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Bio Psychology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the nervous system

A

Consists of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
- specialised network of cells

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2
Q

How does the nervous system communicate

A

Electrical signals

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3
Q

What is the central nervous system

A

Consists of the brain and the spinal cord
- original of all complex commands and decisions

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4
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system

A

Sends information to the CNS from the outside world
- transmits messages from the CNS to the muscle and glands

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5
Q

What is the somatic nervous system

A

Transmits information from receptors cells in the sense organs to the CNS
- receives information from the CNS
- directs muscles to act

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6
Q

what is the autonomic nervous system

A

Transmits information to and from internal bodily organs
- system operates involuntarily
- two main divisions: sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

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7
Q

What are the two main functions of the nervous system

A
  • collect, process and respond to information in the environment
  • coordinate the working of different organs and cells in the body
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8
Q

What is the brain

A
  • center of all conscious awareness
  • outer layer is the cerebral cortex
  • what distinguishes our higher mental functions
  • divided into two hemispheres
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9
Q

How thick is the cerebral cortex

A

3 mm

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10
Q

What is the spinal cord

A
  • an extension of the brain
  • passes messages to and from the brain
  • connects nerves to the PNS
  • responsible for reflex actions
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11
Q

What functions does the ANS control

A
  • vital functions in teh body
  • breathing, heart rate, digestion, sexual arousal, stress response
  • unconscious responses
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12
Q

What functions do the SNS control

A
  • muscle movement
  • receives information from sensory receptors
  • conscious processes
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13
Q

What is the endocrine system

A
  • one of the major information systems
  • instructs glands to release hormone directly into the bloodstream
  • hormones are carried towards target organs
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14
Q

How does the endocrine system communicate

A

Chemicals

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15
Q

What is a gland

A
  • organ in the body
  • synthesises substances such as hormones
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16
Q

What is a hormone

A
  • biochemical substance
  • circulates in the blood
  • only affects target organs
  • produced in large quantities
  • disappear quickly
  • effects are very powerful
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17
Q

What is the fight or flight response

A
  • way animals respond when stressed
  • body becomes physiologically aroused
  • ready to high an aggressor or flee
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18
Q

What is adrenaline

A
  • hormone produced by the adrenal gland
  • part of the human body’s immediate stress response system
  • strong effect on the cell sin the cardiovascular system
  • stimulates heart rate
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19
Q

How does adrenaline stimulate heart rate

A
  • contracts blood vessels
  • dilating air passages
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20
Q

What are the main endocrine glands in the body

A
  • hypothalamus
  • pituitary gland
  • thyroid
  • parathyroid
  • adrenals
  • pancreas
  • ovaries
  • testes
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21
Q

What hormone does the thyroid gland produce

A

Thyroxine

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22
Q

What does thyroxine do

A

Affects cells in the heart
- increases heart rate
Cells throughout the body
- increases metabolic rates
AFFECTS GROWTH RATES

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23
Q

What does the pituitary gland do

A

Controls the release of hormone from all the other endocrine glands in the body

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24
Q

What state does the fight or flight response trigger

A
  • from parasympathetic system
  • to sympathetic system
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25
Q

Where is adrenaline released from

A

Adrenal medulla

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26
Q

What happens when the threat has passes - fight or flight response

A

Returns to the parasympathetic nervous system

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27
Q

Are the actions of the parasympathetic system antagonistic or agonistic to the sympathetic nervous system

A

Antagonistic

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28
Q

Biological changes of the sympathetic state

A
  • increased heart rate
  • increased breathing rate
  • dilates pupils
  • inhibits digestions
  • inhibits salival production
  • contracts rectum
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29
Q

Biological changes of the parasympathetic state

A
  • decreased heart rate
  • decreased breathing rate
  • constricts pupils
  • stimulates digestion
  • stimulates saliva production
  • relaxes rectum
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30
Q

