Biopsychology

Question 1

The Human Nervous System

Answer 1

Provides the biological basis of psychological experience

Split into Peripheral Nervous system and CNS

Question 2

Central Nervous System

Answer 2

Controls bodily functions and psychological processes

Splits into the Brain and Spinal Chord

Question 3

Peripheral Nervous System

Answer 3

Transmits messages via neurones to and from the CNS

Splits into Somatic and Autonomic Nervous System

Question 4

Somatic Nervous System

Answer 4

Carries sensory and motor information to and from the spinal chord

Conscious

Question 5

Autonomic Nervous System

Answer 5

Transfers information to and from internal organs

This maintains breathing rate, heart rate and stress responses unconsciously

Splits into parasympathetic and symptomatic systems

Question 6

Brain

Answer 6

Ensures that life and psychological processing is maintained
2 Hemispheres and the cerebral cortex is highly developed which distinguishes our higher mental functions

Question 7

Spinal Chord

Answer 7

Facilitates the transferral of messages to and from the brain to the PNS

Question 8

Sympathetic Nervous System

Answer 8

Controls fight or flight

Slows digestions, inhibits saliva production, increases hr and dilates pupils

Question 9

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Answer 9

Rest and Digest, maintains and conserves body energy and functions

Increases digestion, increases saliva production, decreases heart rate

Question 10

The Endocrine System

Answer 10

Instructs glands to release hormones directly into the bloodstream

Question 11

Gland

Answer 11

an organ in the body that synthesises substances such as hormones

Question 12

Homeostasis

Answer 12

the maintenance of a constant internal environment within the body

Question 13

Pineal Gland

Answer 13

Produces and secretes the hormone melatonin which regulates biological rhythms such as sleep and wake cycles.

Located in the brain

Question 14

Adrenal Glands

Answer 14

Adrenal glands release adrenaline directly into the bloodstream which prepares the body for fight or flight by constricting blood vessels to the stomach.
This inhibits digestion and increases your heart rate.

Question 15

Pituitary Gland

Answer 15

Controls the release-of hormones from all the other endocrine glands. Also known as the master gland.

Located in the brain, below the hypothalamus (which controls it).

Question 16

Testes

Answer 16

This facilitates the release of the male hormone- testosterone

Testosterone affects aggression, facial hair, sex drive, muscle mass.

Question 17

Ovaries

Answer 17

this facilitates the release of the female hormones- oestrogen and progesterone

produces eggs

Question 18

Sensory Neurone

Answer 18

Function:
Unipolar- only transmits messages in one direction

Carries messages from the PNS to the brain and spinal cord (CNS)

Length of Fibres:
Long dendrites and short axons

Question 19

Relay Neurone

Answer 19

Function:
Multipolar neurones- send and receive messages

Transfers messages from sensory neurones to other interconnecting neurones or motor neurones

Length of fibres:
Short dendrites and short or long axons

Question 20

Motor Neurone

Answer 20

Function:
Multipolar neurones- send and receive messages

Carries messages from the CNS to effectors such as muscles and glands

Length of fibres:
Short dendrites and long axons

Question 21

Process of synaptic transmission 1

Answer 21

nerve impulse travels down an axon

nerve impulse reaches synaptic terminal

this triggers the release of neurotransmitters

the neurotransmitters are fired into the synaptic gap

Question 22

Process of synaptic transmission 2

Answer 22

neurotransmitter binds with receptors on the dendrite of the adjacent neurone

if successfully transmitted the neurotransmitter is taken up by the post-synaptic neurone

the message will continue to be passed in this way via electrical impulses

Question 23

Excitatory and inhibitory Neurotransmitters

Answer 23

Neurotransmitters can be either excitatory or inhibitory
-excitation only: acetylcholine (ACh), adrenaline
-inhibitory only: serotonin, GABA

Question 24

Localisation

Answer 24

the theory that specific areas of the brain are associated with particular physical and psychological functions

Question 25

Hemispheric Lateralisation

Answer 25

the dominance of one hemisphere of the brain for particular physical and psychological functions the right hand side is responsible for the functions of the left hand side of the body and vice versa

Question 26

Language areas of the brain

Answer 26

Broca is responsible for speech production. Wernicke plays an important role in understanding other people’s speech and for language comprehension. Language areas are only found on the left side.

Question 27

The central core

Answer 27

Regulates our most primitive and involuntary behaviours such as breathing, sleeping or sneezing

Question 28

The limbic system

Answer 28

a group of interconnected brain structures that help regulate your emotions and behavior

Question 29

The cerebrum

Answer 29

* this regulates our higher intellectual processes * it has an outermost layer known as the cerebral cortex; appears grey because of the location of cell bodies (hence “grey matter”) * each of our sensory systems sends messages to and from this cerebral cortex

Question 30

The 4 Lobes

Answer 30

Parietal - Location for sensory and motor movements Temporal - Location for the auditory ability and memory acquisition Occipital - location responsible for vision Frontal - The location for awareness (consciousness)

Question 31

Add localisation evaluations

Question 32

Plasticity

Answer 32

the brain’s tendency to change and adapt as a result of experience and new learning

