Chapter 3 Final

Question 1

Suppose a person never buys eggs because he doesn’t like them. One weekend, he has guests who love eggs, and so he decides to buy some at the store. Even though he has never bought eggs at this store, he knows exactly where they are in the store from all the times he has shopped there before. The fact that he has learned where the eggs are during those past trips is an example of:

• sensitization.
• habituation.
• latent learning.
• perceptual learning.

Answer 1

Latent learning.

Question 2

When Brenda and Don first got married, she was bothered by his snoring, but after 15 years of marriage, she barely notices it anymore. This is an example of:

• habituation.
• sensitization.
• priming.
• dishabituation.

Answer 2

Habituation.

Question 3

Sarah woke up from a frightening dream. Lying awake in bed, she is overly frightened by the normal noises in her house. This is an example of:

• habituation.
• sensitization.
• priming.
• dishabituation.

Answer 3

Sensitization

Question 4

Under which condition would there be a skin-conductance response to reveal sensitization?

• playing a quiet noise right before a neutral musical tone
• playing a loud noise right before a neutral musical tone
• playing a neutral musical tone repeatedly
• playing a loud noise repeatedly

Answer 4

Playing a loud noise right before a neutral musical tone

Question 5

According to the dual-process theory of learning:

• there are two mechanisms, only one of which is activated at any given time.
• there are two mechanisms, both of which are activated to some degree.
• the habituation mechanism is only activated by intense stimuli.
• there is just one mechanism that accounts for learning.

Answer 5

There are two mechanisms, both of which are activated to some degree

Question 6

Over the first several weeks of teaching a class, the teacher becomes better at telling her students apart. This is an example of:

• habituation.
• sensitization.
• perceptual learning.
• priming.

Answer 6

Perceptual learning

Question 7

People are generally better at distinguishing individuals belonging to racial groups that they frequently encounter than individuals belonging to racial groups with whom they don’t interact. This is an example of:

• habituation.
• priming.
• mere exposure learning.
• discrimination training.

Answer 7

Mere exposure learning

Question 8

Regarding spatial learning, it has been found that:

• conscious effort is required for people to learn spatial layout.
• rats can learn spatial layout even if they are not rewarded during learning.
• wasps rely on an internal sense of direction, rather than environmental cues, to navigate to and from their nests.
• rats learn to navigate mazes primarily by learning a sequence of movements.

Answer 8

Rats can learn spatial layout even if they are not rewarded during learning

Question 9

In Aplysia touching the siphon causes the gill to withdraw. If the siphon is touched repeatedly, eventually the gill will not withdraw anymore. This is an example of:

• habituation.
• sensitization.
• mere exposure learning.
• learned non-use.

Answer 9

Habituation

Question 10

In Aplysia, sensitization results from a(n):

• decrease in glutamate released from the sensory neurons.
• increase in glutamate released from the sensory neurons.
• decrease in the number of sensory neurons.
• increase in the number of motor neurons.

Answer 10

Increase in glutamate released from the sensory neurons

Question 11

When visual input is absent from birth, it is often seen that other cortical areas take over the areas of the brain normally devoted to vision. This demonstrates:

• habituation.
• perceptual learning.
• learned non-use.
• cortical plasticity.

Answer 11

Cortical plasticity

Question 12

Which statement is TRUE regarding place cells?

• They are hardwired at birth.
• There are sufficient numbers of neurons to assign a place cell to every place one will ever encounter.
• They respond to an internal sense of location in space but not to external location cues.
• They each have a preferred location called a place field.

Answer 12

They each have a preferred location called a place field

Question 13

Learned non-use occurs when a stroke patient stops using a body part because:

• that body part being physically restrained.
• of damage to the hippocampus.
• of damage to the motor areas controlling that body part.
• of lack of sensory input from that body part.

Answer 13

Of lack of sensory input from that body part

Question 14

Which statement is TRUE regarding the use of constraint-induced movement therapy to treat learned non-use?

• It exploits mechanisms of cortical plasticity.
• It is less effective than encouraging people to use their affected limb.
• It helps muscles to recover but has little effect on brain activity.
• It is used when motor control is lost but sensation is retained.

Answer 14

It exploits mechanisms of cortical plasticity

Question 15

An example of a sensory prosthesis is a:

• cochlear implant.
• place cell.
• place field.
• receptive field.

Answer 15

Cochlear implant.