What is a neuron

A
  • basic building blocks of the nervous system
  • nerve cells
  • process and transmit messages
  • electrical and chemical signals
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31
Q

What are the different types of neurones

A
  • sensory
  • motor
  • reflex
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32
Q

What is the sensory neurone

A
  • carry messages from PNS to the CNS
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33
Q

What are relay neurons

A
  • connect sensory and motor neurons
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34
Q

What are motor neurons

A
  • connect the CNS to effects
  • muscles and glands
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35
Q

What do sensory neurons look like

A
  • long dendrites
  • short axons
  • cell body in the center
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36
Q

What do relay neurons look like

A
  • short dendrites
  • short axon
  • no myelin sheath
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37
Q

What do motor neurons look like

A
  • short dendrites
  • long axons
  • cell body at end
  • myelinated sheath
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38
Q

Components of a neuron

A
  • dendrites
  • axon
  • cell body
  • myelin sheath
  • nodes of Ranvier
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39
Q

Where are the nodes of Ranvier

A

In between the myelin sheath

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40
Q

Function of dendrites

A

Carry nerve impulses from neighbouring neurons toward the cell body

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41
Q

Function of the axon

A

Carries the impulses away from the cell body

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42
Q

What is the axon covered in

A

Myelin sheath

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43
Q

What are the gaps in between the myelin sheath called

A

Nodes of Ranvier

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44
Q

Where are sensory neurons found

A

Outside the CNS in the PNS
- clusters called ganglia

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45
Q

What charge do neurons have at resting state

A

Slightly negative

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46
Q

What is an action potential

A

The electrical impulse that travels down the axon

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47
Q

What is synaptic transmission

A

The process by which neighbouring neurons communicate with each other by sending chemical messages across the synapse that seperate stem

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48
Q

What is a neurotransmitter

A
  • brain chemicals
  • released from synaptic vesicles
  • relay signals across the synapse
  • can be divided into those that perform excretory and inhibitory functions
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49
Q

What is an excitation neurotransmitter

A

Increases the positive charge of the postsynaptic neurone
- increases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neurone will pass on the electrical impulse
- adrenaline

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50
Q

What is an inhibitory neurotransmitter

A

Increases the negative charge of the postsynaptic neurone
- decreases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neurone will pass on the electrical impulse
- serotonin

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51
Q

What are the groups called in which neurons communicate with each other

A

Neuronal networks

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52
Q

How are transmissions between neurons transmitted

A

Chemically

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53
Q

Where are neurotransmitters stored

A

Synaptic vesicles

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54
Q

What are neurotransmitters absorbed by after the synapse

A

Postsynaptic receptor sites

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55
Q

Neurotransmitters can only travel ___

A

One way

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56
Q

Where is acetylcholine found

A

Each point where a motor neuron meets a muscle

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57
Q

What is summation

A

The process that determines if an action potential will be triggered or not

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58
Q

When is the action potential of the postsynaptic neuron triggered

A

If the sum of the excitatory and inhibitory signals reaches the threshold

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59
Q

What is localisation of function

A

The theory that different areas of the brain
- responsible for specific behaviours, processes or activities

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60
Q

What is the motor area

A

A region of the frontal lobe involved in regulating movement

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61
Q

What is the somatosensory area

A

An area of the parietal lobe that processes sensory information such as touch

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62
Q

What is the visual area

A

A part of the occipital lobe that relieves and processes visual information

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63
Q

What is the auditory area

A

Located in the temporal lobe and concerned with the analysis of speech-based information

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64
Q

What is the Broca’s area

A

An area of the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere

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65
Q

what is Broca’s area responsible for

A

Speech production

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66
Q

What is the Wernike’s area

A

An area of the temporal lobe in the left hemisphere

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67
Q

What is the Wernike’s area responsible for

A

Language comprehension

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68
Q

What was the original theory before localisation of function

A

Holistic theory
- all parts of the brain are involved in processing thoughts and actions

