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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. What did others say about the incident?

2. What does Eagleman say is difficult?

3. What does Eagleman think is a good model for how the brain works?

4. What did the group do with the arresting record?

5. What were men first shown briefly?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when the frontal cortex is damaged?

2. What does Eagleman say about the abilities of a bloodhound?

3. How does Eagleman use an example of early robotics to illustrate how the mind may be divided?

4. What does Eagleman suggest about our culpability in our actions, particularly males?

5. What does Eagleman say about free will?

6. How does Eagleman compare the conscious mind to our senses?

7. What does Eagleman say about our ability to perceive light versus that of insects?

8. How does a rat react to conflicting choices?

9. Explain the study that was performed on how men rate a woman's attractiveness.

10. Does Eagleman think genetics or upbringing has more to bear on one's actions and does he think it is an important question?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What we like is also determined largely by unconscious thinking and a natural tendency to like ourselves, Eagleman claims. This is called "implicit egotism," and is a well-established phenomenon, he explains. It is illustrated by the fact, for example, that people marry others with first names that start with the same letter more often than would be expected by chance. Eagleman claims this is because we implicitly prefer others that are like ourselves in some way.

1. Discuss how you feel about yourself and whether you think your feelings stem from your unconscious. Use examples from your own life and Incognito to support your answer.

2. Do you think most people like themselves? Why or why not. Use examples from your own life and Incognito to support your answer.

3. Do you think it is a positive trait that a person likes him/herself? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life and Incognito to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Our intuition tells us that we experience the world as it actually exists, Eagleman explains in chapter two. But we are actually unaware of most of what is happening. We can move an arm and be aware that it has moved, but we are unconscious of the flurry of neural impulses that caused the arm to move. Eagleman proposes an analogy that consciousness is like a newspaper, where complicated processes have been compressed into headlines. We read these "headlines" with our conscious minds while remaining unaware of the full "story."

1. Why do you think our intuition tells us the world we experience actually exists? Use examples from your own life and Incognito to support your answer.

2. Thinking back to yesterday, discuss ideas, actions or thoughts of which you may not have been aware. Use examples from your own life and Incognito to support your answer.

3. Do you think humans need to be more aware of the "behind the scenes" of any behavior or action? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life and Incognito to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Eagleman in writing about Mel Gibson cites anti-Semitism was demonstrated by Gibson. Discuss one of the following:

1. Define anti-Semitism and give examples of it from both Incognito and other sources.

2. Do you think anti-Semitism still exists in the United States? Explain.

3. Discuss the idea put forth by Eagleman that Mel Gibson may have two brains, one not prejudice and one that is. Use examples from Incognito to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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