Lesson 3.2.3.2.2

3.2.3.2.2 Excitation, inhibition and Hebb's theory of learning and neuronal growth Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 7

20 questions

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Lesson 3.2.3.2.2, Excitation, inhibition and Hebb's theory of learning and neuronal growth: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Psychology (8182), Unit 7: Brain and neuropsychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What did Hebb propose about learning?

    • That learning depends on brain size alone, so bigger brains always learn more
    • That when two neurons fire together repeatedly, the connection between them is strengthened
    • That learning is caused by the destruction of neurons, which clears space for new knowledge
    • That learning happens only when neurons stop firing, so inhibition alone forms memories

  2. Which phrase is often used to summarise Hebb's idea?

    • Neurons that fire apart stay apart forever, with no connection ever formed by experience
    • Neurons that fire together wire together
    • Neurons that rest together grow weaker with every hour of sleep
    • Neurons that grow together never fire at all, which keeps the system stable

  3. What does Hebb's theory suggest about neuronal growth?

    • That repeated use of a connection can lead to growth or strengthening of the synapse
    • That neurons stop growing after childhood, and no new connections form in the adult brain
    • That neuronal growth depends only on how much food is eaten, not on neuron activity
    • That neuronal growth is caused by inhibition, which removes connections over time

  4. What is the difference between excitation and inhibition?

    • Excitation makes a neuron more likely to fire, while inhibition makes it less likely to fire
    • Excitation stops a neuron firing completely, while inhibition speeds the message along the axon
    • Excitation and inhibition both make a neuron fire at the same rate, at different times of day
    • Excitation affects only sensory neurons, while inhibition affects only motor neurons

  5. A synapse receives an excitatory and an inhibitory signal at the same time. Which outcome is most likely?

    • The neuron fires twice as strongly, because the two signals always add together
    • The neuron always fires, because excitation always overrides inhibition in every situation
    • The neuron's firing depends on which signals are stronger overall, since they interact
    • The neuron never fires, because inhibition always overrides excitation in every situation

  6. Which neurotransmitter is commonly associated with inhibition?

    • Glutamate, which is commonly associated with excitation and increases neuron firing
    • Adrenaline, a hormone that speeds up the heart during fight or flight
    • Insulin, a hormone that lowers blood sugar after a meal, made in the pancreas
    • GABA, which generally reduces the likelihood that the next neuron will fire

  7. Why would a balance of excitation and inhibition be important for coordinated movement?

    • It makes muscles contract randomly, which improves speed in every movement
    • It makes all muscles contract at the same time, so the body is always fully tense
    • It lets some muscles contract while others relax, so movements are smooth and precise
    • It stops all muscles contracting, which keeps the body still and saves energy in daily life

  8. A student practises a piano piece daily and becomes faster. Which idea from Hebb best explains this?

    • The piano changes the student's neurons directly, so no practice by the student is needed
    • The student's neurons grow new bones in the hand, which make movements faster
    • The student's neurons stop firing when they practise, which makes movements smoother
    • Repeated firing of the neurons involved strengthens their connections, making the movements faster

  9. What does Hebb's theory say happens to a connection that is rarely used?

    • It is likely to stay exactly the same forever, since neurons never change once formed
    • It is likely to move to a new part of the brain, where it can be used more often
    • It is likely to weaken over time, so the link between neurons becomes less effective
    • It is likely to become stronger over time, since every connection grows with age and use

  10. Why might Hebb's theory be described as 'associative'?

    • Because every neuron is connected to every other neuron in the nervous system from birth
    • Because the connection between two neurons strengthens when they are active at the same time
    • Because neurons associate only with muscles, so they cannot connect to each other directly
    • Because neurons associate only with the spinal cord, never with the brain at any point in daily life

  11. What is the role of inhibition in a synapse?

    • To create new neurons, which replace cells lost to damage over a lifetime
    • To reduce the chance the next neuron will fire, which helps control the spread of messages
    • To increase the chance the next neuron will fire, which speeds up messages across the body
    • To remove the myelin sheath, which slows messages so they reach muscles more gradually

  12. Which situation best illustrates excitation rather than inhibition?

    • A sensory neuron fires in response to touch, causing a motor neuron to withdraw the hand from heat
    • A motor neuron stops firing when a muscle is fully relaxed after a long rest in bed
    • A sensory neuron stops firing when a loud noise ends, quietening the response in the ear
    • A relay neuron releases GABA when a cell is at rest, lowering the chance of further firing

  13. Which term refers to neuronal change as a result of experience?

    • Summation, meaning adding together signals arriving at a neuron to reach threshold
    • Reuptake, meaning reabsorption of neurotransmitter into the neuron that released it
    • Myelination, meaning the insulation of axons by a fatty sheath that speeds messages
    • Neuroplasticity, meaning the nervous system can change its structure and connections through experience

  14. Which evidence would most directly support Hebb's idea?

    • Showing neurons lose their myelin sheath in old age, which slows messages in the brain
    • Showing connections between neurons become stronger when they are repeatedly active together during learning
    • Showing neurons release more neurotransmitter during sleep than when awake
    • Showing neurons in the spinal cord never change, however much a person practises a skill

  15. Which of these best describes inhibition in a neural circuit?

    • A signal that reduces the activity of a target neuron, keeping messages precise and controlled
    • A signal that increases the activity of a target neuron, so messages spread to many cells
    • A signal that changes the target neuron's shape into a muscle cell
    • A signal that removes the target neuron permanently from the nervous system after rest in daily life

  16. A person who regularly walks a route notices they can do it more smoothly. Which explanation best fits Hebb and excitation and inhibition?

    • The route becomes smoother because the neurons stop firing during each walk to save energy
    • The route becomes smoother because the neurons become larger, speeding every message through them
    • Repeated firing strengthens the right connections, while inhibition reduces unnecessary movements
    • The route becomes shorter because the neurons shrink with each walk, needing less space to communicate

  17. Why is Hebb's theory sometimes described as an explanation of learning that is 'use dependent'?

    • Connections depend on the weather, which changes synapse strength over the seasons
    • Connections are fixed at birth and cannot be changed by use, so learning depends only on genes
    • Connections depend only on the person's diet, not on what they do in daily life
    • Connections strengthen with repeated use and weaken without it, so wiring depends on what a person does

  18. Which statement about excitation is accurate?

    • Excitation has no effect on neuron firing, but changes the colour of the axon under a microscope
    • Excitation occurs only in the cerebellum and never happens in the cerebral cortex
    • Excitation can make a neuron fire more readily, and is often produced by neurotransmitters such as glutamate
    • Excitation always prevents firing, so an excited neuron becomes completely silent for the day

  19. A drug increases inhibition in the brain. What is the most likely effect on activity?

    • Overall neural activity would be unchanged, since inhibition affects no neuron in the brain
    • Overall neural activity would increase sharply, so the person would feel very alert in every situation
    • Overall neural activity would be reduced, so the person may feel slower or more relaxed
    • Overall neural activity would stop completely, so the person would lose awareness within seconds

  20. Which of these is a claim of Hebb's theory?

    • Learning involves the production of new bones in the skull, which make room for memories in daily life
    • Learning involves changes only in heart rate, which is controlled by the frontal lobe
    • Learning involves the destruction of all synapses each day, so the brain starts again from zero
    • Learning involves changes in the strength of connections between neurons that are active together

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