Question 1

Antipsychotics are one class of drug used to treat certain disorders, such as schizophrenia, brief psychotic disorder, and delusional disorder. As with any psychiatric drug, they have a range of side effects varying from mild to severe. Which of the following antipsychotics is associated with agranulocytosis (a sudden drop in the granulocyte count), which manifests as a sore throat and high fever?

Accepted Answer

Clozaril carries the risk of agranulocytosis, which is potentially lethal. For this reason, Clozaril is only administered when other antipsychotics have proven to be unsuccessful treatments.

Question 2

There are different types of antidepressant medications: Tricyclics (TCAs), Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Monoamine-Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs), and unclassified types. Which of those subcategories of antidepressants is thought to be most useful to treat inpatient, melancholic, or geriatric depression?

Accepted Answer

TCAs are most useful for treating inpatient, melancholic, or geriatric depression. TCAs are also often used to treat chronic pain disorders.

Question 3

There are different types of antidepressant medications: Tricyclics (TCAs), Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Monoamine-Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs), and unclassified types. Which of these types has the functions of inhibiting the activity of an enzyme in the brain, which results in greater levels of two important neurotransmitters?

Accepted Answer

MAOIs inhibit the activity of the enzyme monoamine oxidase. That enzyme normally functions to eliminate serotonin and norepinephrine by reuptake, so the result of inhibition is a greater level of both those neurotransmitters.

Question 4

Antipsychotics are associated with a range of mild and serious side effects. Which of the following side effects can potentially occur with any drug in the antipsychotic class?

Accepted Answer

Tardive dyskinesia can be caused by any typical or traditional antipsychotic. This condition consists of abnormal movements in the face, limbs, or trunk; it is reversible in some cases following discontinuation of treatment.

Question 5

Benzodiazepines are typically used to treat anxiety disorders or sleep problems. They are considered anxiolytics when used to treat anxiety. Which of the following anxiolytics is NOT a benzodiazepine?

Accepted Answer

Buspirone, brand name Buspar, is not a benzodiazepine. It does not cause many of the side effects that benzodiazepines do and has low potential for dependence.

Question 6

During adulthood, the brain changes biologically. These changes are attributed to:

Accepted Answer

Changing behavior over the long term during adulthood can lead to biological changes in the brain. Learning new skills and emotional involvement in activities, for example, force the brain to adapt.

Question 7

It was once thought that brain structure was entirely determined by genetics; that after childhood development, brain structure and function was permanently set. Now it is recognized that brains adapt to changing environmental circumstances. This process is known as:

Accepted Answer

Neuroplasticity is the lifelong ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways in response to learning, emotional development, and changing environmental circumstances

Question 8

Brain structure changes in certain ways in response to environment over the course of an adult life. Durbach (2000) identified ways in which brain structure changes. Which of the following is one of the processes he identified?

Accepted Answer

Durbach noted two types of brain modifications that happen in response to learning: an increase in the number of synapses between neurons and changes to the internal structure of neurons. These processes are known as brain plasticity.

Question 9

Mood disorders are thought to be caused by a combination of genetic, physiological, and environmental factors. A number of theories have been proposed to explain the etiology of mood disorders. Which of the following theories suggests norepinephrine and serotonin levels are major factors in the onset of depression?

Accepted Answer

Permissive theory suggests that norepinephrine and serotonin levels are major factors in the onset of depression. The catecholamine hypothesis also focuses on irregular levels of brain chemicals, but posits that a deficiency of norepinephrine is responsible for depression

Question 10

There are various scientific processes that have been developed to test brain function and view brain structure. Which of those processes shows the functional capacity of a particular brain region?

Accepted Answer

PET scans are used to demonstrate brain activity or functioning, and can show functional capacity of specific regions of the brain. MRIs and CAT scans are used to view brain structure; a DTI is a specific type of MRI.

Question 11

Phrenology posits that different __________ areas have specific __________ .

