EPPP Test Cognitive-Affective Behavior Bases Questions and Answers

Question 1

According to Melzack and Wall's gate-control theory of pain, which of the following mechanisms is responsible for modulating the sensation of pain?

Accepted Answer

The interaction between large and small nerve fibers in the spinal cord which can inhibit or facilitate pain signals to the brain.

Answer

The complete blockage of all sensory signals at the site of injury.

Answer

The release of endogenous opioids in the brain which universally dampens all incoming pain signals.

Answer

The cognitive appraisal of the painful stimulus, which occurs exclusively in the prefrontal cortex.

Question 2

A person is participating in a sleep study. The polysomnography (PSG) recording shows high-frequency, low-amplitude brain waves similar to wakefulness, rapid eye movements, and almost complete paralysis of the skeletal muscles. Which stage of sleep is this person most likely experiencing?

Accepted Answer

REM sleep

Answer

Stage 2 NREM sleep

Answer

Stage 1 NREM sleep

Answer

Stage 3 NREM sleep

Question 3

A patient reports seeing a large, aggressive dog running towards them. According to the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory of emotion, what is the sequence of events that leads to the patient feeling fear?

Accepted Answer

The patient experiences physiological arousal, and then cognitively appraises the situation to label that arousal as fear.

Answer

The patient simultaneously experiences physiological arousal and the emotion of fear.

Answer

The patient first experiences the emotion of fear, which then causes physiological arousal.

Answer

The patient's body reacts with physiological arousal, and the brain interprets this bodily change as the emotion of fear.

Question 4

The monoamine hypothesis of depression primarily implicates a deficiency in which group of neurotransmitters?

Accepted Answer

Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine

Answer

GABA, glycine, and glutamate

Answer

Acetylcholine and endorphins

Answer

Substance P and histamine

Question 5

A professional musician is effortlessly playing a complex piano concerto from memory. This highly practiced, coordinated, and timed motor skill is largely dependent on the proper functioning of which brain structure?

Accepted Answer

Cerebellum

Answer

Hippocampus

Answer

Amygdala

Answer

Occipital Lobe

Question 6

Which of the following best describes the process of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the context of learning and memory?

Accepted Answer

A long-lasting strengthening of the connection between two neurons that are activated simultaneously.

Answer

A temporary decrease in the firing rate of a neuron after a period of inactivity.

Answer

The generation of new neurons in the hippocampus following a novel experience.

Answer

The process by which the brain filters out irrelevant sensory information to focus on a task.