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69
Q

What is lateralisation

A

The idea that certain physical and psychological functions are controlled or dominated by a particular hemisphere

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70
Q

What side controles the left side of the body

A

Right hemisphere

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71
Q

What hemisphere is language linked to

A

Left

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72
Q

What is the outer layer of both hemispheres

A

Cerebral cortex

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73
Q

What are the 4 lobes of the hemisphere

A
  • frontal
  • parietal
  • occipital
  • temporal
74
Q

What does damage to the frontal lobe cause

A

Loss of control over fine movements

75
Q

What does damage to the occipital lobe result in

A

Can produce blindness
- either right eye or both eyes

76
Q

What is Broca’s aphasia

A

Characterised by speech that is slow, laborious and lacking in fluency
- difficulties with prepositions and conjunctions

77
Q

Who was Broca’s most famous patient

A

Tan

78
Q

What are the characteristics of Wernike’s aphasia

A

Producing nonsense words as part of the content of their speech
- neologisms

79
Q

Evaluation points for localisation of function in the brain

A
  • evidence from neurosurgery
  • evidence from brain scans
    • COUNTERPOINT
  • language localisation questioned
80
Q

PEEL for evidence from neurosurgery - localisation of function

A
  • strength
  • damage to areas of the brain have been linked to mental disorders
  • neurosurgery is a last resort method for treatment
  • cingulotomy: isolates the cingulate gurus which is involved in OCD
  • Dougherty: 44 people with OCD who had undergone cingulotomy
  • after 32 weeks
  • 30% met criteria for successful response
  • 14% for partial response
  • suggests behaviours associated with serious mental disorders may be localised
81
Q

PEEL for evidence from brain scans - localisation of function

A
  • strength
  • supports the idea that many everyday brain functions are localised
  • Peterson:
  • showed how Wernike’s area was active during listening tasks
  • Broca’s area was active during a reading task
  • long term memory studies showed that semantic and episodic memories are in different parts of the prefrontal cortex
  • provided sound scientific evidence

COUNTERPOINT
- challenge by Lashley
- removed areas of the cortex in rats
- between 10% and 50%
- learning the route through a maze
- no area was proven to be more important in the rats ability to learn the route
- required every part of the cortex
- higher cognitive processes, learning, are not localised

82
Q

PEEL for language localisation questioned - localisation of function

A
  • limitation
  • language may not be solely localised to Wernike’s and Broca’s area
  • Dick + Tremblay
  • 2% of modern researchers think language is completely controlled by these areas
  • brain imaging techniques mean that neural processes in the brain can be studied with more clarity than before
  • language is distributed more holistically in the brain
  • language streams have been identified across the cortex
  • in the right hemisphere and subcortical regions
  • contradicts localisation theory
83
Q

What is hemispheric lateralisation

A

The two hemispheres of the brain are functionally different
- certain mental processes and behaviours are mainly controlled by one hemisphere

84
Q

Why do we say that language is localised

A

The two main centers are only in the left hemisphere

85
Q

What role does the RH add to language

A
  • produce rudimentary words and phases
  • contributes emotional context to what is being said
86
Q

Functions that aren’t lateralised

A
  • vision
  • motor
  • somatosensory areas
87
Q

What is it called when the RH controles the left side of the body

A

Cross wiring
- contralateral wiring

88
Q

Why is vision so complex in lateralisation

A
  • contralateral
  • ipsilateral
89
Q

What does ipsilateral mean

A

Same sided

90
Q

Evaluation points for hemispheric lateralisation

A
  • lateralisation in the connected brain
  • one brain
91
Q

PEEL for lateralisation in the connected brain - heliospheric lateralisation

A
  • strength
  • in connected brains the two hemispheres process information differently
  • Fink: used PET scans
  • identified which brain area was active during a visual processing task
  • regions of the RH were more active when looking at global elements of a n image
  • when looking at specific details the LH was more active
  • hemispheric lateralisation occurs for both people with connected and split brains
  • especially with visual processing
92
Q

