the serotonin transporter gene are more prone to what?

The idea that genes bias the creation of certain environments, and certain environments select for certain genotypes is known as:

The term 'social neuroscience' first appeared in a paper by Cacioppo & Berntson in which year?

What can be concluded from the fact that individual differences in levels of testosterone interact with socio-economic status, SES, in predicting aggressive acts (i.e. effect of testosterone appears greater for low SES individuals) ?

What conclusion did Barrett & Satpute (2013) reach about the nature of the social brain?

What is hyper-fMRI?

Who provided the following definition of social psychology? 'An attempt to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings and behaviour of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.'