Biological Basis of Human Behavior Flashcards
(36 cards)
Which of the following is true of hormonal communication but not neuronal communication?
a. Hormonal messages, but not neuronal ones, can be voluntary.
b. Hormonal messages, but not neuronal ones, can travel anywhere in the body that receives blood.
c. Hormonal messages, but not neuronal ones, are chemical.
d. Hormonal messages, but not neuronal ones, can only be received by specific cells.
b. Hormonal messages, but not neuronal ones, can travel anywhere in the body that receives blood.
What do endocrine glands do?
a. Release hormones into the blood stream.
b. Signal the brain to produce hormones.
c. Receive hormones that are sent through the blood throughout the body..
d. Transform neurons into hormones.
a. Release hormones into the blood stream.
The peripheral nervous system affects ______ while the central nervous system is associated with ______.
a. dreaming; daydreaming
b. They are simply two names for the same system.
c. conscious thought; unconscious desires
d. survival (such as breathing); information processing (such as seeing)
d. survival (such as breathing); information processing (such as seeing)
Which of the following statements about hormones is correct?
a. If a hormone is present in a high enough concentration in the blood stream, it will definitely affect behavior.
b. Hormones can only travel short distances between neurons.
c. Each type of hormone can only affect cells that have specific receptors.
d. Because hormones travel through the blood, they can easily affect any tissue anywhere in the body.
d. Because hormones travel through the blood, they can easily affect any tissue anywhere in the body.
Which hormone is involved in the stress response?
a. prolactin
b. vasopressin
c. cortisol
d. testosterone
c. cortisol
Brad is very possessive of his girlfriend Lana. He suspects that other men are attracted to her and feels jealous of them. Which of the following, according to evolutionary theory, might best explain jealousy?
a. Jealousy cannot be explained by evolution.
b. Only the fittest males experience high levels of jealousy.
c. Jealousy is a psychological adaptation that increases vigilance.
d. Jealousy is a physiological adaptation that increases heart rate and blood flow.
c. Jealousy is a psychological adaptation that increases vigilance.
People’s basic survival instincts such as fear, aggression, hunger and sex are associated with the:
a. cerebellum
b. limbic system
c. spinal cord
d. hypothalamus
b. limbic system
Some might say that women have a preference for taller men. Their preference for tall males puts pressure on mate selection. As a consequence, the evolution of mate qualities changes because of women’s preference and the average height of males has increased with time. While this is not scientifically proven, what concept would this be an example of if it were true?
a. intersexual selection
b. intrasexual selection
c. intersexual competition
d. intrasexual competition
a. intersexual selection
What are hormones?
a. substances outside of the body that, if ingested, impact an individual’s physiology
b. chemical substances released at the end of neurons that cause the transfer of impulses to other neurons
c. chemical substances in the brain that cause mood swings during puberty
d. organic chemical messengers released from endocrine cells into the blood to cause a response when they reach target cells
d. organic chemical messengers released from endocrine cells into the blood to cause a response when they reach target cells
Grover is treated for low sex drive with testosterone but shows little improvement. Why might the treatment have failed to work?
a. Grover’s body may be converting the testosterone to estradiol.
b. Testosterone is not the correct hormone to use to treat a low sex drive.
c. Grover may not have enough testosterone receptors.
d. Testosterone cannot be administered externally. It needs to be produced within an individual’s own body to impact their sex drive.
c. Grover may not have enough testosterone receptors.
Imagine a person has the ability to pull a lever that will direct a speeding train onto one of two tracks. Unfortunately, their best friend is tied to one of the tracks and their sibling is tied to the other. Which of the following would best explain people’s widespread desire to choose to save a sibling?
a. the family effect
b. adaptation
c. in-group favoritism
d. inclusive fitness
d. inclusive fitness
During pregnancy, which neurotransmitter facilitates the giving birth process?
a. oxytocin
b. endorphins
c. dopamine
d. serotonin
a. oxytocin
Which of the following statements about hormones and behavior is the most correct?
a. Hormones have no direct or indirect effects on behavior.
b. Hormones make certain behaviors more likely in certain situations.
c. Hormones cause behavior.
d. Behaviors cause hormonal changes.
c. Hormones cause behavior.