PEEL for one brain - hemispheric lateralisation

A
  • limitation
  • the idea the LH is the analyser and the RH is the synthesiser may be wrong
  • may be different functions in the RH and LH
  • research suggests people dont have a dominant side
  • creating different personalities
  • Nielsen et al: analysed brain scans
  • over 1000 people between the ages of 7 and 29
  • people used certain hemispheres for certain tasks
  • no evidence of a dominant side
  • no artist or mathematician brain
  • idea of right or left-brained people is wrong
93
Q

What is split brain research

A
  • series of studies beginning in the 1960s
  • involved people with epilepsy
  • experienced surgical separation of the hemispheres
  • reduced the severity of their epilepsy
  • enabled the research on lateral functions of the brain in isolation
94
Q

Who was the main researcher for split brain research

A

Sperry

95
Q

Sperry’s procedure

A
  • 11 patients who had undergone split brain procedure
  • studied using special set up
  • two images or words were visible in either RVF or LVF
  • the image could not be converted from one hemisphere to another
96
Q

What part of the brain was removed in split brain research

A

Corpus callosum

97
Q

What were the findings of Sperry’s research

A
  • picture shown to RVF, pps could describe what they saw
  • picture shown to LVF, pps said there was nothing there
  • LVF, able to match objects out of sight
  • LVF, emotional response but said didnt see anything
98
Q

Why could the pps not describe what they saw if it was in there LVF

A

In connected brains - messages from the RH are relayed to the language centers in the LH
- unable to happen in split brains

99
Q

What was the conclusion for Sperry’s study

A
  • certain functions are lateralised in the brain
  • supports the view that the LH is verbal
  • RH is ‘silent’ but emotional
100
Q

Evaluation points for split brain research

A
  • research support
  • generalisation issues
101
Q

PEEL for research support - split brains

A
  • strength
  • more recent research
  • Gazzaniga: split brain pps perform better than connected brains on certain tasks
  • faster at identifying the odd one out
  • normal brains LH have better cognitive strategies
  • watered down by the RH
  • supports Sperry’s funding of the left brain and right brain being separate
102
Q

PEEL for generalisation issues - split brain

A
  • limitation
  • causal relationships are hard to establish
  • behaviours were compared to a neurotypical control group
  • no pps in the control group have epilepsy = confounding variable
  • any findings will be a result of epilepsy rather than split brains
  • unique features of the pps is due to epilepsy
103
Q

What is brain plasticity

A

Describes the brains tendency to change and adapt
- as a result of experience and new learning
- involved growth of new connections

104
Q

What is the peak number of synaptic connections at 2-3 years old

A

15,000 per neurones

105
Q

What is synaptic pruning

A
  • rarely used connections = deleted
  • frequently used connections = strengthened
106
Q

What does synaptic pruning enable

A

Lifelong plasticity

107
Q

Who did research into brain plasticity

A

Maguire

108
Q

What research did Maguire conduct on brain plasticity

A
  • studied the brains of London taxi drivers
  • significantly larger volume of grey matter in the posterior hippocampus
  • compared to a control group
  • part of the brain associated with the development of spatial and navigational skills
  • to become a taxi driver they must take a complex test
  • assesses their recall of city streets and routes
109
Q

Findings of Maguire’s study of brain plasticity

A
  • studying for the test alters the structure of the drivers brains
  • longer they had been on the job, more pronounced structural difference
  • positive correlation
110
Q

Supporting study for Maguire’s research into brain plasticity

A

Draganski
- imaged brains of medical students
- 3 months before and after final exam
- learning induced changes seen in the posterior hippocampus and parietal cortex
- result of learning

