PSC 135 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE 2026
1. The lesion analysis method used in studies of human brain function primarily involves:
(A) using functional brain imaging to investigate the blood flow correlates of specific mental processes
in humans.
(B) producing lesions in animals and observing changes in their activity levels.
(C) identifying the sites of lesions in patients, and then testing them for deficits in cognitive
experiments designed to isolate specific mental processes.
(D) recording ERPs in patients with psychiatric disorders.
(E) none of the above. - Answers C
2. Sensory and motor processing tends to be more localized in the brain than does higher level
cognitive processing because:
(A) Cognitive processes often involve activity in distributed cortical/brain networks
(B) Sensory/motor processes require local neuronal interactions
(C) Evolutionary constraints on head size require that sensory/motor processes be closely packed in
the cortex.
(D) None of the above
(E) All of the above - Answers A
3. Gray matter consists primarily of:
(A) neuronal cell bodies
(B) oligodendrocytes
(C) myelinated axons
(D) ion channels
(E) none of the above - Answers A
4. Results of the Posner spatial cueing task showed that cueing subjects to the location of an
upcoming target decreased (speeded) their reaction time to detect it because attention
enhanced perceptual processing for the target. Such a finding and this interpretation is most
consistent with:
(A) gating models of attention.
(B) bottleneck models of attention.
(C) early-selection models of attention.
(D) late-selection models of attention. - Answers C
5. One finding demonstrated by the Posner spatial cueing task is that:
(A) the focus of attention can be moved separately from eye fixation.
(B) valid cues cause a speeding in reaction time to detect targets.
(C) invalid cues cause a slowing of reaction time to detect targets.
(D) neutral cues produce slower reaction times to targets than valid cues but faster than invalid cues.
(E) All of the above
(F) None of the above - Answers E
6. Given the retinotopic organization of primary visual cortex, a lesion to the right occipital lobe would
cause:
(A) blindness in the left visual field
(B) blindness in both visual fields
(C) blindness in the right visual field
(D) total blindsight - Answers A
7. __________ is the process of acquiring new information, while ___________ is the trace that
results from this process and can be revealed at a later time.
(A) Recall / recognition
(B) Recognition / recall
(C) Learning / memory
, (D) Memory / learning - Answers C
8. The recently articulated concept of working memory is roughly analogous to _______, which is a
somewhat outdated term.
(A) sensory memory
(B) echoic memory
(C) visuospatial sketchpad
(D) short-term memory - Answers D
9. Working memory is thought to include three main subcomponents. Which of the following is NOT
part of this system?
(A) visual spatial scratch pad.
(B) episodic encoding
(C) central executive
(D) phonological loop
(E) none of the above - Answers B
10. Explicit memory is knowledge:
(A) to which one has conscious access.
(B) to which one has only unconscious access.
(C) that is a form of sensory memory.
(D) that is a form of short-term memory - Answers A
11. __________ does NOT affect behavior consciously and can only be measured indirectly.
(A) Implicit memory
(B) Explicit memory
(C) Episodic memory
(D) Attention - Answers A
12. Amnesia refers to a memory deficit that may result from:
(A) brain damage.
(B) disease.
(C) psychological trauma.
(D) all of the above. - Answers D
13. The vivid memories that surround shocking circumstances or emotionally charged news are called
________________:
(A) flashbulb memories.
(B) lightning memories.
(C) trauma memories. - Answers A
14. The encoding of information to be stored involves two stages: ____________, in which inputs in
sensory buffers and sensory analysis stages are registered, followed by ___________, in which a
stronger representation for storage is created.
(A) retrieval / acquisition
(B) acquisition / retrieval
(C) retrieval / consolidation
(D) acquisition / consolidation - Answers D
15. _______________ refers to memory about the context (time, place...) in which a fact was learned.
(A) Implicit memory
(B) Semantic memory
(C) Nonassociative learning
(D) Episodic memory - Answers D
16. Patient H.M. is to the had his medial temporal lobes removed surgically to treat epilepsy. What
structure that was removed in this region is believed to result in him memory problems?
