Download C8003 Psychobiology sample paper 2016-17

Candidate Number
C8003
THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX
BSc FIRST YEAR EXAMINATION 2016-17
PSYCHOBIOLOGY
SAMPLE PAPER
DO NOT TURN OVER UNTIL INSTRUCTED
TO BY THE CHIEF INVIGILATOR
Candidates must attempt all questions
Time allowed: 1 hour
The answers, one to each question, should be marked on the answer sheet
provided (place a cross in the relevant box to indicate your answer: a, b, c or d).
There are 50 questions. Answers appear on the final page.
INSTRUCTIONS
1.
Do not write your name on the question paper (or answer sheet).
2.
Do not tear off any part of this question paper.
3.
At the end of the examination the question paper and/or answer sheet, used
or unused, will be collected from you before you leave the examination room.
C8003 Psychobiology
1.
Which of the following structures is NOT part of the mammalian central nervous
system?
a)
b)
c)
d)
2.
Strokes are most commonly caused by:
a)
b)
c)
d)
3.
Interruptions in the cerebral blood supply
Burst cerebral blood vessels
A severe epileptic attack
Loss of consciousness
Which of the following statements about the autonomic nervous system is
CORRECT?
a)
b)
c)
d)
4.
Hypothalamus
Pons
Spinal cord
Vagus
Parasympathetic nerves from the spinal cord innervate the heart and
decrease heart rate when activated
Parasympathetic nerves from the hindbrain innervate the heart and
increase heartrate when activated
The autonomic nervous system is composed of sympathetic and
parasympathetic components
Sympathetic nerves form ganglia outside the spinal cord, innervate the
heart and decrease heartrate when activated
Which of the following words best describes the relationship of the cerebellum
to the pons in the human brain?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Ventral
Rostral
Posterior
Parasagittal
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C8003 Psychobiology
5.
Which type of brain cell is closely associated with blood vessels?
a)
b)
c)
d)
6.
The descending, or repolarising, phase of an action potential is associated with
which of the following types of ionic movement?
a)
b)
c)
d)
7.
Chloride moves into the axon
Sodium moves into the axon
Potassium moves into the axon
Potassium moves out of the axon
Which of the following statements about action potentials and synapses is
CORRECT?
a)
b)
c)
d)
8.
Microglia
Ependymal cells
Neurons
Astrocytes
Action potentials involve hyperpolarisation of the neuron
Intense stimuli increase the size of the action potential
Intense stimuli increase neurotransmitter release at the synapse
Glutamate is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian
nervous system
Which of the following is a TRUE statement about information coding by
neurons?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Dendrites integrate multiple inputs that arrive at different locations and
around the same time
If the sum of all excitatory and inhibitory inputs exceeds the threshold for
firing at the axon hillock, the axon fires an action potential
The soma is not involved in integration of synaptic inputs
Both a) and b) are correct
[Note: If d) is the correct answer, no credit will be given for answering a) or b)]
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C8003 Psychobiology
9.
Which of the following statements about anxiety is CORRECT?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Increased heart rate in anxiety results from activation of the sympathetic
nervous system
Benzodiazepines enhance the effectiveness of glutamate at glutamatergic
synapses
Activation of the locus coeruleus reduces the processing of threat related
stimuli
Damage to the amygdala is likely to increase responsiveness to threat
related stimuli
10. Which of the following statements about GABAergic synapses is CORRECT?
a)
b)
c)
d)
GABA depolarises the postsynaptic cell as a consequence of chloride
movement into that cell
GABA-A receptors have a single binding site at which GABA and alcohol
interact
GABA is taken up into the presynaptic cell after it acts at the receptor
GABA-A receptors require second messenger systems to have their
postsynaptic effect
11. Which of the following statements about benzodiazepines, such as Valium, is
CORRECT?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Benzodiazepines may reduce anxiety by acting on areas of the
hippocampus involved in processing threat-related stimuli
Benzodiazepines may inhibit the flow of negatively charged chloride ions
into nerve cells
Benzodiazepines may reduce anxiety by acting on receptors for the
neurotransmitter GABA
Benzodiazepines may reduce anxiety by acting on areas of the visual
cortex involved in processing threat-related stimuli
12. Which of the following is NOT a peptide hormone?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
Corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF)
Cortisol
Insulin
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C8003 Psychobiology
13. What process is NOT involved in synaptic transmission?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Generation of an action potential at the axon hillock
Depolarisation of and calcium entry into presynaptic terminals
Neurotransmitter release and diffusion across the synaptic cleft
Binding of neurotransmitter to receptor ion channels
14. Which principle of associative learning was challenged by Garcia and Koelling’s
taste aversion learning experiment?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Arbitrariness
Equipotentiality
Law of readiness
Latent learning
15. Which of the following statements about misused drugs is CORRECT?
a)
b)
c)
d)
16.
