Biological Basis of Human Behavior

Question 1

Which of the following is true of hormonal communication but not neuronal communication?

a. Hormonal messages, but not neuronal ones, can be voluntary.
b. Hormonal messages, but not neuronal ones, can travel anywhere in the body that receives blood.
c. Hormonal messages, but not neuronal ones, are chemical.
d. Hormonal messages, but not neuronal ones, can only be received by specific cells.

Answer 1

b. Hormonal messages, but not neuronal ones, can travel anywhere in the body that receives blood.

Question 2

What do endocrine glands do?

a. Release hormones into the blood stream.
b. Signal the brain to produce hormones.
c. Receive hormones that are sent through the blood throughout the body..
d. Transform neurons into hormones.

Answer 2

a. Release hormones into the blood stream.

Question 3

The peripheral nervous system affects ______ while the central nervous system is associated with ______.

a. dreaming; daydreaming
b. They are simply two names for the same system.
c. conscious thought; unconscious desires
d. survival (such as breathing); information processing (such as seeing)

Answer 3

d. survival (such as breathing); information processing (such as seeing)

Question 4

Which of the following statements about hormones is correct?

a. If a hormone is present in a high enough concentration in the blood stream, it will definitely affect behavior.
b. Hormones can only travel short distances between neurons.
c. Each type of hormone can only affect cells that have specific receptors.
d. Because hormones travel through the blood, they can easily affect any tissue anywhere in the body.

Answer 4

d. Because hormones travel through the blood, they can easily affect any tissue anywhere in the body.

Question 5

Which hormone is involved in the stress response?

a. prolactin
b. vasopressin
c. cortisol
d. testosterone

Answer 5

c. cortisol

Question 6

Brad is very possessive of his girlfriend Lana. He suspects that other men are attracted to her and feels jealous of them. Which of the following, according to evolutionary theory, might best explain jealousy?

a. Jealousy cannot be explained by evolution.
b. Only the fittest males experience high levels of jealousy.
c. Jealousy is a psychological adaptation that increases vigilance.
d. Jealousy is a physiological adaptation that increases heart rate and blood flow.

Answer 6

c. Jealousy is a psychological adaptation that increases vigilance.

Question 7

People’s basic survival instincts such as fear, aggression, hunger and sex are associated with the:

a. cerebellum
b. limbic system
c. spinal cord
d. hypothalamus

Answer 7

b. limbic system

Question 8

Some might say that women have a preference for taller men. Their preference for tall males puts pressure on mate selection. As a consequence, the evolution of mate qualities changes because of women’s preference and the average height of males has increased with time. While this is not scientifically proven, what concept would this be an example of if it were true?

a. intersexual selection
b. intrasexual selection
c. intersexual competition
d. intrasexual competition

Answer 8

a. intersexual selection

Question 9

What are hormones?

a. substances outside of the body that, if ingested, impact an individual’s physiology
b. chemical substances released at the end of neurons that cause the transfer of impulses to other neurons
c. chemical substances in the brain that cause mood swings during puberty
d. organic chemical messengers released from endocrine cells into the blood to cause a response when they reach target cells

Answer 9

d. organic chemical messengers released from endocrine cells into the blood to cause a response when they reach target cells

Question 10

Grover is treated for low sex drive with testosterone but shows little improvement. Why might the treatment have failed to work?

a. Grover’s body may be converting the testosterone to estradiol.
b. Testosterone is not the correct hormone to use to treat a low sex drive.
c. Grover may not have enough testosterone receptors.
d. Testosterone cannot be administered externally. It needs to be produced within an individual’s own body to impact their sex drive.

Answer 10

c. Grover may not have enough testosterone receptors.

