Comprehensive Psychology and Neuroscience Key Concepts and Theories Practice Test

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• Which structure carries messages away from the soma?
• What term describes biases from participant or experimenter expectations that can bias results?
• Which of the following is not a descriptive statistic?
• Informed consent, right to withdraw, debriefing, minimizing harm, and IRB approval are part of what?
• In schizophrenia, which dopamine pathway is most closely linked to positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations?
• Which value of the correlation coefficient indicates a perfect positive relationship?
• Which brain region is most consistently linked to retrieval of extinction memory in fear extinction?
• Which term describes bias arising from participants' belief they are receiving an active treatment?
• Which structure is involved in remembering and responding to fear and aggression?
• In post-traumatic stress disorder, which brain structure shows reduced volume and function contributing to memory and extinction deficits?
• Branch-like extensions of neurons that detect information from other neurons are called what?
• Describe the role of the hippocampus in memory.
• Which brain structure is key for fear and aggression responses?
• Which school developed using introspection to map conscious experience?
• Which neurotransmitter systems are emphasized by the monoamine hypothesis of mood disorders?
• What is the role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in circadian rhythms?
• In anxiety disorders, what is commonly observed regarding the HPA axis and cortisol levels?
• Which mechanisms are involved in epigenetic regulation of gene expression?
• Which component is responsible for releasing neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft?
• The primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system is
• What term refers to the complete set of DNA in an organism?
• Which neurotrophic changes are associated with depression, according to neurobiological theories?
• Two different alleles define which zygosity?
• Which term describes the basic cellular unit of the nervous system that collects, processes, and transmits information?
• Which statement best describes vmPFC's role in emotion processing?
• Which statement is true regarding reliability and validity?
• Which theory asserts that unconscious thoughts and desires influence behavior?
• Outline the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopamine pathways and their roles in reward, motivation, and motor control.
• Which statement best describes the relationship between statistical significance and practical significance?
• Distinguish semantic memory from episodic memory and state the roles of the hippocampus and medial temporal lobe.
• What is a variant form of a gene called?
• Which branch of statistics reveals differences between groups?
• What is a major limitation of functional MRI in studying brain function?
• In the auditory system, how is frequency encoded along the cochlea and through the neural pathway to the cortex?
• Which region is involved in forming long-term memories?
• Which mechanism is most closely associated with LTP?
• Define critical periods in neurodevelopment.
• What describes the genetic makeup of an individual?
• What term describes observable traits resulting from the interaction of genotype and environment?
• Which nerve system component is primarily responsible for preparing the body for action during stress?
• What cognitive deficits are most associated with dorsolateral PFC lesions?
• Differentiate the dorsal ('where/how') visual stream from the ventral ('what') stream, including primary cortical areas and typical deficits.
• What term describes random fluctuations in allele frequencies, especially in small populations?
• Which system includes the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions that regulate involuntary functions?
• Which structure is the first brainstem site to process auditory signals, preserving tonotopy?
• Describe the transduction process in sensation from stimulus to neural signal.
• Which term refers to the belief that mind and spirit inhabit living beings and natural phenomena?
• Which brain region is most closely linked to inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility?
• Describe sleep architecture across a typical night, including stages N1-N3 and REM and their relevance to memory.
• Which statement accurately describes the roles of GABA and glutamate in neural signaling?
• Which practice best protects participant confidentiality when sharing data?
• Which neurotransmitter is associated with fast excitatory signaling in the brain?
• Which term describes the organism's complete genetic content?
• The flow of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft demonstrates which type of signaling?
• Which describes retroactive interference?
• What is critical thinking?
• Explain the pharmacological mechanisms of SSRIs in treating depression and the general action of dopamine D2 antagonists in antipsychotic medications.
• Which statement best captures the role of microglia in the developing brain?
• How do twin studies illustrate heritability and gene–environment interactions in psychology?
• Explain the roles of astrocytes and microglia in brain function and how glial cells contribute to neural communication and pathology.
