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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How far in the past do we actually "live"?

2. What are we actually unaware of?

3. What does Eagleman say can get in the way of our efficiency?

4. What illustrations does Eagleman present to show the concept from question 44?

5. At what age does Mike May regain his vision?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Eagleman say about how vision works?

2. How is one's conscious mind limited and how does this make the mind more difficult to understand?

3. What is the point of the experiment that Eagleman suggests the reader try?

4. How is our brain wired for performing complicated tasks and why?

5. How can the brain see without eyes and what is one way this is possible?

6. What has to shift in order to fully appreciate the small role of the unconscious and to what does Eagleman compare that shift?

7. Explain the example of the chicken sexers that Eagleman discusses.

8. What is the simple experiment Eagleman asks the reader to perform?

9. Summarize the experiment Eagleman writes about concerning photographs of women and how men responded.

10. What is one example Eagleman gives of how one reacts to something before the person is even aware of the situation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Wilson has cited a number of people in this book. Discuss he following:

1. Choose three people whom Eagleman mentions positively and give a brief idea of his opinions about those three people (or stereotypes). Use examples from Incognito to support your answer.

2. Choose three people whom Eagleman mentions negatively and give a brief idea of his opinions about those three people (or stereotypes). Use examples from Incognito to support your answer.

3. Judging what Eagleman says about different people in his text, how would you characterize him as a friend? As a colleague? Use examples from Incognito to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

There are ways to measure how our unconscious minds affect our conscious thinking even without our knowing it, Eagleman explains. For example, a person may consciously profess to have no prejudicial feelings about people of a certain race, but experiments that ask them to associate certain words such as "like" or "dislike" with photographs or words describing different races or creeds can reveal that they may move slightly toward the "dislike" option before choosing "like". This reveals a conflict between the unconscious and unconscious minds, Eagleman claims.

1. Do you think you could have unconscious feelings, such as prejudice, of which you are unaware? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life and Incognito to support your answer.

2. Discuss what conflicts might rise between the unconscious and conscious mind when you decide not to study for a test. Use examples from your own life and Incognito to support your answer.

3. Do you think the unconscious mind always makes the best decisions over the conscious mind? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life and Incognito to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Eagleman gives the reader an overview of his ideas about success in Incognito. Discuss one of the following:

1. Discuss Eagleman's opinions of three topics he discussed in relation to the brain. Do you agree or disagree with him? Why? Use examples from Incognito to support your answer.

2. Compare and contrast Eagleman's opinions from Incognito with what you might imagine Eagleman's opinion might be had he lived 100 years ago. How do you think his opinions would change? Would they remain the same? Explain fully. Use examples from Incognito to support your answer.

3. Discuss how you think Eagleman's view on several topics from this essay informs his life as a researcher. Use examples from Incognito to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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