Accepted Answer

Phrenology, an offshoot of psychology, studied the human skull, and explored the different areas of brain as having specific functions or purposes. This pseudoscience is now obsolete

Question 12

Psychobiology was one of the eight schools of thought at the onset of what is considered contemporary psychology. Psychobiology studies:

Accepted Answer

Psychobiology is the study of connections between the body, and behavior in humans, animals, and other organisms. René Descartes is thought to be a pioneer in this area, with innovative ideas about the body, and the mind.

Question 13

Which of the following sense systems are correctly matched with the function they perform?

Accepted Answer

The somatosensory system is responsible for perceiving touch, pain, and temperature. The vestibular system is responsible for balance and spatial orientation.
The somatosensory system has a number of different receptors that help to sense a number of stimuli traditionally associated with touch. The receptors are on the skin, muscles, bones, and joints. The vestibular system is located in the inner ear and helps give mammals a sense of balance and spatial orientation to help with movement through the environment.

Question 14

Some psychologists believe that we need to sleep at night in order to restore energy levels and repair wear and tear from the body's activities. Which theory of sleep is this?

Accepted Answer

The restore and repair hypothesis of sleep states that we need to sleep at night in order to restore energy levels and repair wear and tear from the body's activities.
This theory notes that sleep is a physiological and psychological necessity and studies have shown a decline in cognition and immune function and disturbance in emotions in individuals who are sleep deprived.

Question 15

Having a chronic health condition, such as diabetes, may increase one's:

Accepted Answer

Having a chronic health condition, such as diabetes, may increase one's perceived stress.
Taking on new behaviors (or changing old behaviors) to manage a chronic health condition can be stressful for anyone. Ironically, this additional stress may also worsen the health condition. For example, with Type II diabetes, stress seems to raise glucose levels, thus worsening the condition. Thus it is even more important to learn to manage stress.

Question 16

Sertraline (i.e., Zoloft) is commonly used to treat which disorder(s)?

Accepted Answer

Sertraline (i.e., Zoloft) is commonly used to treat major depression and some anxiety disorders.
Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that can help with symptoms of anxiety and depression. This type of drug typically takes 4 to 6 weeks of consistent use for a patient to begin feeling relief from symptoms.

Question 17

A dog trainer is teaching a dog to open a door by pulling on a rope that is attached to it. He first teaches the dog to play with the rope and rewards the dog with food every time he touches the rope. He then rewards the dog every time he pulls the rope hard. Finally, he rewards the dog after the pulls to rope when it is attached to the door. The training method that the trainer used is called:

Accepted Answer

This training method is called shaping.
In shaping, the animal (or human) being trained is first rewarded for successive approximation to the wanted behavior. Slowly, the behavior being rewarded is changed to be closer to the target behavior. Chaining is used to train complex behavior that requires many steps. Token economy is used to reinforce desired behavior by letting a person or animal collect secondary reinforces that he or she can exchange for desired items.

Question 18

The James-Lange theory on emotions:

Accepted Answer

The James-Lange theory on emotions was developed independently by William James and Carl Lange.
James and Lange believed that physiological changes elicited emotional responses, not the other way around. They also believed that emotions are the result of physiological events evoked by the autonomic nervous system, not the somatic nervous system. James' laboratory was located in Harvard and Lange's in Denmark; neither worked at Stanford University.

Question 19

According to the Cannon-Bard theory of emotions:

Accepted Answer

According to the Cannon-Bard theory of emotions, emotions cause physiological arousal.
Schachter-Singer theory states that emotions result from the cognitive appraisal of one's physiological state while the James-Lange theory states that emotions are the result of physiological appraisal. Facial feedback hypothesis states that facial movements influence our emotions.

Question 20

After a child's temper tantrum, the caregiver decides to take the child's toy away. The caregiver is using:

Accepted Answer

According to Skinner, taking the child's toy away in this case is Negative punishment.
In Skinner terminology, positive reinforcement means the application of a stimulus and negative reinforcement means withholding or removing a stimulus. Reinforcement increases behavior and punishment decreases it. Thus, a positive reward could be giving a child a toy. A negative reinforcement could mean taking away a child's night without TV. A positive punishment could be giving a child a lunch that he dislikes.

Quiz 2: Biological Bases of Behavior