Version 2025 Study Materials
Biological Psychology
1. The fundamental building block of the nervous system is the:
a) Synapse
b) Neuron ✓
c) Hormone
d) Myelin
2. Which part of a neuron receives messages from other cells?
a) Axon
b) Terminal Buttons
c) Soma
d) Dendrite ✓
3. The brief period of inactivity after a neuron has fired is called the:
a) All-or-none response
b) Action potential
c) Refractory period ✓
d) Resting potential
4. The "master gland" of the endocrine system is the:
a) Thyroid
b) Adrenal Gland
c) Pituitary Gland ✓
d) Pancreas
5. Which division of the nervous system is responsible for the "fight-or-flight" response?
a) Somatic
b) Central
c) Sympathetic ✓
d) Parasympathetic
6. The brain's ability to change and adapt by forming new neural connections throughout life
is known as:
a) Lateralization
b) Neurogenesis
,c) Plasticity ✓
d) Hemispherectomy
7. The part of the brainstem that controls heartbeat and breathing is the:
a) Cerebellum
b) Medulla ✓
c) Reticular Formation
d) Thalamus
8. The cerebral cortex is divided into four main lobes. Which lobe is primarily responsible for
vision?
a) Frontal
b) Parietal
c) Temporal
d) Occipital ✓
9. The two hemispheres of the brain are connected by a bundle of fibers called the:
a) Corpus Callosum ✓
b) Limbic System
c) Angular Gyrus
d) Cerebral Cortex
10. The chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons are called:
a) Hormones
b) Neurotransmitters ✓
c) Ions
d) Axons
Sensation and Perception
11. The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent
stimulus energies from our environment is called:
a) Perception
b) Sensation ✓
c) Transduction
d) Adaptation
12. The process of converting sensory stimulus energy into neural impulses is called:
a) Perception
,b) Sensation
c) Transduction ✓
d) Accommodation
13. The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time is called
the:
a) Difference Threshold
b) Absolute Threshold ✓
c) Signal Detection
d) Subliminal Threshold
14. Which theory explains how we perceive color?
a) Frequency Theory
b) Opponent-Process Theory ✓
c) Place Theory
d) Gate-Control Theory
15. The adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters is the:
a) Cornea
b) Retina
c) Lens
d) Pupil ✓
16. The theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or
allows them to pass on to the brain is:
a) Opponent-Process Theory
b) Signal Detection Theory
c) Gate-Control Theory ✓
d) Frequency Theory
17. The organizing principle of Gestalt psychology that we perceive smooth, continuous
patterns rather than discontinuous ones is:
a) Closure
b) Proximity
c) Continuity ✓
d) Similarity
18. The monocular cue for depth perception where we perceive objects higher in our field of
vision as farther away is:
a) Relative Height ✓
, b) Relative Clarity
c) Linear Perspective
d) Interposition
19. The illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in
quick succession is called:
a) Perceptual Constancy
b) Phi Phenomenon ✓
c) Perceptual Adaptation
d) Retinal Disparity
20. Which sense is not routed through the thalamus before reaching the cortex?
a) Hearing
b) Vision
c) Taste
d) Smell ✓
Learning
21. A type of learning in which an organism comes to associate two stimuli is:
a) Operant Conditioning
b) Observational Learning
c) Classical Conditioning ✓
d) Latent Learning
22. In Pavlov's experiments, the dog's salivation to the sound of the bell was the:
a) Unconditioned Stimulus (US)
b) Unconditioned Response (UR)
c) Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
d) Conditioned Response (CR) ✓
23. The "Little Albert" experiment demonstrated the conditioning of:
a) Attachment
b) Fear ✓
c) Hunger
d) Altruism
24. The reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response is called:
a) Generalization
b) Discrimination