Question

Ellen volunteers during her AP psychology class to try to balance a yardstick on her two fingers. While her eyes are open, she finds the task quite easy. However, when she closes her eyes, she finds the same task almost impossible. Which brain region relies on visual information in coordinating our voluntary movements?

a. reticular formation
b. amygdala
c. thalamus
d. hypothalamus
e. cerebellum

Answer 1

The cerebellum is the part of the brain responsible for coordinating voluntary movements and relies on visual information, which is why the task becomes difficult when visual cues are removed.

Step-by-step explanation:

The brain region that relies on visual information in coordinating our voluntary movements is the cerebellum. When Ellen balances the yardstick on her fingers with her eyes open, she is able to use visual cues to aid the cerebellum in fine-tuning motor activity and maintaining balance.

Without the visual information when her eyes are closed, the cerebellum is less effective, making the task nearly impossible. The cerebellum is responsible for processing sensory inputs, integrating it with motor coordination, and maintaining balance and posture.

It plays a crucial role when engaging in a complex motor task that relies on visual cues. In tasks such as catching a ball, the visual sensory areas, integrating areas, and motor areas responsible for moving the eyes and other body parts are very active. Coordinated eye movement involves areas in the brain stem such as the superior colliculus and the paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF), which are essential for initiating eye movements based on visual stimuli.

Answer 2

The cerebellum relies on visual information to help coordinate voluntary movements, making it difficult to balance an object with closed eyes. Option e. cerebellum is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The region of the brain that relies on visual information in coordinating our voluntary movements is the cerebellum. When Ellen balances a yardstick on her two fingers with her eyes open, she is relying on visual feedback to perform the task which involves constant small adjustments to maintain balance.

The cerebellum is responsible for processing visual and sensory feedback to help in coordinating movement and maintaining balance. Without visual input, as when Ellen closes her eyes, the cerebellum lacks the necessary feedback to accurately coordinate the complex motor task, making it significantly more difficult to maintain balance. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is e. cerebellum.