Dan Drinks Three or Four Large Cups of Coffee a Day

question 466

Multiple Choice

Dan drinks three or four large cups of coffee a day and finds that the caffeine increases his mental alertness, vigilance, and wakefulness, and generally speeds up his thought processes. It produces its mentally stimulating effects by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain. Which of the following statements about adenosine is FALSE?

• A) Adenosine is a naturally occurring compound in the body that influences the release of several neurotransmitters in the central nervous system.
• B) Adenosine levels gradually increase the longer a person is awake, and when they reach a certain level the urge to sleep greatly intensifies.
• C) Adenosine levels gradually increase the longer a person is awake, and when they reach a certain level the person feels maximum mental alertness and arousal.
• D) Caffeine's adenosine-blocking ability has the effect of indirectly stimulating mild dopamine release in the brain's reward system.

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Definitions:

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to cling to one's initial belief even after receiving new information that contradicts or disconfirms the basis of that belief.

Confirmation Bias

A predisposition to identify, comprehend, prioritize, and recollect facts in ways that corroborate one’s existing beliefs or suppositions.

Overconfidence Bias

The tendency for an individual to overestimate their abilities, knowledge, or performance capabilities.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it, often referred to as the "I-knew-it-all-along" effect.