Table 2.

Percentage of correct and incorrect responses for each general assertion about the brain.

	Incorrect (%)	Correct (%)	Do not know (%)
The left and right hemispheres of the brain always work together. (T)	61.9	21.4	16.5
Boys have bigger brains than girls. (T)	57.3	8	34.5
When a brain region is damaged other parts of the brain can take up its function. (T)	28.5	50	21.4
Regular drinking of caffeinated drinks reduces alertness. (T)	24.2	36.9	38.7
Circadian rhythms (“body clock”) shift during adolescence, causing pupils to be more tired during the first lessons of the school day. (T)	22.2	36.2	41.5
The brains of boys and girls develop at the same rate. (F)	20.7	51.7	27.4
Vigorous exercise can improve mental function. (T)	15.1	55.6	29.2
Information is stored in the brain in a network of cells distributed throughout the brain. (T)	14	41.9	44
Extended rehearsal of some mental processes can change the shape and structure of some parts of the brain. (T)	13.3	55.9	30.6
Normal development of the human brain involves the birth and death of brain cells. (T)	13.3	63.7	22.8
Academic achievement can be affected by skipping breakfast. (T)	11.6	79.2	9.1
Learning occurs through modification of the brains’ neural connections. (T)	6.3	67.2	26.4
Brain development has finished by the time children reach secondary school. (F)	5.6	79.9	14.4
There are sensitive periods in childhood when it is easier to learn things. (T)	4.9	86.2	8.8
We use our brains 24 h a day. (T)	4.5	93.6	1.7
Production of new connections in the brain can continue into old age. (T)	3.8	78.5	17.6
Individual learners show preferences for the mode in which they receive information (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetic). (T)	2.1	93.6	4.2
Mental capacity is hereditary and cannot be changed by the environment or experience. (F)	1	96.4	2.4
When we sleep, the brain shuts down. (F)	0	98.23	1.7

(T), True; (F), False.