Cocaine has its primary effect on brain serotonin systems
The major active constituents of cannabis mimic the action of transmitters
known as endocannabinoids
All effects of amphetamine show tolerance with repeated drug use
With repeated cocaine use ‘wanting’ is likely to decrease but ‘liking’ will
increase
Which of the following brain structures is activated by viewing a funny cartoon?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Raphe nucleus
Ventral striatum
Parietal lobe
Hypothalamus
17. What is the main neurotransmitter system that Ecstasy (MDMA, or 3,4methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine) interacts with?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Serotonin
Dopamine
GABA
Glutamate
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C8003 Psychobiology
18. Remembering when you last went out for dinner to a restaurant is an example of?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Episodic memory
Semantic memory
Procedural memory
Non-declarative memory
19. Eric Kandel's research with Aplysia Californica found that repeated exposure to a
weak tactile stimulus leads to a reduced withdrawal reaction, or __________?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Operant conditioning
Habituation
Classical conditioning
Sensitization
20. In an advertisement making use of classical conditioning, sexual imagery is the
__________ and the product being sold is the ___________ :
a)
b)
c)
d)
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS); unconditioned response (UCR)
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS); conditioned stimulus (CS)
Conditioned stimulus (CS); conditioned response (CR)
Conditioned stimulus (CS); unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
21. A schedule of reinforcement in which a rat is reinforced for pressing a lever 20
times to receive a food pellet is called?
a)
b)
c)
d)
A fixed interval schedule
A fixed ratio schedule
A continuous reinforcement schedule
A variable interval schedule
22. Patient H. M., the most studied case in neuropsychology, had which area of his
brain removed to control his severe epilepsy?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Medial-parietal lobe
Frontal-lobe
Medial-temporal lobe
Posterior-parietal lobe
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C8003 Psychobiology
23. According to Walter Cannon:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Emotions can never be 'experienced' until the body has time to react
The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the feeling of
emotion
Animals without a sympathetic nervous system can still experience
emotion
Animals without an amygdala cannot experience emotion
24. Which Nobel-prize winning physiologist first showed how simple forms of
learning are mediated by changes in synaptic transmission?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Eric Kandel
Arvid Carlson
Santiago Ramon y Cajal
Ivan Pavlov
25. According to the James-Lange theory, it is the _________ that tells the
conscious brain it is experiencing emotion.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Amygdala
Visual sensation of the emotional stimulus
Physiological feedback from the body
Hypothalamus
26. A mechanism that works to keep body functions within a certain narrow range is
known as:
a)
b)
c)
d)
A non-regulatory mechanism
A drive
An innate releasing mechanism
A homeostatic mechanism
27. The existence of the limbic lobe was first recognised in 1878 by:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Franz Gall
Karl Wernicke
John Hughlings Jackson
Paul Broca
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C8003 Psychobiology
28. New technologies have made it possible for researchers to record changes in
electrical activity in individual neurons of the brain. Using these techniques,
experiments have demonstrated that repeated, strong bursts of electrical
stimulation to a presynaptic neuron results in a long-lasting synaptic changes
such that the post-synaptic neuron shows a greater electrical response (EPSP).