Question 33

Add rest of plasticity, sleep stages and all of split brain

Question 34

fMRI scans

Answer 34

fMRI scans show brain activity: * 3D scan providing structural and functional information * shows changes in brain activity using a strong magnetic field and radio waves 1. more oxygenated blood flows to active areas of the brain 2. molecules in oxygenated blood respond differently to a magnetic field than those in deoxygenated blood 3. more active areas of the brain can be identified The neurones sending electrical signal widen the blood vessels to allow more oxygenated blood to flow to the brain Haemodynamic response (HR) allows the rapid deliver of blood to active neuronal tissues. The brain consumes large amounts of energy but does not have a reservoir of stored energy substrates This type of brain scan produces a dynamic picture

Question 35

Strengths of fMRI scans

Answer 35

fMRI provides a high resolution moving picture of brain activity. This means that patterns of activity can be compared rather than just the physiology of the brain (localisation). Non-invasive/virtually risk free Does not rely on radiation (like X-rays

Question 36

Weakness of fMRI scans

Answer 36

Poor temporal resolution- 5 second time-lag behind the image on the screen and the initial firing of neuronal activity. Expensive and can only capture a clear image if the person stays still. Can only measure blood flown the brain. It cannot home in on activity of individual neurones.

Question 37

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Answer 37

Looks for different frequency of brain waves EEG electrodes are specific to areas of the brain

Question 38

Brain wave types

Answer 38

* Alpha * Beta * Delta * Theta

Question 39

EEG Strengths

Answer 39

Invaluable in the diagnosis of conditions such as epilepsy. Contributed to research into ultradian rhythms of sleep. Extremely high temporal resolution can accurately detect brain activity at a resolution of a single millisecond.

Question 40

EEG weaknesses

Answer 40

The main drawback of EEG lies in the generalised nature of the information received (thousands of neurones). Not useful for pinpointing the exact source of neural activity and does not allow researchers to distinguish between activities origination in different but adjacent locations.

Question 41

Event-related potentials (ERPs)

Answer 41

ERPs record activity in response to a stimulus introduced by the researcher. All extraneous brain activity from the original EEG recording is filtered out leaving only those responses that relate to the specific stimuli. Used in memory research. Miltner et al. (2000) found that people with phobias had an ERP of a greater amplitude in response to images of the object they feared.

Question 42

Post mortem examinations

Answer 42

Involves removing the brain, preserving it, splicing it and observing where there was damage, activity etc requires permission Brown et al. (1986) discovered that patients who have schizophrenia had enlarged ventricles in their brains

Question 43

Circadian Rhythm

Answer 43

A biological rhythm that have a periodicity of 24 hours. Periodicity in relation to biological rhythms is the time between one peak or maximum value and the next peak or maximum value. -Sleep-waking cycle: one period of sleep and one of waking every 24 hours -Core body temperatures: one peak and trough every 24 hours -Hormone production: melatonin levels peak in the dark and are at its lowest during the daylight

Question 44

Ultradian and Infradian Rhythms

Answer 44

Ultradian: a type of biological rhythm with a frequency of more than one cycle in 24 hours BRAC: Basic Rest and Activity Cycle, Sleep stages Infradian: a type of biological rhythm with a frequency of less than one cycle in 24 hours: menstrual cycle, SADnd lack of melatonin during winter months

Question 45

Sleep Cycle Stage 1

Answer 45

Non-REM sleep: transition from wakefulness to sleep. Last less than 10 minutes and is marked by slowing heartbeat, breathing and eye movements as well as relaxing of muscles. Alpha brain waves

Question 46

Sleep Cycle Stage 2

Answer 46

Non-REM sleep: is the period of light sleep before you enter deeper sleep. Lasts roughly 20 minutes. Further slowing of heart rate, breathing and the brain begins to produce bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity known as sleep spindles. Theta brain waves

Question 47

Sleep Cycle Stage 3

Answer 47

Final stage of non-REM sleep: deepest period of sleep and lasts 20-40 minutes. Your heart rate and breathing are at the lowest levels and your muscles are so relaxed that it may be hard to awaken you Delta brain waves

Question 48

REM (Stage 4 of the sleep cycle)

Answer 48

Occurs 90 minutes after sleep onset and is much deeper sleep than any of the stages of non-REM. Defined as rapid eye movement and an almost complete paralysis of the body. REM brain waves

Question 49

EP's and SCN

Answer 49

Endogenous pacemakers maintain circadian rhythms and the SCN is a primary EP

Question 50

Pineal Gland and Melatonin

Answer 50

Pineal gland increases the production of melatonin at night as it induces sleep and is inhibited during periods of wakefulness

Question 51

Entrainment

Answer 51

Process of resetting the biological clock in line with external time cues

Question 52

Bugress et al. (2003)

Answer 52

Found that exposure to bright light prior to an east-west flight, decreased the time needed to readjust to local time on arrival. Participants exposed to continuous bright light shifted their circadian rhythm by 2.1 hours whereas those exposed to intermittent bright light shifted their rhythm by 1.5 hours and those exposed to dim light shifted theirs by just 0.6 hours. As a result, participants in the first condition felt sleepier two hours earlier in the evening and woke two hours earlier in the morning, i.e. closer to local time conditions

Question 53

Social Cues

Answer 53

At 6 weeks of age, the circadian rhythm begins and by 16 weeks, most babies are entrained The schedule imposed by parents is said to have a large influence here, including adult-determined mealtimes and bedtimes Jet lag research found that adapting to local eating and sleeping times is an effective way for entraining circadian rhythms

Question 54

Hormones

Answer 54

Chemical substances that circulate in the bloodstream their effects on behaviour can be very powerful. They affect target cell with receptors for specific hormones.