Which hormone regulates sexual behavior and performance?
a. prolactin
b. oxytocin
c. estradiol
d. thyroxine
c. estradiol
Elena suddenly saw their house on fire. What hormones will the body secrete more to respond accordingly?
a. histamine
b. epinephrine
c. serotonin
d. dopamine
b. epinephrine
Responsiveness during emergency situation is specifically associated with ______________.
a. brain
b. peripheral nervous sytem
c. somatic nervous system
d. sympathetic nervous sytem
d. sympathetic nervous sytem
Which hormone might be most likely to make mothers become aggressive to protect their young?
a. prolactin
b. oxytocin
c. estradiol
d. progesterone
d. progesterone
Where is somatic nervous system located?
a. glands
b. muscles
c. spinal cord
d. brain
b. muscles
Imagine that you are hiring an employee for a job that requires empathy, and past research has found that a small but reliable difference that shows that women are typically higher on empathy than men. How should this affect who you choose to interview for the job?
a. You should only interview men. You can assume that men that apply for the job are probably particularly high in empathy.
b. You should only interview women because they are all likely to be high in empathy.
c. You should interview both women and men because the average differences are small and the person with the most empathy that you interview may be a man.
d. You should interview both women and men to be fair but it is much more likely that you will hire a woman.
c. You should interview both women and men because the average differences are small and the person with the most empathy that you interview may be a man.
A couple is on their honeymoon and Jass wants to have lots of sex. However, Imis wants to watch the Olympics. What impact could that have on their sex life?
a. If Imis’ team wins, it could increase his testosterone and his sexual motivation. If his team loses, it could decrease his testosterone and sexual motivation.
b. If Imis watches a non-physically aggressive sport such as gymnastics, his testosterone and sexual motivation will decrease.
c. If Imis watches aggressive sports such as rugby, his testosterone and sexual motivation will increase.
d. Watching the Olympics will have no effect on Imis’ hormones or behavior.
a. If Imis’ team wins, it could increase his testosterone and his sexual motivation. If his team loses, it could decrease his testosterone and sexual motivation.
Why do sex differences in aggression exist?
a. Sex differences in aggression exist because males are socialized to be more violent and aggressive than females are.
b. Sex differences in aggression exist due to the different levels of androgens and estrogens in males and females.
c. It is extremely difficult to identify a single cause of sex differences in aggression.
d. Sex differences in aggression exist because physical aggression helps heterosexual males show dominance, which helps them attain female mates.
b. Sex differences in aggression exist due to the different levels of androgens and estrogens in males and females.
It has been rumored that Olympic athletes living at the Olympic Village have lots of sex with each other. What is one possible explanation for this behavior?
a. Athletes who win their events may experience elevated testosterone levels and elevated sex drives.
b. Women living in close proximity to each other all increase each other’s estradiol, which regulates sexual motivation.
c. Vasopressin causes exceptionally physically fit athletes to be drawn to other exceptionally physically fit athletes so they can create the next generation of Olympic athletes.
d. Being in a small space together increases oxytocin, which promotes social bonding.
a. Athletes who win their events may experience elevated testosterone levels and elevated sex drives.
How might high cortisol levels facilitate maternal behavior in new mothers?
a. Cortisol might promote bonding and close bodily contact between mothers and infants.
b. Cortisol might increase arousal levels, allowing the new mother to be more attentive to her infant.
c. Cortisol might induce feelings of calm and relaxation, allowing the mother to fully focus on her infant.
d. Cortisol might lessen sexual desire, allowing the new mother to focus on caregiving rather than sex.
b. Cortisol might increase arousal levels, allowing the new mother to be more attentive to her infant.
The chemical signals that travel from one neuron to another, enabling them to communicate with one another, are called:
a. dendrites
b. neurotransmitters
c. synapses
d. lobes
b. neurotransmitters