This phenomenon is called:
a)
b)
c)
d)
A reverberating neural ensemble
Neurogenesis
Long-term potentiation
Conditioning
29. Jennifer is thirsty. If she is experiencing osmotic thirst, we can assume:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Her mouth is dry
She has a high concentration of NaCl in her intracellular fluid
She has experienced an increase in extracellular fluid
She has been sweating profusely
30. Which of the following 2 peptide hormones serve as satiety and hunger signals,
respectively?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Polypeptide Y and ghrelin
Ghrelin and orexin
Orexin and leptin
Cholecystokinin and leptin
31. The type of associative learning first described by Ivan Pavlov is dependent on
normal functioning of which brain region?
a)
b)
c)
d)
The hippocampus
The striatum
The amygdala
The pons
32. Thirst caused by decreases in extracellular pressure is called:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Osmometric thirst
Anticipatory thrist
Hypovolemic thirst
Volumetric thirst
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C8003 Psychobiology
33. In the Papez circuit, the ______ projects to the hypothalamus via a long arcing
pathway called the fornix.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Amygdala
Cingulate cortex
Hippocampus
Frontal cortex
34. Functional brain imaging studies with human cocaine addicts have
demonstrated that merely viewing videos associated with using cocaine:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Increases self-reports of drug craving and activates the amygdala, orbital
frontal cortex and anterior cingulate
Increased feelings of withdrawal, and activated areas of the brain involved
in stress
Increased self-reports of drug craving but had no reliable effect on brain
activity
Led to abstinent addicts relapsing shortly after finishing the experiment
35. Which of the following statements about the evolution of group living is FALSE?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Some animals live in groups because this enhances their competitive
ability
Some animals live in groups because this is good for the survival of the
species
Some animals live in groups because individuals can pass on more of their
genes this way
Some animals live in groups and help close kin to breed because this
enhances their own fitness
36. Indirect benefits to group living refer to:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Non-genetic benefits
Genetic benefits
Anti-predator benefits
None of the above
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C8003 Psychobiology
37. In non-human primate social groups, which of the following signals are NOT
used to appease opponents after fights?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Grunts
Threat faces
Grooming
All of the above are used in appeasement
38. Which of the following is NOT thought to be a product of sexual selection?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Roaring in red deer
Eye-spots on peacock tails
Alarm calling in monkeys
Croaking in frogs
39. Which of the following statements about song repertoires in birds are FALSE? If
all are true choose d).
a)
b)
c)
d)
The repertoire describes the number of songs that a male sings
Males that sing larger repertoires of songs are usually fitter
Females often prefer males that sing large repertoires of songs
All of the above are true
40. Resource Holding Potential would be the correct term for:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Fighting ability
Hunting ability
Predator avoidance
None of the above
41. Which of the following best describes referential signalling?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Signalling about predators
The use of an arbitrary language
Signalling about close relatives
Using signals to denote external objects and events
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C8003 Psychobiology
42. Dasser’s work on captive Java monkeys demonstrated that these monkeys
were capable of recognising:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Predators
Mother-offspring relationships
Other groups
None of the above
43. Which of the following would NOT be expected to affect an individual’s
dominance rank in non-human primates? If all might affect dominance rank
choose d).
a)
b)
c)
d)
Mother’s dominance rank
Body size
Dominance rank of alliance partners
All of the above could affect dominance rank
44. Which of the following statements best describes cultural evolution?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Evolution of mind
Transmission of behaviour between generations through social learning
Genetic transmission of behaviour between generations
None of the above
45. Which of the following is NOT typically found in chimpanzees?
a)
b)
c)
d)
46.
Co-operative hunting
Tool use
A monogamous mating system
A fission-fusion society
The environment in which much of human evolution occurred is often referred to as:
a)
b)
c)
d)
The Evolutionary Environment for Adaptation
The Adaptation Environment
The Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness
The Cenozoic
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47. Daly & Wilson’s study of care of genetic versus non-genetic offspring claims to
provide evidence of:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Reciprocal altruism
Kin selection
Sexual selection
None of the above
48. Which of the following is TRUE? Sexual dimorphism is typically:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Greater in monogamous than polygynous mating systems
Greater in polygynous than monogamous mating systems
Greater where males have higher potential reproductive rates than females
b) and c) are both true
[Note: If d) is the correct answer, no credit will be given for answering b) or c)]
49. When evolutionary biologists talk of the “survival of the fittest”, they are
specifically referring to the survival of individuals that are:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Better able to pass on their own genes to the next generation
Healthier
More aggressive
Better able to escape from predators
50. Workman and colleagues propose that hemispheric specialization in emotional
processing is best summarized as:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Right hemisphere processing for pro-social expressions
Left hemisphere processing for pro-social expressions
Right hemisphere processing for anti-social expressions
b) and c) above
[Note: If d) is the correct answer, no credit will be given for answering b) or c)]
END OF PAPER
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