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BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY COMPLETE STUDY
GUIDE & EXAM REVIEW 2026-2027: 210+ MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH RATIONALES, HIGH-
YIELD TOPICS (NEUROANATOMY,
NEUROTRANSMISSION, SENSORY & MOTOR
SYSTEMS, SLEEP, EMOTION, MEMORY), FIRST-TIME
PASS FOR UNDERGRAD & GRAD EXAMS**
UNIT 1 – FOUNDATIONS & METHODS (15 Questions)
**Q1.** Who is credited with the first clear evidence that specific brain regions
serve specific functions (e.g., speech production in left frontal lobe)?
A. Gall (phrenology)
B. Flourens (experimental ablation)
C. Broca (patient "Tan")
D. Wernicke
**Answer: C**
*Rationale:* Broca's patient "Tan" had a left frontal lesion and could not produce
speech. Broca's area = speech production.
**Q2.** Which method uses a strong magnetic field to measure blood oxygenation
(BOLD signal) as an indirect measure of neural activity?
A. PET
B. fMRI
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C. EEG
D. TMS
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* fMRI measures BOLD signal (hemodynamic response). Good spatial
resolution, poor temporal resolution.
**Q3.** A researcher wants to determine whether a brain region is necessary for a
behavior. The best method is:
A. fMRI
B. EEG
C. Lesion study (ablation) or TMS
D. PET
**Answer: C**
*Rationale:* Lesion studies (or temporary lesions with TMS) establish necessity.
fMRI/EEG/PET show correlation, not causation.
**Q4.** Which technique records electrical activity from the scalp with
millisecond precision?
A. fMRI
B. PET
C. EEG
D. DTI
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**Answer: C**
*Rationale:* EEG has excellent temporal resolution (ms), poor spatial resolution.
DTI measures white matter tracts.
**Q5.** The case of Phineas Gage (railroad spike through frontal lobe)
demonstrated that:
A. Language is in left hemisphere
B. Frontal lobe damage impairs personality, social behavior, and executive function
C. The brain has no localization
D. Memory is stored in cerebellum
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* Gage's personality changed drastically (disinhibited, impulsive),
showing frontal lobe role in social/executive functions.
**Q6.** Which imaging method is best for visualizing white matter tracts
(connectivity)?
A. fMRI
B. PET
C. DTI (diffusion tensor imaging)
D. EEG
**Answer: C**
*Rationale:* DTI measures water diffusion along axons, revealing white matter
pathways.
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**Q7.** A twin study finds higher concordance for schizophrenia in monozygotic
(identical) twins than dizygotic (fraternal). This suggests:
A. Environmental factors only
B. Genetic factors contribute to schizophrenia
C. No genetic influence
D. Schizophrenia is not heritable
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* MZ concordance > DZ concordance indicates heritability. MZ share
100% genes, DZ ~50%.
**Q8.** PET measures:
A. Electrical activity
B. Blood flow or glucose metabolism (via radioactive tracer)
C. Structural anatomy
D. White matter tracts
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* PET detects gamma rays from radioactive tracers (e.g., FDG for
glucose, H₂O¹⁵ for blood flow).
**Q9.** The term "soma" refers to:
A. Axon
B. Dendrite
C. Cell body
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY COMPLETE STUDY
GUIDE & EXAM REVIEW 2026-2027: 210+ MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH RATIONALES, HIGH-
YIELD TOPICS (NEUROANATOMY,
NEUROTRANSMISSION, SENSORY & MOTOR
SYSTEMS, SLEEP, EMOTION, MEMORY), FIRST-TIME
PASS FOR UNDERGRAD & GRAD EXAMS**
UNIT 1 – FOUNDATIONS & METHODS (15 Questions)
**Q1.** Who is credited with the first clear evidence that specific brain regions
serve specific functions (e.g., speech production in left frontal lobe)?
A. Gall (phrenology)
B. Flourens (experimental ablation)
C. Broca (patient "Tan")
D. Wernicke
**Answer: C**
*Rationale:* Broca's patient "Tan" had a left frontal lesion and could not produce
speech. Broca's area = speech production.
**Q2.** Which method uses a strong magnetic field to measure blood oxygenation
(BOLD signal) as an indirect measure of neural activity?
A. PET
B. fMRI
,2|Page
C. EEG
D. TMS
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* fMRI measures BOLD signal (hemodynamic response). Good spatial
resolution, poor temporal resolution.
**Q3.** A researcher wants to determine whether a brain region is necessary for a
behavior. The best method is:
A. fMRI
B. EEG
C. Lesion study (ablation) or TMS
D. PET
**Answer: C**
*Rationale:* Lesion studies (or temporary lesions with TMS) establish necessity.
fMRI/EEG/PET show correlation, not causation.
**Q4.** Which technique records electrical activity from the scalp with
millisecond precision?
A. fMRI
B. PET
C. EEG
D. DTI
,3|Page
**Answer: C**
*Rationale:* EEG has excellent temporal resolution (ms), poor spatial resolution.
DTI measures white matter tracts.
**Q5.** The case of Phineas Gage (railroad spike through frontal lobe)
demonstrated that:
A. Language is in left hemisphere
B. Frontal lobe damage impairs personality, social behavior, and executive function
C. The brain has no localization
D. Memory is stored in cerebellum
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* Gage's personality changed drastically (disinhibited, impulsive),
showing frontal lobe role in social/executive functions.
**Q6.** Which imaging method is best for visualizing white matter tracts
(connectivity)?
A. fMRI
B. PET
C. DTI (diffusion tensor imaging)
D. EEG
**Answer: C**
*Rationale:* DTI measures water diffusion along axons, revealing white matter
pathways.
, 4|Page
**Q7.** A twin study finds higher concordance for schizophrenia in monozygotic
(identical) twins than dizygotic (fraternal). This suggests:
A. Environmental factors only
B. Genetic factors contribute to schizophrenia
C. No genetic influence
D. Schizophrenia is not heritable
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* MZ concordance > DZ concordance indicates heritability. MZ share
100% genes, DZ ~50%.
**Q8.** PET measures:
A. Electrical activity
B. Blood flow or glucose metabolism (via radioactive tracer)
C. Structural anatomy
D. White matter tracts
**Answer: B**
*Rationale:* PET detects gamma rays from radioactive tracers (e.g., FDG for
glucose, H₂O¹⁵ for blood flow).
**Q9.** The term "soma" refers to:
A. Axon
B. Dendrite
C. Cell body
