Section: Coach Brain — Your Brain on Attention
This section covers Chapter 1, Lessons 1.1 through 1.4.
Part A — Vocabulary (20 points, 2 points each)
Select the best answer for each question.
1. Attention is best defined as:
A) A character trait some people are born with B) A set of cognitive processes that allow selective focus on specific information while filtering the rest C) The same thing as intelligence D) The ability to memorize quickly
2. Working memory is:
A) The brain's permanent long-term storage system B) A mental workspace holding approximately 4 items for 20-30 seconds, where active thinking happens C) Memory used only during sleep D) A form of muscle memory
3. Neuroplasticity refers to:
A) The brain's plastic-like protective coating B) The brain's ability to reorganize by forming new connections throughout life C) A medication for ADHD D) A brain region in the frontal lobe
4. The prefrontal cortex is:
A) Fully mature at birth B) The brain region for attention, planning, and decision-making, not fully mature until the mid-twenties C) Located at the back of the brain D) A subcortical structure
5. Task switching describes:
A) The same thing as true multitasking B) What "multitasking" actually is — rapid focus shifts with a cognitive cost per switch C) A meditation technique D) Switching from one job to another
6. Meta-awareness is:
A) Awareness of physical sensations only B) Awareness of your own mental processes — noticing what your mind is doing C) A type of long-term memory D) Achievable only through years of meditation
7. Cortisol is:
A) A neurotransmitter that only affects sleep B) A stress hormone whose short bursts enhance focus but whose chronic elevation impairs memory and prefrontal cortex function C) A vitamin produced in the brain D) A substance found only in food
8. The Default Mode Network is active when:
A) You are intensely focused on a single task B) You are daydreaming, mind-wandering, or engaged in self-reflection C) You are asleep D) You are exercising hard
9. A physiological sigh is:
A) A sign of disappointment B) A double inhale followed by a long exhale that rapidly activates the parasympathetic nervous system C) An emergency breathing technique used by lifeguards D) Only effective after 20 minutes of practice
10. The HPA axis is:
A) A brain region in the temporal lobe B) The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal signaling pathway controlling cortisol release C) A vitamin pathway D) A type of neuron
Part B — Concept Comprehension (20 points, 2 points each)
Select the best answer for each question.
11. The prefrontal cortex does not finish developing until approximately:
A) Age 12 B) Age 16 C) The mid-twenties D) Age 30
12. Working memory can typically hold approximately:
A) 2 items B) 4 items C) 12 items D) Unlimited items with practice
13. When you think you are multitasking, your brain is actually:
A) Processing multiple streams simultaneously B) Rapidly switching between tasks, with a cognitive cost per switch C) Using different hemispheres for different tasks D) Operating at maximum efficiency
14. In focused-attention meditation, the primary training effect comes from:
A) Sitting perfectly still B) Achieving a blank mind with no thoughts C) Noticing when the mind has wandered and returning attention to the breath D) Meditating for at least 60 minutes
15. The Yerkes-Dodson curve shows that:
A) More stress always means better performance B) Moderate stress enhances performance; excessive stress degrades it C) Stress has no effect on cognitive function D) Only relaxed states produce good performance
16. Chronic cortisol elevation impairs attention by:
A) Increasing prefrontal cortex function B) Strengthening working memory capacity C) Damaging hippocampal function and weakening prefrontal cortex activity D) Improving emotional regulation
17. The physiological sigh works because:
A) It distracts you from the stressor B) The double inhale maximally inflates alveoli; the long exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerve C) It increases cortisol production D) It is a placebo effect
18. Eustress is best described as:
A) Always harmful stress B) Productive stress that sharpens focus and motivates action C) Stress experienced only by athletes D) The same as distress
19. Habituation in the attention system refers to:
A) The brain forming a new habit B) The brain ceasing to respond to constant, unchanging stimuli, freeing attention for novelty C) The brain reacting strongly to every new stimulus D) A pathological condition
20. Attention residue refers to:
A) Particles left on the brain after a long study session B) Part of attention staying on a previous task after switching, explaining post-interruption refocus time C) A type of mental energy depletion only experienced at night D) A measurement of total daily attention
Part C — Application (30 points, 6 points each)
Write 2-4 complete sentences for each question. Show your reasoning.
21. A friend says "I'm just bad at paying attention — it's who I am." Using the concept of neuroplasticity and what you learned about attention as a trainable process, explain why this is an inaccurate way to think about attention.
22. A student studies for an exam while texting friends, watching YouTube in another tab, and listening to music with lyrics. Using the concepts of task switching, working memory limits, and attention residue, explain why this study session is likely to be less effective than single-tasking.
23. Describe the difference between eustress and distress. Identify one situation in which stress helps performance and one situation in which it harms performance, using examples relevant to a high school student.
24. A classmate is anxious before a test. Using what you learned about the autonomic nervous system in Lesson 1.4, describe the physiological sigh and explain why it tends to shift the body toward a calmer state within seconds.
25. Design a brief 10-minute attention-training practice for a peer who has never meditated. Include 3-4 specific instructions and explain, using chapter terms, why each step trains the attention system.
Continue to the next section.