1. The lesion analysis method used in studies of human brain function primarily involves:
(A) using functional brain imaging to investigate the blood flow correlates of specific mental processes
in humans.
(B) producing lesions in animals and observing changes in their activity levels.
(C) identifying the sites of lesions in patients, and then testing them for deficits in cognitive
experiments designed to isolate specific mental processes.
(D) recording ERPs in patients with psychiatric disorders.
(E) none of the above. - Answers C
2. Sensory and motor processing tends to be more localized in the brain than does higher level
cognitive processing because:
(A) Cognitive processes often involve activity in distributed cortical/brain networks
(B) Sensory/motor processes require local neuronal interactions
(C) Evolutionary constraints on head size require that sensory/motor processes be closely packed in
the cortex.
(D) None of the above
(E) All of the above - Answers A
3. Gray matter consists primarily of:
(A) neuronal cell bodies
(B) oligodendrocytes
(C) myelinated axons
(D) ion channels
(E) none of the above - Answers A
4. Results of the Posner spatial cueing task showed that cueing subjects to the location of an
upcoming target decreased (speeded) their reaction time to detect it because attention
enhanced perceptual processing for the target. Such a finding and this interpretation is most
consistent with:
(A) gating models of attention.
(B) bottleneck models of attention.
(C) early-selection models of attention.
(D) late-selection models of attention. - Answers C
5. One finding demonstrated by the Posner spatial cueing task is that:
(A) the focus of attention can be moved separately from eye fixation.
(B) valid cues cause a speeding in reaction time to detect targets.
(C) invalid cues cause a slowing of reaction time to detect targets.
(D) neutral cues produce slower reaction times to targets than valid cues but faster than invalid cues.
(E) All of the above
(F) None of the above - Answers E
6. Given the retinotopic organization of primary visual cortex, a lesion to the right occipital lobe would
cause:
(A) blindness in the left visual field
(B) blindness in both visual fields
(C) blindness in the right visual field
(D) total blindsight - Answers A
7. __________ is the process of acquiring new information, while ___________ is the trace that
results from this process and can be revealed at a later time.
(A) Recall / recognition
(B) Recognition / recall
(C) Learning / memory
, (D) Memory / learning - Answers C
8. The recently articulated concept of working memory is roughly analogous to _______, which is a
somewhat outdated term.
(A) sensory memory
(B) echoic memory
(C) visuospatial sketchpad
(D) short-term memory - Answers D
9. Working memory is thought to include three main subcomponents. Which of the following is NOT
part of this system?
(A) visual spatial scratch pad.
(B) episodic encoding
(C) central executive
(D) phonological loop
(E) none of the above - Answers B
10. Explicit memory is knowledge:
(A) to which one has conscious access.
(B) to which one has only unconscious access.
(C) that is a form of sensory memory.
(D) that is a form of short-term memory - Answers A
11. __________ does NOT affect behavior consciously and can only be measured indirectly.
(A) Implicit memory
(B) Explicit memory
(C) Episodic memory
(D) Attention - Answers A
12. Amnesia refers to a memory deficit that may result from:
(A) brain damage.
(B) disease.
(C) psychological trauma.
(D) all of the above. - Answers D
13. The vivid memories that surround shocking circumstances or emotionally charged news are called
________________:
(A) flashbulb memories.
(B) lightning memories.
(C) trauma memories. - Answers A
14. The encoding of information to be stored involves two stages: ____________, in which inputs in
sensory buffers and sensory analysis stages are registered, followed by ___________, in which a
stronger representation for storage is created.
(A) retrieval / acquisition
(B) acquisition / retrieval
(C) retrieval / consolidation
(D) acquisition / consolidation - Answers D
15. _______________ refers to memory about the context (time, place...) in which a fact was learned.
(A) Implicit memory
(B) Semantic memory
(C) Nonassociative learning
(D) Episodic memory - Answers D
16. Patient H.M. is to the had his medial temporal lobes removed surgically to treat epilepsy. What
structure that was removed in this region is believed to result in him memory problems?