111
Q

Evaluation points for brain plasticity

A
  • negative plasticity
  • age and plasticity
112
Q

PEEL for negative plasticity - brain plasticity

A
  • limitation
  • may have negative behavioural consequences
  • brains adaptation to prolonged drugs leads to poorer cognitive functions
  • increased risk of dementia
  • 60-80% of amputees have phantom limb syndrome
  • result of cortical reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex
  • brains ability to adapt to damage is not always beneficial
113
Q

PEEL for age and plasticity - brain plasticity

A
  • strength
  • may be a life long ability
  • generally plasticity reduces with age
  • Bezzola: 40 hours of gold training caused changes in the neural representations of movement in pps aged 40-60
  • fMRI: reduced motor cortex activity in the novice golf players compared to control group
  • more efficient neural representations after training
  • neural plasticity continues throughout our life
114
Q

What is functional recovery

A
  • form of plasticity
  • following damage through trauma
  • brains ability to redistribute function performed by damaged areas to un damaged areas
115
Q

What happens to the brain during functional recovery

A

Forms new synaptic connections

116
Q

Structural changes in the brain that take place during functional recovery

A
  • axonal sprouting
  • denervation supersensitivity
  • recruitment of homologous areas
117
Q

What is axonal sprouting

A
  • growth of new nerve endings
  • connect with undamaged nerve cells
  • form new neuronal pathways
118
Q

What is denervation supersensitivity

A
  • axons that do a similar job become aroused to a higher level
  • compensate for the ones that are lost
  • can have negative consequences of oversensitivity to messages
119
Q

What is recruitment of homologous areas

A
  • opposite side of brain
  • specific task can still be performed
  • Broca’s area damaged = similar area on the right
  • after a period of time functionality may shift back to the original side
120
Q

Evaluation points for functional recovery

A
  • real world application
  • cognitive reserve
121
Q

PEEL for real world application - functional recovery

A
  • strength
  • understanding has contributed to neurorehabilitation
  • axonal growth encouraged new therapies to be tested
  • constraint induced movement therapy
  • used with stroke patients
  • repeatedly practice using the affected part of the body
  • research is useful in helping medical professions know when interventions need to be made
122
Q

PEEL for cognitive reserve - functional recovery

A
  • limitation
  • level of education may recovery rates
  • Schneider: more time spent in education = greater changes of disability free recovery (DFR)
  • 40% who achieved DFR had 16 years of education
  • 10% who had less than 12 years
  • people with brain damage who had insufficient DFR are less likely to achieve full recovery
123
Q

What are the different ways of studying the brain

A
  • fMRI
  • EEG
  • ERP
  • post mortem examinations
124
Q

What does fMRI stand for

A

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

125
Q

What does EEG stand for

A

Electroencephalogram

126
Q

What does ERP stand for

A

Event related potentials

127
Q

How do fMRIs work

A
  • detect changes in blood oxygenation and bloody flow
  • occur as a result of brain activity in specific parts of the brain
  • when a part is more active it uses more oxygen, directing blood flow to that area
128
Q

What type of image do fMRIs produce

A
  • 3D images
  • shows which part of the brain is involved in certain mental processes
  • helps understand localisation of function
129
Q

How do EEGs work

A
  • measures electrical activity within the brain
  • uses electrodes that are fixed to a skull cap
130
Q

What type of image do EEGs produce

A
  • represents brainwave patterns
  • generated from the action of thousands of neurons
  • produces an overall account of brain activity
131
Q

Uses of EEGs

A
  • clinicians
  • indicate neurological abnormalities
    • epilepsy, tumours, sleep disorders
132
Q

What is an ERP

A
  • statistically analysis of EEG data
133
Q

What are post mortem examinations

A
  • brain analysed after death
  • usually have a rare disorder or experienced unusual deficits in cognitive processes or behavior
  • help to establish the likely cause of the damage
  • may involve comparison with a neurotypical brain
134
Q

Strength of fMRIs

A
  • does not rely on radiation
  • virtually risk free
  • non invasive
  • straightforward to use
  • high spatial resolution
  • clear picture of how brain activity is localised
  • safely provide a clear picture of
135
Q