• Which issue most directly threatens internal validity in a psychology experiment?
• Which technique is designed to ensure the sample represents the population?
• Which component insulates axons and boosts action potential conduction speed?
• Which sampling method primarily enhances external validity?
• Which statement best captures the distinction between Maslow's hierarchy and Self-Determination Theory?
• Describe cognitive dissonance and how people reduce it.
• Which brain regions are commonly implicated in the circuit-level dysfunction of depression?
• Which neural circuits are primarily implicated in classical (Pavlovian) conditioning, and what is a classic example?
• Which brain region is primarily involved in coordinating movement and balance?
• Which principle is a core ethical principle in neuroscience research?
• What is synaptic plasticity and how do LTP and LTD contribute to learning at the synaptic level?
• What does constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) primarily aim to promote?
• Which type of memory is typically affected earliest in Alzheimer’s disease?
• Which approach would analyze memory, perception, and problem solving as mental processes rather than just observable actions?
• Which statement best reflects language development milestones and the concept of a critical period for language acquisition?
• Which structure is closely associated with forming long-term memories?
• Which neural connectivity pattern is proposed in autism spectrum disorder related to social processing?
• In the Elaboration Likelihood Model, which route is most likely to produce durable attitude change?
• In fear conditioning, which brain region assigns emotional valence to stimuli?
• A p-value of 0.05 indicates there is a 5% chance the observed result is due to chance.
• The group that includes Developmental, Clinical, Social, Biopsychology, and Industrial-organizational is:
• Explain encoding specificity principle and provide an example of retrieval cues influencing memory recall.
• Which term describes a framework that blends multiple perspectives to explain behavior more comprehensively?
• Which theory treats the mind as an information-processing system?
• Which neurotransmitter is associated with inhibitory signaling in the brain?
• What are confounding variables?
• Which statement accurately reflects crystallized intelligence vs. fluid intelligence in relation to aging?
• Event-related potentials (ERPs) are time-locked voltage changes to stimuli. The P300 component is most closely associated with which of the following?
• Which subdivision is associated with the 'fight or flight' response?
• The gap between the axon of a sending neuron and the dendrites of a receiving neuron is the
• Which brain region is responsible for motor coordination, balance, and language cognition?
• In anxiety disorders, which neurotransmitter system shows reduced inhibitory control leading to greater neural excitability?
• Which modality is best for temporal localization of neural events?
• What term describes the scientific study of behavior and mental processes?
• Which structure is part of the Central Nervous System?
• Which term describes chemical communication across synapses?
• Which term denotes random change in allele frequencies that can occur in small populations?
• Mean, Median, Mode, Range, and Standard deviation are examples of what?
• Combining several perspectives to yield richer explanations of behavior is called:
• What is the conventional threshold p-value used to define statistical significance?
• What term refers to the proportion of phenotypic variance attributable to genetic variance within a population?
• Which neural system is involved in motivation and reinforcement?
• Which subdivision promotes rest and digestion?
• Which sequence correctly describes the activation of the HPA axis and the role of cortisol?
• Which of the following is an anchoring bias?
• Identify the classic language areas and describe deficits from lesions, including conduction pathways.
• Which hormone is produced in males and influences male characteristics?
• Which concept posits that the mind and body are separate, existing as distinct substances?
• Based on personal feelings or opinions is described as:
• Validity is best defined as?
• Which perspective emphasizes what the mind does—the functions—rather than what it is made of?
• Describe Baddeley and Hitch's working memory model, including the central executive and subsystems.
• Which group is commonly considered a vulnerable population requiring extra protections?
• Which psychological perspective emphasizes free will and personal growth?
• Outline the major pathological features of Alzheimer's disease and how they relate to cognitive decline.
• What does a correlation coefficient of -1 indicate?
• What are the basic units that receive, integrate, and transmit information in the nervous system?
• Which field describes careers and roles like clinical psychology and industrial-organizational psychology?
• Which pair of early psychologists is credited with developing the introspection method?