Question 11

Imagine a person has the ability to pull a lever that will direct a speeding train onto one of two tracks. Unfortunately, their best friend is tied to one of the tracks and their sibling is tied to the other. Which of the following would best explain people’s widespread desire to choose to save a sibling?

a. the family effect
b. adaptation
c. in-group favoritism
d. inclusive fitness

Answer 11

d. inclusive fitness

Question 12

During pregnancy, which neurotransmitter facilitates the giving birth process?

a. oxytocin
b. endorphins
c. dopamine
d. serotonin

Answer 12

a. oxytocin

Question 13

Which of the following statements about hormones and behavior is the most correct?

a. Hormones have no direct or indirect effects on behavior.
b. Hormones make certain behaviors more likely in certain situations.
c. Hormones cause behavior.
d. Behaviors cause hormonal changes.

Answer 13

c. Hormones cause behavior.

Question 14

Which hormone regulates sexual behavior and performance?

a. prolactin
b. oxytocin
c. estradiol
d. thyroxine

Answer 14

c. estradiol

Question 15

Elena suddenly saw their house on fire. What hormones will the body secrete more to respond accordingly?

a. histamine
b. epinephrine
c. serotonin
d. dopamine

Answer 15

b. epinephrine

Question 16

Responsiveness during emergency situation is specifically associated with ______________.

a. brain
b. peripheral nervous sytem
c. somatic nervous system
d. sympathetic nervous sytem

Answer 16

d. sympathetic nervous sytem

Question 17

Which hormone might be most likely to make mothers become aggressive to protect their young?

a. prolactin
b. oxytocin
c. estradiol
d. progesterone

Answer 17

d. progesterone

Question 18

Where is somatic nervous system located?

a. glands
b. muscles
c. spinal cord
d. brain

Answer 18

b. muscles

Question 19

Imagine that you are hiring an employee for a job that requires empathy, and past research has found that a small but reliable difference that shows that women are typically higher on empathy than men. How should this affect who you choose to interview for the job?

a. You should only interview men. You can assume that men that apply for the job are probably particularly high in empathy.
b. You should only interview women because they are all likely to be high in empathy.
c. You should interview both women and men because the average differences are small and the person with the most empathy that you interview may be a man.
d. You should interview both women and men to be fair but it is much more likely that you will hire a woman.

Answer 19

c. You should interview both women and men because the average differences are small and the person with the most empathy that you interview may be a man.

Question 20

A couple is on their honeymoon and Jass wants to have lots of sex. However, Imis wants to watch the Olympics. What impact could that have on their sex life?

a. If Imis’ team wins, it could increase his testosterone and his sexual motivation. If his team loses, it could decrease his testosterone and sexual motivation.
b. If Imis watches a non-physically aggressive sport such as gymnastics, his testosterone and sexual motivation will decrease.
c. If Imis watches aggressive sports such as rugby, his testosterone and sexual motivation will increase.
d. Watching the Olympics will have no effect on Imis’ hormones or behavior.

Answer 20

a. If Imis’ team wins, it could increase his testosterone and his sexual motivation. If his team loses, it could decrease his testosterone and sexual motivation.

Question 21

Why do sex differences in aggression exist?

a. Sex differences in aggression exist because males are socialized to be more violent and aggressive than females are.
b. Sex differences in aggression exist due to the different levels of androgens and estrogens in males and females.
c. It is extremely difficult to identify a single cause of sex differences in aggression.
d. Sex differences in aggression exist because physical aggression helps heterosexual males show dominance, which helps them attain female mates.

Answer 21

b. Sex differences in aggression exist due to the different levels of androgens and estrogens in males and females.

Question 22

It has been rumored that Olympic athletes living at the Olympic Village have lots of sex with each other. What is one possible explanation for this behavior?

a. Athletes who win their events may experience elevated testosterone levels and elevated sex drives.
b. Women living in close proximity to each other all increase each other’s estradiol, which regulates sexual motivation.
c. Vasopressin causes exceptionally physically fit athletes to be drawn to other exceptionally physically fit athletes so they can create the next generation of Olympic athletes.
d. Being in a small space together increases oxytocin, which promotes social bonding.

Answer 22

a. Athletes who win their events may experience elevated testosterone levels and elevated sex drives.

