PSYC-4002: BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM, STUDY GUIDE,
REVIEW & EXAM BUNDLE (200+ QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS) 2026/ 2027
CURRENTLY TESTING HIGH YIELD GRADED A+
WALDEN UNIVERSITY
========================================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
========================================
1. Study Guide
- History of Biological Psychology
- Neurons and Neural Communication (Action Potential, Synaptic
Transmission)
- Neuroanatomy (Major Brain Structures and Functions)
- The Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System
(PNS)
- The Endocrine System (Hormones and Behavior)
- Sensory Systems (Vision, Audition, Somatosensation, Olfaction,
Gustation)
,
- Motor System (Motor Cortex, Basal Ganglia, Cerebellum)
- Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
- Emotion and the Limbic System
- Learning and Memory (Neural Basis)
- Language and the Brain
- Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders
2. Review Sheets (High-Yield Tables and Mnemonics)
3. Practice Exam with Rationales (200+ Questions)
- Part A: Multiple Choice (120 questions)
- Part B: Multiple Answer / SATA (80 questions)
========================================
SECTION 1: STUDY GUIDE
========================================
1.1 HISTORY OF BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Key Historical Figures:
| Figure | Contribution |
|--------|--------------|
,
| Hippocrates (460-377 BCE) | Brain is the seat of mental processes (not
the heart) |
| Galen (129-210 CE) | Ventricular theory of brain function (fluid in
ventricles) |
| René Descartes (1596-1650) | Dualism (mind and body separate);
pineal gland as interaction site; reflex theory |
| Franz Gall (1758-1828) | Phrenology (bumps on skull reflect mental
faculties) – discredited but introduced localization of function |
| Pierre Flourens (1794-1867) | Extirpation/ablation studies; first to show
specific brain regions have specific functions |
| Paul Broca (1824-1880) | Broca's area (speech production); localization
of language |
| Carl Wernicke (1848-1905) | Wernicke's area (language comprehension)
|
| Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) | Neuron Doctrine (neurons are
discrete cells, not continuous network); Golgi stain |
| Camillo Golgi (1843-1926) | Golgi stain (allowed visualization of
individual neurons); reticular theory (discredited) |
| Charles Sherrington (1857-1952) | Coined term "synapse"; studied
reflexes |
| Otto Loewi (1873-1961) | Discovered acetylcholine (first
neurotransmitter) |
| Roger Sperry (1913-1994) | Split-brain studies (corpus callosum);
hemispheric specialization |
| Donald Hebb (1904-1985) | Hebbian theory ("cells that fire together,
wire together") – basis of synaptic plasticity |
,
| Eric Kandel (born 1929) | Studied learning and memory in Aplysia (sea
slug); synaptic changes underlie learning |
Major Perspectives in Biological Psychology:
- Localization of Function: Specific brain regions mediate specific
functions (e.g., Broca's area for speech)
- Distributed Processing: Functions are distributed across multiple brain
regions (e.g., memory involves hippocampus, cortex, etc.)
- Neural Plasticity: Brain can reorganize in response to experience,
learning, or injury
1.2 NEURONS AND NEURAL COMMUNICATION
Neuron Structure:
| Part | Function |
|------|----------|
| Dendrites | Receive signals from other neurons (input) |
| Cell Body (Soma) | Contains nucleus; integrates incoming signals |
| Axon | Conducts action potential away from cell body |
| Axon Hillock | Site where action potential is initiated (integration zone)
|
| Myelin Sheath | Fatty insulation that speeds action potential conduction
(Schwann cells in PNS; oligodendrocytes in CNS) |
| Nodes of Ranvier | Gaps in myelin where action potentials regenerate
(saltatory conduction) |
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM, STUDY GUIDE,
REVIEW & EXAM BUNDLE (200+ QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS) 2026/ 2027
CURRENTLY TESTING HIGH YIELD GRADED A+
WALDEN UNIVERSITY
========================================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
========================================
1. Study Guide
- History of Biological Psychology
- Neurons and Neural Communication (Action Potential, Synaptic
Transmission)
- Neuroanatomy (Major Brain Structures and Functions)
- The Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System
(PNS)
- The Endocrine System (Hormones and Behavior)
- Sensory Systems (Vision, Audition, Somatosensation, Olfaction,
Gustation)
,
- Motor System (Motor Cortex, Basal Ganglia, Cerebellum)
- Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
- Emotion and the Limbic System
- Learning and Memory (Neural Basis)
- Language and the Brain
- Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders
2. Review Sheets (High-Yield Tables and Mnemonics)
3. Practice Exam with Rationales (200+ Questions)
- Part A: Multiple Choice (120 questions)
- Part B: Multiple Answer / SATA (80 questions)
========================================
SECTION 1: STUDY GUIDE
========================================
1.1 HISTORY OF BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Key Historical Figures:
| Figure | Contribution |
|--------|--------------|
,
| Hippocrates (460-377 BCE) | Brain is the seat of mental processes (not
the heart) |
| Galen (129-210 CE) | Ventricular theory of brain function (fluid in
ventricles) |
| René Descartes (1596-1650) | Dualism (mind and body separate);
pineal gland as interaction site; reflex theory |
| Franz Gall (1758-1828) | Phrenology (bumps on skull reflect mental
faculties) – discredited but introduced localization of function |
| Pierre Flourens (1794-1867) | Extirpation/ablation studies; first to show
specific brain regions have specific functions |
| Paul Broca (1824-1880) | Broca's area (speech production); localization
of language |
| Carl Wernicke (1848-1905) | Wernicke's area (language comprehension)
|
| Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) | Neuron Doctrine (neurons are
discrete cells, not continuous network); Golgi stain |
| Camillo Golgi (1843-1926) | Golgi stain (allowed visualization of
individual neurons); reticular theory (discredited) |
| Charles Sherrington (1857-1952) | Coined term "synapse"; studied
reflexes |
| Otto Loewi (1873-1961) | Discovered acetylcholine (first
neurotransmitter) |
| Roger Sperry (1913-1994) | Split-brain studies (corpus callosum);
hemispheric specialization |
| Donald Hebb (1904-1985) | Hebbian theory ("cells that fire together,
wire together") – basis of synaptic plasticity |
,
| Eric Kandel (born 1929) | Studied learning and memory in Aplysia (sea
slug); synaptic changes underlie learning |
Major Perspectives in Biological Psychology:
- Localization of Function: Specific brain regions mediate specific
functions (e.g., Broca's area for speech)
- Distributed Processing: Functions are distributed across multiple brain
regions (e.g., memory involves hippocampus, cortex, etc.)
- Neural Plasticity: Brain can reorganize in response to experience,
learning, or injury
1.2 NEURONS AND NEURAL COMMUNICATION
Neuron Structure:
| Part | Function |
|------|----------|
| Dendrites | Receive signals from other neurons (input) |
| Cell Body (Soma) | Contains nucleus; integrates incoming signals |
| Axon | Conducts action potential away from cell body |
| Axon Hillock | Site where action potential is initiated (integration zone)
|
| Myelin Sheath | Fatty insulation that speeds action potential conduction
(Schwann cells in PNS; oligodendrocytes in CNS) |
| Nodes of Ranvier | Gaps in myelin where action potentials regenerate
(saltatory conduction) |
