Biopsychology - 7) Ways of Studying the Brain

Question 1

4 ways of studying the brain

Answer 1

Post-mortem examinations
FMRI
EEG
ERG

Question 2

What type of method is a post-mortem examination?

Answer 2

Invasive method as the skin is cut open

Question 3

Post-mortem examination

Answer 3

An examination of a corpse in order to determine the cause of death
Also used to try and correlate structural damage to behaviour

Question 4

Example of a patient who had a post-mortem examination and reason for the examination

Answer 4

Patient ‘Tan’ from Broca’s study
Examination of the brain to determine why could only say a limited amount of words

Question 5

Issues with post-mortem examinations

Answer 5

Cannot see the brain in its active state
May lack validity as there may be neural changes in the brain due to death

Question 6

Positive evaluation of post-mortem examinations

Answer 6

Used to identify Broca’s area

Question 7

Non-invasive method

Answer 7

Study where there is no damage to the skin in order to examine the brain

Question 8

FMRI

Answer 8

3D scans using magnetic and radio waves to measure brain activity by tracking blood flow
Also measures change in energy released by haemoglobin reflecting activity in the brain

Question 9

Process of FMRI

Answer 9

Patient lies in large cylinder magnet and radio waves are sent through the body, affecting the body’s atoms
Moving picture of the brain is produced

Question 10

Positive evaluation of FMRI

Answer 10

Captures dynamic brain activity (dynamic meaning moving)
Good spatial resolution (can identify exactly where the activity is occurring in the brain)

Question 11

Negative evaluation of FMRI

Answer 11

Expensive - massive cost implications for hospitals
Temporal resolution makes interpretation difficult due to 5 second delay. Makes it hard to match the response to a particular stimulus
People with claustrophobia may feel distressed

Question 12

Process of EEG

Answer 12

Electrodes placed on the scalp with a sticky substance
Electrodes pick up electrical signal/neuronal activity from the brain and send them to EEG machine
EEG machine records the signals on a computer screen

Question 13

How many types of EEG wavelengths are there and what are they?

Answer 13

4: gamma, beta, alpha and theta

Question 14

Examples of uses of EEGs

Answer 14

Used in sleep clinics to identify if the brain is going through the same stages of sleep as most individuals
Useful for people with epilepsy as they have an overload of electrical/neuronal activity

Question 15

Positive evaluation of EEG

Answer 15

Cheaper than FMRI
Good temporal resolution as activity that’s occurring is recorded live
Passively records brain activity making it a safe method

Question 16

Negative evaluation of EEG

Answer 16

Poor spatial resolution - exact area where brain activity is taking place cannot be precisely identified

Question 17

Equipment used in ERPs

Answer 17

Exact same equipment as EEG

Question 18

ERP

Answer 18

Measures brain’s response to a stimulus through analysis of EEG data

Question 19

What are ERPs a form of…how?

Answer 19

Form of lie-detector test
An average reaction to the familiar stimulus will be recorded and will be different to the average reaction of the unfamiliar stimulus

Question 20

Examples of how ERPs may be used

Answer 20

Used to identify change in brain activity when an individual is shown a particular picture