Chapter 2 Quiz: How the Brain Works

Section A: Comprehension

1. What is a synapse?

a) The electrical signal that travels down an axon b) The gap between two neurons across which neurotransmitters are released c) The cell body of a neuron d) The branch-like extensions that receive signals

2. Which neurotransmitter is most closely associated with reward and motivation?

a) Serotonin b) GABA c) Dopamine d) Acetylcholine

3. The phrase "neurons that fire together, wire together" describes:

a) How the HPA axis regulates stress hormones b) The mechanism of neuroplasticity by which repeated activation strengthens synaptic connections c) The process by which the corpus callosum connects the two hemispheres d) The way the amygdala and hippocampus form new memories together

4. Which brain structure is primarily responsible for detecting threat and triggering the emotional response before conscious processing?

a) Hippocampus b) Prefrontal cortex c) Amygdala d) Cerebellum

5. The HPA axis — hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal glands — is central to:

a) The parasympathetic "rest and digest" response b) The regulation of sleep-wake cycles only c) The stress hormone cascade, primarily releasing cortisol d) Voluntary motor control

6. What does "amygdala hijack" refer to?

a) A type of seizure affecting limbic structures b) Moments when strong amygdala activation temporarily overwhelms prefrontal regulation, reducing flexible thinking c) The process by which the hippocampus stores emotional memories d) The mechanism by which trauma is stored in the body

7. The default mode network — active when the mind is "at rest" — is primarily involved in:

a) Visual processing of external stimuli b) Motor coordination and balance c) Social cognition, thinking about other people's minds, and simulating social futures d) Regulation of heart rate and breathing

8. Which statement about neuroplasticity is MOST accurate?

a) The brain stops changing after adolescence b) Neuroplasticity is unlimited — any neural pattern can be changed with effort c) The brain changes structurally and functionally in response to experience throughout life, though with limits d) Neuroplasticity only occurs in response to brain injury

Section B: Application

9. Jordan, in the opening vignette, experiences a stress response during a difficult conversation with Dev. Using the chapter's framework, identify TWO specific neural mechanisms involved in his experience and describe how they contributed to what happened.

[Open response]

10. A colleague tells you: "I'm just not an emotional person — that's just how I'm wired." Using the chapter's discussion of neuroplasticity and neurotransmitters, how would you respond to this statement? What is accurate in it, and what does it miss?

[Open response]

11. Describe the difference between the "low road" and "high road" pathways to the amygdala. Give a concrete example from everyday life where the low road might respond in a way the high road would subsequently correct.

[Open response]

12. Based on the chapter's discussion of cortisol and its effects on the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, explain why chronic stress often makes people feel both more reactive and less able to think clearly. What would a cortisol-aware approach to a stressful period in life look like?

[Open response]

Section C: Critical Thinking

13. The chapter argues that the stress response "cannot reliably distinguish genuine physical threat from perceived social threat." This means Jordan's nervous system responded to an awkward moment with Dev with the same cascade as a genuine emergency.

Do you think this "misfiring" of the stress system is simply a design flaw, or might there be an evolutionary logic to it? What are the costs and benefits of a system that errs on the side of treating social threat as genuine threat?

[Open response]

14. The chapter discusses oxytocin as a bonding hormone, but notes that research suggests it may increase in-group bonding and out-group wariness. What are the implications of this finding for how we think about "natural" human altruism and cooperation? Does it challenge or support the idea that humans are fundamentally social beings?

[Open response]

15. The neuromyths section challenges popular claims (10% brain use, left/right brain types, free will disproved by neuroscience). Why do you think neuromyths persist despite being scientifically unsupported? What psychological functions might these myths serve for the people who believe them?

[Open response]

Section D: Integration

16. Look back at your personal example from Exercise 1.2 (levels of analysis) in Chapter 1. Now add a neural/biological level to your analysis that you may not have fully considered then. What does the neuroscience of this chapter add to your understanding of that situation?

[Personal reflection — no sample answer]

Answer Key Overview

Full answers to Sections A and B are in appendices/answers-to-selected.md.

Section A answers: 1-b, 2-c, 3-b, 4-c, 5-c, 6-b, 7-c, 8-c