Lesson 3.2.2

3.2.2 Pre-adult brain development (biological) Quiz: OCR Psychology, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.2.2, Pre-adult brain development (biological): 20 multiple choice questions for the OCR Psychology (H567), Unit 3: Applied psychology (Component 03), written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which brain structure undergoes significant synaptic pruning during adolescence according to developmental research?

    • Amygdala
    • Prefrontal cortex
    • Brainstem
    • Cerebellum

  2. Which developmental psychologist proposed the imbalance model involving amygdala and prefrontal cortex maturation?

    • Beatriz Luna
    • Jean Piaget
    • Mary Ainsworth
    • Lev Vygotsky

  3. What primary biological process reduces grey matter volume in the teenage brain?

    • Synaptic pruning
    • Neurogenesis
    • Myelination
    • Apoptosis

  4. Which fatty white substance increases neural transmission speed during pre-adult brain development?

    • Synapse
    • Dendrite
    • Myelin
    • Axon

  5. According to the dual systems model, which brain system matures earlier during adolescence?

    • Visual processing system
    • Motor planning system
    • Cognitive control system
    • Socioemotional system

  6. In Barkley-Levenson and Galvan's 2014 study, adolescents showed heightened activation in which reward structure?

    • Ventral striatum
    • Thalamus
    • Hippocampus
    • Parietal lobe

  7. Which research method is most commonly used to measure longitudinal changes in adolescent brain structure?

    • Post-mortem analysis
    • MRI scans
    • EEG recording
    • PET scans

  8. What term describes the brain's ability to reorganise pathways based on adolescent experiences?

    • Plasticity
    • Specialisation
    • Localization
    • Lateralisation

  9. Fifteen-year-old Leo takes extreme risks with peers despite knowing the dangers. Which immature system explains this?

    • Cognitive control
    • Autonomic system
    • Endocrine system
    • Sensory cortex

  10. Maya speeds down a ski slope to impress friends, ignoring clear warning signs. Which brain region is under-active in impulse regulation?

    • Visual cortex
    • Prefrontal cortex
    • Brainstem
    • Olfactory bulb

  11. During a driving simulator task, teenagers take more risks with peers present. What does this demonstrate about adolescent brains?

    • Sensory overload
    • Visual impairment
    • Peer vulnerability
    • Motor deficit

  12. At what approximate age range is pre-adult brain development and maturation generally considered complete?

    • Mid twenties
    • Late teens
    • Early thirties
    • Puberty onset

  13. Which neurotransmitter system is heavily implicated in adolescent reward-seeking and novelty-seeking behaviours?

    • Serotonin
    • Acetylcholine
    • GABA
    • Dopamine

  14. What primary methodological limitation affects neuroimaging studies of adolescent brain development?

    • Lack of quantitative data
    • High participant attrition
    • Poor temporal resolution
    • Correlation not causation

  15. How does developmental psychology inform public policy regarding adolescent criminal responsibility?

    • Increased prison terms
    • Abolishing youth courts
    • Mandatory adult sentencing
    • Culpability mitigation

  16. Why might adolescence be described as a critical evolutionary window for social learning and adaptation?

    • High neural plasticity
    • Static neural pathways
    • Complete myelination
    • Zero synaptic pruning

  17. Which methodological issue commonly arises when tracking adolescent brain growth using longitudinal MRI scans?

    • Standardisation failure
    • Investigator effects
    • Demand characteristics
    • Participant attrition

  18. How does the dual systems model explain why teenagers excel in rapid learning despite poor impulse control?

    • Fixed synaptic connections
    • High plasticity
    • Low dopamine levels
    • Reduced blood flow

  19. What ethical concern is particularly relevant when conducting longitudinal brain imaging studies on minors?

    • Informed consent
    • Deliberate harm
    • Financial bribery
    • Plagiarism risks

  20. Which brain imaging technique measures changes in blood oxygenation levels during adolescent cognitive tasks?

    • CT scan
    • PET scan
    • EEG
    • fMRI

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