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CogSci 115 Midterm - Fall 2023 Questions
and Correct Answers
reasons to apply neuroscience to the study of happiness Ans: -
control for biases and other problems (happiness is subjective)
- discover underlying neural mechanism of mood states
- provide means of evaluating treatment techniques
- provide evidence that mind changes --> brain changes (growth
mindset)
growth mindset Ans: - people learn that their most basic abilities
can be developed through dedication and hard work
- creates love of learning and resilience that is essential
programs to develop growth mindset are most beneficial in
students with __________________ Ans: low socioeconomic status
or who are academically at risk
_____________(low income/high income) students are less likely to
hold a growth mindset Ans: low income
_________(low income/high income) students who exhibit a growth
mindset may perform better than _________________(low
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income/high income) students with a fixed mindset Ans: low
income, high income
self-directed neuroplasticity Ans: - all mental activity creates new
neural structures
- every thought leaves an imprint
- repeatedly doing small things inside your mid over time will lead
to bigger changes in your brain and your experience of living
happiness and ________ has one of the strongest correlations Ans:
social support
the greatest predictor of happiness in college students during
periods of high stress is ___________ Ans: social support
how many pounds is your brain? Ans: 3 lbs
how many neurons does the brain contain? Ans: 86 billion
neurons
how many synaptic connections does the average neuron make to
other neurons? Ans: 1000 - but ranges from a handful up to
200,000 in Purkinje cells
what percent of the body's oxygen and glucose is used by the
brain? Ans: 20%
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T/F: your brain uses up to 10x more energy when you're thinking
hard, rather than in a deep sleep. Ans: False
levels of organization of nervous system:
cell: ___________
tissue: ____________
organ: ____________
system: ____________ Ans: - individual neurons
- nerves, ganglia
- brain and spinal cord
- nervous system
Cell body Ans: the cell's life support center
Dendrites Ans: receive messages from other cells
Axon Ans: passes messages away from the cell body to other
neurons, muscles, or glands
neural impulse (action potential) Ans: electrical signal traveling
down the axon
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myelin sheath Ans: covers the axon of some neurons and helps
speed neural impulses
terminal branches of axon Ans: form junctions with other cells
terminal button Ans: bud at the end of an axon; forms synapses
with other neurons; sends information to other neurons via
neurotransmitters
Study on 3-5 year old children with higher use of screen-based
media had ____________(higher/lower) measures of structural
integrity and myelination and scored _____________(higher/lower)
Ans: lower, lower
axons have two basic electrical potentials Ans: -resting membrane
potential
-action potential
resting membrane potential Ans: - extracellular fluid: rich in Na+
and Cl-
- intracellular fluid: rich in K+
- banana(potassium) in the ocean(NaCl)
T/F: Action potential of a given neuron is an all or none
phenomenon Ans: True
© 2025 All rights reserved
CogSci 115 Midterm - Fall 2023 Questions
and Correct Answers
reasons to apply neuroscience to the study of happiness Ans: -
control for biases and other problems (happiness is subjective)
- discover underlying neural mechanism of mood states
- provide means of evaluating treatment techniques
- provide evidence that mind changes --> brain changes (growth
mindset)
growth mindset Ans: - people learn that their most basic abilities
can be developed through dedication and hard work
- creates love of learning and resilience that is essential
programs to develop growth mindset are most beneficial in
students with __________________ Ans: low socioeconomic status
or who are academically at risk
_____________(low income/high income) students are less likely to
hold a growth mindset Ans: low income
_________(low income/high income) students who exhibit a growth
mindset may perform better than _________________(low
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
income/high income) students with a fixed mindset Ans: low
income, high income
self-directed neuroplasticity Ans: - all mental activity creates new
neural structures
- every thought leaves an imprint
- repeatedly doing small things inside your mid over time will lead
to bigger changes in your brain and your experience of living
happiness and ________ has one of the strongest correlations Ans:
social support
the greatest predictor of happiness in college students during
periods of high stress is ___________ Ans: social support
how many pounds is your brain? Ans: 3 lbs
how many neurons does the brain contain? Ans: 86 billion
neurons
how many synaptic connections does the average neuron make to
other neurons? Ans: 1000 - but ranges from a handful up to
200,000 in Purkinje cells
what percent of the body's oxygen and glucose is used by the
brain? Ans: 20%
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
T/F: your brain uses up to 10x more energy when you're thinking
hard, rather than in a deep sleep. Ans: False
levels of organization of nervous system:
cell: ___________
tissue: ____________
organ: ____________
system: ____________ Ans: - individual neurons
- nerves, ganglia
- brain and spinal cord
- nervous system
Cell body Ans: the cell's life support center
Dendrites Ans: receive messages from other cells
Axon Ans: passes messages away from the cell body to other
neurons, muscles, or glands
neural impulse (action potential) Ans: electrical signal traveling
down the axon
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4 | Page
myelin sheath Ans: covers the axon of some neurons and helps
speed neural impulses
terminal branches of axon Ans: form junctions with other cells
terminal button Ans: bud at the end of an axon; forms synapses
with other neurons; sends information to other neurons via
neurotransmitters
Study on 3-5 year old children with higher use of screen-based
media had ____________(higher/lower) measures of structural
integrity and myelination and scored _____________(higher/lower)
Ans: lower, lower
axons have two basic electrical potentials Ans: -resting membrane
potential
-action potential
resting membrane potential Ans: - extracellular fluid: rich in Na+
and Cl-
- intracellular fluid: rich in K+
- banana(potassium) in the ocean(NaCl)
T/F: Action potential of a given neuron is an all or none
phenomenon Ans: True
© 2025 All rights reserved