Question 23

How might high cortisol levels facilitate maternal behavior in new mothers?

a. Cortisol might promote bonding and close bodily contact between mothers and infants.
b. Cortisol might increase arousal levels, allowing the new mother to be more attentive to her infant.
c. Cortisol might induce feelings of calm and relaxation, allowing the mother to fully focus on her infant.
d. Cortisol might lessen sexual desire, allowing the new mother to focus on caregiving rather than sex.

Answer 23

b. Cortisol might increase arousal levels, allowing the new mother to be more attentive to her infant.

Question 24

The chemical signals that travel from one neuron to another, enabling them to communicate with one another, are called:

a. dendrites
b. neurotransmitters
c. synapses
d. lobes

Answer 24

b. neurotransmitters

Question 25

Over time, species can evolve new traits and behaviors that increase reproductive success. These are called ________.

a. adaptations
b. secondary sex characteristics
c. natural selection
d. primary sex characteristics

Answer 25

a. adaptations

Question 26

Fitness in evolutionary psychology refers to:

a. physical strength
b. reproductive success
c. intellectual capacities
d. cardiovascular health

Answer 26

b. reproductive success

Question 27

Isiah is still young but has lied to his mom that he stole cookies from the kitchen. Isiah feels guilty which leads him to tell the truth and apologize to his mom. Isiah’s guilt is one example of how mechanisms of the mind can help solve specific problems to help survival. What is the concept associated with this example?

a. psychological adaptations
b. threatened existence
c. evolution
d. physiological reproduction

Answer 27

a. psychological adaptations

Question 28

While survival is important, it is only important if it contributes to reproductive success. These differences in heritable attributes are also known as _____________.

a. sexual selection
b. evolution
c. adaptation
d. natural selection

Answer 28

d. natural selection

Question 29

Researchers have found that men generally are more likely than women to be willing to consent to sex with strangers and to require less emotional investment for sex to occur. From an evolutionary perspective this is likely because:

a. Men are less likely than women to be capable of empathy.
b. Men’s fantasies about sexual partners have a powerful effect on their desires.
c. The investment cost of a pregnancy is much higher for a woman than a man.
d. Women are more likely to want short-term relationships.

Answer 29

c. The investment cost of a pregnancy is much higher for a woman than a man.

Question 30

Gary and Cole both see Ashley across the department store. They both find Ashley attractive so they decide to arm wrestle for the chance to talk to her. The winner will hopefully be able to ask her on a date. Gary and Cole’s behavior is an example of the first process of sexual selection also known as what?

a. intersexual selection
b. intrasexual selection
c. intersexual competition
d. intrasexual competition

Answer 30

b. intrasexual selection

Question 31

The main difference between the brains of humans and animals is that:

a. humans have larger brains
b. humans have longer brainstems
c. humans have a more developed frontal cortex
d. animals have a a more developed frontal cortex

Answer 31

c. humans have a more developed frontal cortex

Question 32

To image electrical activity of neurons firing in the brain researchers use _________ which attaches electrodes to the outside of a person’s head.

a. electroencephalogram (EEG)
b. electromyography (EMG)
c. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
d. positron emission tomography (PET)

Answer 32

a. electroencephalogram (EEG)

Question 33

If you see a bird flying toward you this information is most likely processed in the:

a. temporal lobe
b. cerebellum
c. occipital lobe
d. limbic system

Answer 33

c. occipital lobe

Question 34

The function of the myelin sheath is to:

a. protect the cell from blood borne poisons
b. slow the transmission of action potentials
c. speed up the transmission of action potentials along the axon
d. provide nutrients to the cell

Answer 34

c. speed up the transmission of action potentials along the axon

Question 35

Jared received a head injury at work and later had trouble speaking and planning ahead. Which are of his brain was most likely damage:

a. parietal lobes
b. temporal lobes
c. thalamus
d. frontal lobes

Answer 35

d. frontal lobes

Question 36

A student who is having difficulty cope with the cognitive demand of his/her class may have problems in secreting __________.

a. dopamine
b. acetylcholine
c. endorphins
d. histamine

Answer 36

b. acetylcholine