COGSCI 115 ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
GRADED A+ 2025/2026
[3] dorsal - in direction toward the top of head or back
[3] ventral - in direction toward bottom of skull or front surface of the body
[3] lateral - down side of body (away from middle)
[3] medial - toward middle of body (away from side)
[3] coronal or frontal section - a slice through the brain parallel to forehead
[3] sagittal or lateral section - a slice through the brain perpendicular to the groud and
parallel to the temporal lobes
[3] transverse or axial section - a slice through the brain parallel to the ground
[3] what are the three divisions of the brain? - forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain
[3] neocortex - associated with rational or thinking brain
[3] limbic brain - associated with emotional or feeling brain
[3] repitilian brain - associated with instinctual or dinosaur brain
[3] cerebral cortex - - distinguishes humans from other animals
- outmost layer of gray matter is 3mm thick
- contains 26 billion neurons
- mainly made of glia and cell bodies
- includes neocortex and limbic cortex
[3] frontal lobe - involved with speaking, muscle movements, making plans, judgements,
emotional control
[3] primary motor cortex - posterior part of frontal lobe that controls voluntary
movements
[3] prefrontal cortex - anterior part of frontal lobe that is involved in formulating plans
and making judgment
[3] parietal lobe - includes primary somatosensory cortex (anterior part of parietal lobe)
- where surface of body is mapped on the surface of the brain
[3] occipital lobe - includes primary visual cortex (posterior part of occipital lobe)
- receives visual information from the opposite visual field
, [3] temporal lobe - includes primary auditory cortex (superior part of temporal lobe)
- receives auditory information
[3] what subdivisions of prefrontal cortex play an important role in emotional regulation?
- - dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC): working memory, cognitive flexibility, problem
solving (e.g coping with stress), inhibition of rumination and worry
- ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC): theory of mind ("mindreading"), self-
perception, processing risk and fear, behavioral control, decision making
[3] corpus callosum - large bundle of axons that interconnects corresponding regions of
the association cortex on each side of the brain
[3] left cerebral hemisphere - - analysis of information, recognition of serial events
- language
- mathematical computation
- projects to right side of body
[3] right cerebral hemisphere - - synthesis of information
- pattern recognition; ability to perceive things as a whole
- identification of emotional expression
- projects to left side of body
[3] limbic system and limbic cortex - limbic system: donut shaped system of neural
structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres
- associated with emotions and memory
- includes amygdala and hippocampus
limbic cortex: phylogenetically older part of cortex
[3] amygdala - two almond shaped neural clusters that are linked to emotion
(specifically fear and aggression)
[3] hippocampus - donut shaped structure significant in memory
anterior hippocampus: portion closest to the amygdala; involved with behavior
regulation in response to different contexts (e.g PTSD)
[3] anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) - - forms collar around front part of the corpus
callosum
- functions:
integrates cognitive and affective info
awareness and processing of conflicting information
selective attention
pain perception
impulse control
GRADED A+ 2025/2026
[3] dorsal - in direction toward the top of head or back
[3] ventral - in direction toward bottom of skull or front surface of the body
[3] lateral - down side of body (away from middle)
[3] medial - toward middle of body (away from side)
[3] coronal or frontal section - a slice through the brain parallel to forehead
[3] sagittal or lateral section - a slice through the brain perpendicular to the groud and
parallel to the temporal lobes
[3] transverse or axial section - a slice through the brain parallel to the ground
[3] what are the three divisions of the brain? - forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain
[3] neocortex - associated with rational or thinking brain
[3] limbic brain - associated with emotional or feeling brain
[3] repitilian brain - associated with instinctual or dinosaur brain
[3] cerebral cortex - - distinguishes humans from other animals
- outmost layer of gray matter is 3mm thick
- contains 26 billion neurons
- mainly made of glia and cell bodies
- includes neocortex and limbic cortex
[3] frontal lobe - involved with speaking, muscle movements, making plans, judgements,
emotional control
[3] primary motor cortex - posterior part of frontal lobe that controls voluntary
movements
[3] prefrontal cortex - anterior part of frontal lobe that is involved in formulating plans
and making judgment
[3] parietal lobe - includes primary somatosensory cortex (anterior part of parietal lobe)
- where surface of body is mapped on the surface of the brain
[3] occipital lobe - includes primary visual cortex (posterior part of occipital lobe)
- receives visual information from the opposite visual field
, [3] temporal lobe - includes primary auditory cortex (superior part of temporal lobe)
- receives auditory information
[3] what subdivisions of prefrontal cortex play an important role in emotional regulation?
- - dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC): working memory, cognitive flexibility, problem
solving (e.g coping with stress), inhibition of rumination and worry
- ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC): theory of mind ("mindreading"), self-
perception, processing risk and fear, behavioral control, decision making
[3] corpus callosum - large bundle of axons that interconnects corresponding regions of
the association cortex on each side of the brain
[3] left cerebral hemisphere - - analysis of information, recognition of serial events
- language
- mathematical computation
- projects to right side of body
[3] right cerebral hemisphere - - synthesis of information
- pattern recognition; ability to perceive things as a whole
- identification of emotional expression
- projects to left side of body
[3] limbic system and limbic cortex - limbic system: donut shaped system of neural
structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres
- associated with emotions and memory
- includes amygdala and hippocampus
limbic cortex: phylogenetically older part of cortex
[3] amygdala - two almond shaped neural clusters that are linked to emotion
(specifically fear and aggression)
[3] hippocampus - donut shaped structure significant in memory
anterior hippocampus: portion closest to the amygdala; involved with behavior
regulation in response to different contexts (e.g PTSD)
[3] anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) - - forms collar around front part of the corpus
callosum
- functions:
integrates cognitive and affective info
awareness and processing of conflicting information
selective attention
pain perception
impulse control