• Explain the Elaboration Likelihood Model's central vs peripheral routes and provide an example of each.
• Which structure serves as the sensory relay hub located in the deep midbrain?
• Which mechanism does gate control theory propose to reduce pain transmission in the spinal cord?
• Which neuroimaging modality offers high spatial resolution and measures hemodynamic responses?
• What term describes reduced genetic variation when a new population is started by individuals?
• Activation of the action potential from resting membrane potential is an example of which type of signaling?
• Which structure regulates homeostasis and biological rhythms like sex and feeding?
• Which of the following represents typical career pathways in psychology such as research, counseling, and human resources?
• Which receptor type is primarily responsible for detecting light in the retina?
• What is the primary purpose of randomization in psychology experiments?
• Which is the network of nerves outside the CNS that relays information and controls actions?
• Which statement best captures the four goals of psychology?
• Which statement correctly describes the autonomic nervous system?
• Pharmacological treatments for mood disorders commonly target which aspects of neurochemistry and neural plasticity?
• What term describes a segment of DNA that codes for a protein?
• Two identical alleles define which zygosity?
• Extinction in fear conditioning is best described as?
• Which term refers to the domains of psychology such as clinical or industrial-organizational?
• Which approach would study phenomena as perceptual wholes rather than as components?
• What does reliability refer to in psychological measurement?
• Which statement best describes the functional distinction between rods and cones and their distribution?
• The framework that uses biological, individual, social, and cultural levels of analysis is:
• In research design, what distinguishes an experiment from a correlational study?
• Which procedure controls for confounds and enhances internal validity?
• Which sequence correctly lists the typical order of steps in the scientific method?
• A p value less than 0.05 is considered what?
• Which concept describes the genetic contribution to trait variation within a population?
• Which hormone is produced in females?
• Which brain circuits comprise the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loops implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder?
• In the behaviorist view, actions are explained as reactions to what?
• Which term describes the branch of psychology that studies the function of the mind and behavior in adapting to the environment?
• Which structure helps regulate hormones and basic drives such as hunger?
• Small modules at the end of axons that release chemicals into the synapse are called
• Which term refers to the set of alleles that determine inherited traits, regardless of expression?
• Which disorder is associated with hippocampal involvement in contextual processing and fear extinction?
• Identify the typical deficit from ventral stream lesions.
• Which memory type relies on the hippocampus and medial temporal lobe for formation?
• Which statement best defines heritability in psychology?
• Measurable, observable, and independent of personal bias describes which quality?
• Which hormone is produced in males?
• In the case of HM, hippocampal damage disrupted which type of memory?
• Which term refers to the base of the brain comprising medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain?
• What neural mechanism best explains how sleep deprivation impairs attention and working memory?
• Which limbic structure is primarily associated with memory formation?
• The site in a neuron where information from thousands of other neurons is collected and integrated is the
• Which term describes communication within a neuron via electric currents along the membrane?
• The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system is
• CSF and meninges surround the brain and spinal cord to provide cushioning and protection. Which structures are referred to here?
• Which term describes the combination of alleles present on an individual's chromosomes?
• Which fiber type is associated with fast, sharp pain?
• Which theory argues that psychology should study observable behavior and disregard mental states?
• Which neural circuitry is implicated in ADHD, contributing to deficits in attention and inhibition?
• Which component is primarily responsible for initiating voluntary movement commands?
• Lesion studies offer evidence of causality in brain–behavior relationships. Which statement best captures this idea?
• Which subsystem is primarily active during 'rest and digest'?
• What is a common motor side effect associated with dopamine D2 antagonists used in antipsychotic medications?
• Psychology is considered a science because it uses which of the following?
• The early method of studying conscious experience by reporting its elements is most closely associated with which term?
• Which sequence outlines steps of the scientific method: ask a question, formulate a hypothesis, design a study, collect data, analyze results, interpret findings, and report conclusions?
• Which school of thought views perception as an organized whole rather than as individual parts?
• Which system is described as controlling and regulating emotion?