Biological Psychology - BRAIN

Question 1

What does the CNS contain?

Answer 1

Brain and spinal cord

Question 2

What part of the body does the left hemisphere control?

Answer 2

Right side of body

Question 3

What part of the body does the right hemisphere control?

Answer 3

Left side of body

Question 4

What are lobes?

Answer 4

Sections of the brain

Question 5

What does the brainstem do?

Answer 5

It is the part of the brain which connects the upper brain to the spinal cord.

Question 6

What does the brain do?

Answer 6

It is the organ in your head, made up of nerves which processes information and controls behaviour.

Question 7

What is a hemisphere?

Answer 7

Half of the brain [left/right halves]

Question 8

What is a cortex?

Answer 8

The outer layer of the brain.

Question 9

What is the spinal cord?

Answer 9

Pathway of nerves in the spine, connecting the brain to the rest of the body.

Question 10

What is brain lateralisation?

Answer 10

It refers to the fact that the left and right hemispheres have different specialised functions.

Question 11

What is the corpus callosum?

Answer 11

It bridges the left and the right hemispheres of the brain. [connects them together]

Question 12

Functions of the left hemisphere:

Answer 12

• logic
• analysis
• sequences
• linear
• maths
• language
• facts
• think in words
• computation
• spatial reasoning

Question 13

Functions of the right hemisphere:

Answer 13

• creativity
• imagination
• holistic thinking
• intuition
• arts [motor skill]
• rhythm
• non verbal
• feelings
• visualisation
• day dreaming
• language

Question 14

What does the frontal lobe control?

Answer 14

It controls decision making, impulse control, attention, voluntary movement.

Question 15

What does the parietal lobe control?

Answer 15

It controls perception, face recognition, touch sensations.

Question 16

What does the occipital lobe control?

Answer 16

It controls vision, making sense of images.

Question 17

What does the temporal lobe control?

Answer 17

It controls hearing, sounds, producing speech, memory.

Question 18

What does the cerebellum do?

Answer 18

It controls motor skills, movement, balance, coordination.

Question 19

What are the 4 lobes of the brain?

Answer 19

• frontal
• temporal
• parietal
• occipital

Question 20

What are the 4 main parts of the brain?

Answer 20

• midbrain
• prefrontal cortex
• amygdala
• hypothalamus

Question 21

What does the prefrontal cortex do?

Answer 21

• This is the area of the brain that sits behind the forehead.
• It is influential in social behaviour and the regulation of behaviour.
• The prefrontal cortex has connections with the amygdala and hypothalamus.
• Damage to the prefrontal cortex can lead to problems with anger management, irritability and impulse control.

Question 22

What does the midbrain do?

Answer 22

• The midbrain contains an area called the periaqueductal grey matter [PGM], which links the amygdala and hypothalamus with prefrontal cortex.
• It has a role with coordinating and integrating behavioural responses.
• It coordinates stress.

Question 23

What does the amygdala do?

Answer 23

• The amygdala is the centre for emotions, emotional behaviour and motivation.
• Integrates internal and external stimuli and every sensory modality has an input.
• When this is combined, it gives us an instinctive feeling or reaction to the environment that will include aggression.

Question 24

What does the hypothalamus do?

Answer 24

• The hypothalamus maintains homeostasis through the regulation of hormones.
• This includes those that regulate sexual function.
• This is linked to aggressive behaviour in males via the production of testosterone.