Biopsychology- Localisation Of Function

Question 1

What is localisation of function

Answer 1

The idea that different parts of the brain perform different tasks and are involved with different parts of the body

Question 2

Left side of body is controlled by?

Answer 2

The right hemisphere

Question 3

Right side of body is controlled by?

Answer 3

Left hemisphere

Question 4

Cerebral cortex’s lobes

Answer 4

Parietal lobe
Frontal lobe
Occipital lobe
Temporal lobe

Question 5

Motor cortex- where, what, process?, damaged?

Answer 5

Frontal lobe both hemispheres
Planning, control and execution of movements
Actions that involve both hands- so coordination between left and right motor cortex
If damaged- decreased endurance, weakness on one side of the body

Question 6

Somatosensory cortex

Answer 6

Parietal lobe, sensory cortex, both hemispheres
Recovering and processing sensory information across the body
Hold a book in your hands- able to identify it
If damaged- produce numbness

Question 7

Visual cortex

Answer 7

Occipital lobe, primary cerebral cortex of brain, both hemispheres (right visual field= left hemisphere cortex vice versa)
Receive, segment and integrate vidual info
If damaged- abolishes visual awareness and chronic blindness

Question 8

Auditory cortex

Answer 8

Upper side of temporal lobe
Analyse and decode auditory information
Processing sounds
If damaged- hearing loss/ impairment

Question 9

Phineas gage (1848) did what? (Case study!)

Answer 9

Accident where piece of iron through his skull- damages frontal lobe
experienced change in personality, eg loss of inhibition and anger

Question 10

Phineas gage case study supports localisation of function why?

Answer 10

Damage to area can cause change in personality
BUT
Issues with methodology- very specialised set of damage can’t generalise to other people

Question 11

Broca’s area?

Answer 11

Speech production
Left frontal lobe
If damaged- Associated with slow and inarticulate speech

Question 12

Wernickes area

Answer 12

Language comprehension
Left temporal lobe
If damaged- Struggle to comprehend language that are fluent but meaningless

Question 13

Peterson et al (1982) for

Answer 13

used brain scans to demonstrate how wernickes area was active during listening task and brocas active in reading task- supports idea localisation of function wernickes area for comprehension and broca for production

BUT
dick and tremblay (2016) fmri scanning techniques= brain regions in right hemisphere with language- shows language not just in left hemisphere

Question 14

Lashley (1950) refute and suport

Answer 14

Removed areas of cerebral cortex in rat learning a maze- no area more important in terms of learning (learning in every part of cortex)
-most complex behaviours require distribution across brain holistically

BUT
using animals bad- humans more complex
(But- unlikely humans less complex than rats bc of study)

Question 15

Raine (1997) support

Answer 15

Using scanning found 41 murderers (pleaded insanity) less brain activity in prefrontal lobe + abnormal activity in amygdale control groups matched for age and sex
- support bc frontal lobe associated with self control

Question 16

Equipotentiality theory (lashley)- refute

Answer 16

Basic motor and sensory functions localised but higher mental functions are not

Functions don’t need to be localised and can be organised and various out elsewhere