Limitations of fMRIs

A
  • expensive
  • poor temporal resolution (5 second time lag)
  • do not truly represent moment to moment brain activity
136
Q

Strengths of EEGs

A
  • studying stages of sleep
  • diagnosis of condition like epilepsy
  • high temporal resolution
  • accurately detect brain activity
137
Q

Limitations for EEGs

A
  • generalised nature of the information received
  • not useful for pinpointing the exact source of neural activity
  • can not distinguish between activities originating in different by adjacent locations
138
Q

Strengths of ERPs

A
  • specificity to the measurement of neural processes
  • excellent temporal resolution
  • used to measure cognitive functions and deficits
  • allocation of attentional resources and maintenance of working memory
139
Q

Limitations of ERPs

A
  • lack of standardisation
  • difficult to confirm findings
  • background sound and extraneous materials must be completely eliminated
  • not easy to achieve
140
Q

Strengths of post mortem examinations

A
  • foundation for early understanding of key processes in the brain
  • Broca + Wernike relied on it
  • used to study HM’s brain
141
Q

Limitations of post mortem examinations

A
  • causation is an issue within these studies
  • observed damage may not be linked to the problems
  • raise ethical issues of consent
  • may not have given informed consent
  • HM couldn’t form memories
142
Q

What is spatial resolution

A
  • smallest feature a scanner can detect
143
Q

What is temporal resolution

A

Accuracy of scanner in relation of time or how quickly the scanner can detect changes in the brain

144
Q

What are biological rhythms

A
  • distinct patterns of change in body activity
  • conform to cyclical time periods
  • influenced by endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers
145
Q

What are circadian rhythms

A
  • biological rhythms
  • once every 24 hours
146
Q

Examples of circadian rhythms

A
  • sleep/wake cycle
  • core body temperature
147
Q

What is the exogenous zeitgeber in the sleep/wake cycle

A

Daylight

148
Q

What is the endogenous pacemaker in the sleep/wake cycle

A

Superchiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

149
Q

What is the SCN found

A

Just bout the optic chiasm

150
Q

Describe the research Michel Siffre completed looking at biological rhythms

A
  • spent extended periods of time underground
  • deprived exposure to natural light and sounds
  • resurfaced in mid September 1962 thinking it was mid August
  • spent 2 months underground
  • biological rhythm settled to every 25 hours
151
Q

What research has Aschoff + Wever completed looking at biological rhythms

A
  • group of pps spend 4 weeks in a WW2 bunker
  • deprived of natural light
  • all but 1 had a circadian rhythm between 24-25 hours
  • 1 had a circadian rhythm of 29 hours
152
Q

What do Siffre, Aschoff + Wever’s research suggest about the sleep/wake cycle

A
  • might be longer than 24 hours
  • trained by exogenous zeitgebers such as day light
153
Q

What research did Folkard et al complete looking into biological rhythms

A
  • 12 pps lived in a dark cave for 3 weeks
  • going to bed when the clock said 11.45 and waking at 7.45
  • researchers gradually sped the clock up
  • 24 hours became 22 hours
  • only one pps was able to adjust comfortably to the change in cycle
  • strong free running circadian rhythm cannot easily be overridden by exogenous zeitgebers
154
Q

What is an infradian rhythm

A
  • type of biological rhythm
  • frequency of less than one cycle per 24 hours
155
Q

Examples of infradian rhythms

A
  • menstruation
  • seasonal affective disorder
156
Q

What is ultraradian rhythm

A
  • type of biological rhythm
  • frequency of more than one cycle every 24 hours
157
Q

Examples of ultradian rhythms

A
  • stages of sleep cycle
158
Q

What controles the menstrual cycle

A

Changes in hormone levels
- regulate ovulation

159
Q

What do rising levels of oestrogen cause in the menstrual cycle

A

Cause the ovary to develop and egg and release it
- ovulation

160
Q

What does progesterone cause in the menstrual cycle

A
  • helps the womb lining grow thicker
  • readying the womb for pregnancy
161
Q

