Mock-exam Flashcards
The combination of rational with empirical methods so as to get ‘the best of both worlds’
represents, in dialectical terms a(n) —-
1) synthesis
2) antithesis
3) thesis
4) antisynthesis
1) synthesis
Reasoning: The dialectical method involves the integration of two opposing propositions, a thesis
and an antithesis, into a new statement that integrates aspects of both propositions and offers
something of a compromise. The new statement is called a synthesis.
A carpenter constructs chairs every day. However, he believes that his chairs are not ‘true’ chairs. He
thinks that there are perfect, abstract ideas of his chairs that exists in an ideal and abstract realm.
The chairs he builds out of common wood are merely physical representations of the ‘ideal’ chair.
The carpenter would most likely support which of the following theories/
1) Plato’s theory of forms
2) Aristotle’s empiricism
3) The dialectical progression of ideas
4) The mind-body dualism
1) Plato’s theory of forms
Reasoning: The carpenter seems to be a follower of Plato’s idea that there is a realm of pure ideas
of which our reality is only a reflection
Ecological validity refers to the degree to which laboratory data increase our knowledge of human
psychology, because when interpreting laboratory data a researcher should especially take into
account —.
1) all the possible differences between the laboratory situation and the outside environment
2) the degree to which data gathered in a laboratory will apply outside the laboratory as well so that the relevance of the laboratory study to our understanding of everyday cognition can be determined
3) how the accuracy of predictions made based on the testing of subjects in a laboratory will be
affected by other environments with different ecological relationships
4) the effect that environmental changes may have on the behaviour of organisms in the
particular environment
2) the degree to which data gathered in a laboratory will apply outside the laboratory as well so that the relevance of the laboratory study to our understanding of everyday cognition can be determined
Reasoning: When experiments are evaluated in terms of ecological validity, the main issue is to
determine whether the experimental findings or data can be assumed to apply to conditions
outside the laboratory as well. The question is not just whether there are differences between
laboratory conditions and the outside world (option 1), because there obviously are, not just with
the effect of ecological changes on the subjects (option 4). The real question is rather whether the
researcher can validly generalize from the laboratory situation to the real world.
A synapse typically consists of
1) some dendrites, the cell body, and an axon ending in the terminals
2) some dendrites, a space, and the receiving membrane on another neuron’s axon
3) the end of an axon, a space, and the receiving membrane on another neuron’s dendrites
4) a complete cell, a space, and another complete cell
3) the end of an axon, a space, and the receiving membrane on another neuron’s dendrites
Reasoning: A synapse is the small gap or space between the axon of the transmitting neuron and
the dendrites of the receiving neuron. Note that the term synapse refers to the cleft between the
axon of the transmitting neuron and dendrite of the receiving neuron, but the synapse does not
include the axon and dendrites (it is just the gap). Therefore, options 1 and 2 are both incorrect.
Casey was involved in a motor car accident, and sustained serious injury to both the temporal and
occipital lobes of her brain. Based on the seriousness of her injuries, the attendant
neuropsychologist suspects that one of the unfortunate consequences of the accident will be an
impairment in her —
1) language processing and long-term planning capabilities
2) execution of movement and sensing texture
3) auditory and visual processing
4) somatosensory processing
3) auditory and visual processing
Reasoning: The temporal lobe is responsible for auditory processing and the occipital lobe
mediates visual processing, and because these lobes were injured one can expect some
impairment in Casey’s visual and auditory processing
Laura has just been diagnosed as suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Based on research done in
cognitive neuroscience on the role that neurotransmitters play in this disease, we can predict that there is quite possible an — in Laura’s brain.
1) overproduction of dopamine
2) overproduction of serotonin
3) underproduction of dopamine
4) underproduction of serotonin
3) underproduction of dopamine
Reasoning: Parkinson’s disease is typically associated with low levels of dopamine
A neurologist wants to investigate the possibility of a problem associated with the functioning of a patient’s medulla oblongata. What would be the main indicator of such a problem?
1) The patient might be experiencing both short-term and long-term memory loss
2) The patient might not be able to sense pain or pressure
3) The patient might display irregular aggression patterns
4) The patient might experience heartbeat irregularity and possible breathing problems
4) The patient might experience heartbeat irregularity and possible breathing problems
Reasoning: The medulla oblongata contains part of the reticular activation system and controls
cardio-respiratory functions.
Michael Gazzaniga is a neuroscientist doing research on human memory. He is going to conduct an
experiment to see which areas of the brain are activated when subjects are presented with a word
completion tasks which probes implicit rather than explicit learning. He decides to use PET scans in
his experiment. We can therefore expect that he will—.
