Biological assumption Flashcards
What are the three biological assumptions?
Evolutionary influences, Localisation of brain function, Neurotransmitters
What does Evolutionary influences explain?
Evolutionary influences explains how our minds and behaviour have changed to meet demands of individual environment.
What are the two parts to evolutionary influences assumption?
- The theory of natural selection
- environment of evolutionary adaptiveness (EEA)
Explain the theory of natural selection?
Darwin’s theory of natural selection explains that genetically determined behaviour increase the chances of survival.
Example of Theory of natural selection?
Altruistic behaviour: when parents risk their lives for their offspring. This increases offspring chance of survival and the chance of genes being passed down.
Concept of environment of evolutionary adaptiveness?
- Environment when species have adapted and selective pressure exists.
- Evolutionary psychologists think that only the behaviour that will result in survival is adaptive.
Example of EEA?
About two million years ago when humans moved from forest life to the savannahs in Africa they developed complex brain structure in response to the complex social organisation. The more likely a human to form an alliance the more likely it is to survive.
Explain localisation of brain function?
Different parts of the brain perform different tasks
Two parts of Localisation of brain function?
- Four lobes
- Localisation of language
What are the different sections of the brain and their function?
- Frontal lobe: thinking and creativity
- Parietal lobe: sensory information (touch, temperature, pain)
- Temporal lobe: memory and auditory information processing
- Occipital lobe: visual information processing
Localisation of brain function?
Different parts of the brain are responsible for processing language
Two sections of the brain associated with language?
- Broca’s area
- Wernicke’s area
Broca’s area?
Paul Broca’s examined the brains of eight patients with language difficulties after death. he found they all had damage to a specific part of their left hemisphere.
Wernicke’s area?
Carl Wernicke investigated patients that could speak but not understand language. They all had damage in the posterior portion of the temporal lobe.
Explain neurotransmitters?
Neurons are electrically excitable cells that form the basis of the nervous system.
One neuron communicates with others at a synapse. It either inhibits or stimulates the other neurons by sending neurotransmitters across the synapse.
The gap between neurons is the synaptic cleft which is 20nm wide.