What may be the exogenous zeitgeber in the menstrual cycle

A

Other women’s cycles

162
Q

Who conducted research looking into the influence of pheromones on menstrual cycles

A

Stern + McClintock
- 1998

163
Q

Describe Stern + McClintock’s study on synchronising of menstrual cycles

A
  • 29 women with a history of irregular periods
  • samples of pheromones taken from 9 women at different stages of their cycle
  • samples treated with alcohol and frozen
  • rubbed on upper lip of other pps
  • sample from each day given to pps in order
  • 68% of women experienced a change in their cycle
  • brought them closer to their odour donor
164
Q

What is a circannual rhythm

A

Works on a yearly cycle

165
Q

What hormone has a key effect on those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

A

Melatonin

166
Q

What affect does daylight have on those with SAD

A

Darker for longer
- prolonged excretion on melatonin
- less serotonin produced

167
Q

How long do the 5 stages of sleep span

A

90 minutes

168
Q

Characteristics of stage 1 and 2 of the sleep cycle

A
  • light sleep
  • person is easily woken
    Brain waves
  • stage 1: high frequency, short amplitude, alpha waves
  • stage 2: alpha waves continue, occasional random changes (sleep spindles)
169
Q

What happens during stage 3+4 of the sleep cycle

A
  • deep sleep
  • difficult to wake someone up
  • slow wave sleep (SWS)
  • delta waves
  • low frequency
  • higher amplitude
  • some dreams can occur here
170
Q

What happens during stage 5 of the sleep cycle

A
  • REM sleep (rapid eye movement)
  • body is paralysed
  • brain activity closely resembles that of the awake brain
  • theta waves
  • eyes move around occasionally
  • dreams normally occur here
171
Q

What is the SCN

A
  • tiny bundle of nerve cells
  • located in the hypothalamus
  • both hemispheres
  • primary endogenous pacemaker
  • maintains circadian rhythms
  • receives information about light
172
Q

What animal studies have been done on the SCN

A

DeCoursey et al (2000)
- destroyed the SCN connections in 30 chipmunks
- returned them to their natural habitat
- observed them for 80 days
- sleep/wake cycle disappeared by the end of the study
- many were killed by predators: awake at the wrong times

Ralph et al (1990)
- bred mutant hamsters
- 20 hour sleep/wake cycle
- SCN cells from foetal tissue of mutant hamsters placed in normal hamsters
- cycle of second group defaulted to 20 hours

173
Q

Where does the SCN pass information about light to

A

Pineal gland

174
Q

What does the pineal gland do during the night

A

Produce melatonin
- induces sleep

175
Q

What are endogenous pacemakers

A
  • internal body clocks
  • regulate many biological rhythms
176
Q

What are exogenous zeitgebers

A
  • external factos
  • affect or entrain our biological rhythms
177
Q

What is entrainment

A

The reset of our biological clocks

178
Q

What are the two main exogenous zeitgebers

A
  • light
  • social cues
179
Q

What study was done looking at light as an exogenous zeitgeber

A

Campbell + Murphy (1998)
- light may be detected by skin receptor sites
- 15 pps were woken at various times
- light pad was shone on the back of their knees
- researchers produced a deviation in the pps usual sleep/wake cycle by up to 3 hours
- we don’t necessarily have to rely on our eyes to send information to the brain about light

180
Q

What are the key ages for babies and their sleep/wake cycle

A

6 weeks - sleep/wake cycle begins
16 weeks - sleep/wake cycle entrained by schedules made by parents

181
Q

What has research shown about beating jet lag
- exogenous zeitgeber

A
  • adapting local times for eating and sleeping
  • effective way to entrain circadian rhythms

A-Level Psychology (11 decks)

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