1) use a computer to reconstruct images of the movement of positrons in different regions of the subjects’ brains while they are performing the work completion task. The positrons are emitted from a slightly radioactive form of metabolised glucose.
2) record the neural impulses from one artery or vain in the subjects’ brains while they are doing the task.
3) stimulate a brain region with electrodes in order to study the electrical activity in the subjects’ brains while they are engaged in the task.
4) study neural activity in different areas of the subjects’ brains while they are doing the word completion task. Using these scans he will be able to see which areas of the brain are active by doing a computational analysis of magnetic changes in haemoglobin (the molecule
transporting oxygen) because the amount of oxygen affects the magnetic properties of
haemoglobin.
1) use a computer to reconstruct images of the movement of positrons in different regions of
the subjects’ brains while they are performing the work completion task. The positrons are emitted from a slightly radioactive form of metabolised glucose.
Reasoning: PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography and is used to study the movement of
positrons using computer images (called tomographs). Alternative 4 is incorrect because it is an
explanation of fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
In a cognitive psychology experiment, the participants are shown different variations of a visual
pattern on a computer screen. A particular pattern contains some of the recurring elements of many
of the patterns shown, but this particular pattern was never really shown to the participants.
However, when asked afterwards they feel confident that they have actually seen the pattern itself.
Which theory of visual perception is the most compatible with the results of this experiment?
1) Prototype theory
2) Template-matching theory
3) The distinctive-features models
4) Recognition-by-components theory
1) Prototype theory
Reasoning: Prototypes are representative of the typical or ‘average’ members of a category. The
question actually refers to the classical study by Posner and Keele (1968) in which subjects
reported seeing the prototype whereas they only saw a number of examples in the category, but
not the prototype (i.e. most typical member) itself.
You have no difficulty distinguishing between the letters O and W, but it takes longer to distinguish
between the letters O and Q. Which theory of perception and pattern recognition can account for
this finding the easiest?
1) Template-matching theory
2) The bottleneck-approach
3) Distinctive-features models
4) The gestalt approach
3) Distinctive-features models
Reasoning: This answer has to be derived from the assumptions underlying feature-based
approaches to perception. Only one feature distinguishes the O and the Q, whereas there are
more differences between the O and the W. An implication of feature theories of perception is
that the more features that distinguish two stimuli, the easier it is to process them as different.
Imagine that you attend a lecture given by a guest lecturer, who is emphasising that you recognise
complex shapes such as animals and machinery in terms of arrangements of basic 3-D shapes. This
lecturer probably would be a strong supporter of which of the following approaches to pattern recognition.
1) Top-down theory
2) Template-matching theory
3) Prototype theory
4) Recognition by components theory
4) Recognition by components theory
Reasoning: The lecturer argues that complex shapes are comprised out of more primitive shapes,
he is therefore supporting a ‘recognition-by-components’ view.
If you were to study top-down processing as it applies to smell, which of the following topics would
be most relevant?
1) If the chemical structure of lemon-fragrance molecules is substantially different from the
chemical structure of rose-fragrance molecules.
2) Whether the receptors in the nasal passages respond differently to lemon and rose
fragrances
3) Whether the portion of the brain that receives information about smell stores different
fragrances in different locations
4) Whether people recognise a lemon fragrance more readily when they see a photo of a lemon than when they see a photo of a rose
4) Whether people recognise a lemon fragrance more readily when they see a photo of a lemon than when they see a photo of a rose
Reasoning: Since the researcher wants to establish whether seeing a photo of the whole object
influences perception he is exploring top-down, conceptually driven processes (i.e. processes
leading from the whole object to its features)
In the computer engineering lab a few young researchers are conducting research on machine
vision, and they have developed a computational system based on the prototype model of object
perception. The system has a learning mechanism, is exposed to various examples of objects, and must learn to recognise and name them correctly. Which of the following is the most appropriate description of the object recognition process associated with this computational system?
1) It tries to recognise objects in much the same way as one fits a piece into a puzzle. When the perceived entity fits the ‘conditions’ for the object perfectly, it is recognised and named.
2) It recognises objects by focussing on sets of necessary and sufficient features. Only entities that satisfy all the features associated with an object are recognised as an instance of that object.
3) It learns to identify and recognise typical examples of an object and then judges entities against these
examples to determine whether they are an instance of the object.
4) It builds up a representation of an object by assembling abstract 3-D shapes such as cones
and wedges.
3) It learns to identify and recognise typical examples of an object and then judges entities against these
examples to determine whether they are an instance of the object.
