BIOPSYCHOLOGY Localisation Of Function In The Brain

Question 1

What is meant by localisation of the brain

Answer 1

Refers to the idea that different parts of the brain are responsible for different functions

Question 2

Activity on the left hand side of the body is controlled by the …

Answer 2

Right hemisphere

Question 3

Activity on the right hand side of the body is controlled by the..

Answer 3

Left hemisphere

Question 4

What is the function of the frontal lobe

Answer 4

Involved with voluntary movement, reasoning, mood/personality and impulse control

Question 5

What is the function of the occipital lobe

Answer 5

Known for the visual processing centre of the brain

Question 6

What is the function of the temporal lobe

Answer 6

Primarily responsible for processing auditory stimuli

Question 7

What is the function of the parietal lobe

Answer 7

Involved with the processing the sense of touch, limb position, and spatial awareness

Question 8

Location of the motor cortex

Answer 8

Frontal lobe

Question 9

Function of the motor cortex

Answer 9

Controls voluntary movement in the opposite side of the body

Question 10

What happens when motor cortex is damaged

Answer 10

Loss of control over movements

Question 11

Location of the somatosensory cortex

Answer 11

Front of the parietal lobes

Question 12

Function of the somatosensory cortex

Answer 12

Sensory information from the skin is represented (touch, heat, pressure)

Question 13

What happens when the somatosensory cortex is damaged

Answer 13

Decreased ability to differentiate / feel stimuli

Question 14

Location of the visual cortex

Answer 14

Occipital lobe

Question 15

Function of the visual cortex

Answer 15

Images from right visual field sent to left visual cortex

Images from left visual field sent to right visual cortex

Question 16

What happens when you damage the visual cortex

Answer 16

Damage to left hemisphere can produce blindness in part of the right visual field on both eyes

Damage to right hemisphere can produce blindness in part of the left visual field of both eyes

Question 17

Location of the auditory cortex

Answer 17

Temporal lobe

Question 18

Function of the auditory cortex

Answer 18

Analyses speech based information

Question 19

What happens when you damage the auditory cortex

Answer 19

May produce partial hearing loss- more extensive the damage the moser extensive the loss

Question 20

Location of Brocas Area

Answer 20

Small area in the left frontal lobe

Question 21

Function of Broca’s area

Answer 21

Responsible for speech production

Question 22

What happens when you damage Broca’s area

Answer 22

Causes Brocas aphasia - speech is slow, lacking in fluency

Question 23

Location of wernickes area

Answer 23

Left temporal lobe

Question 24

Function of Wernickes area

Answer 24

Responsible for language comprehension

Question 25

What happens when you damage Wernickes area

Answer 25

Causes Wernickes aphasia - produce nonsense words as part of speech

Question 26

AO3

+ Research support brain scan evidence

Answer 26

P - neurological functions localised , especially in relation to Lang and memory

E- Peterson et al - brain scans to demonstrate how Wernickes area was active during listening scan & Broca’s area active during reading task

F- tulving et al - long term memory study - semantic and episodic memory reside different parts of prefrontal cortex

TMB - brain scan evidence suggests areas of brain have different functions and localised in specific areas in brain

Question 27

A03

- Contradictory research

Answer 27

Lashley - plasticity - explain plasticity

F - Lashley - also suggest that higher cognitive functions are not localised but distributed in a more holistic way in the brain. He removed areas of the cortex in rats and found that no area was important to the rats ability to learn the maze

I&D - reductionism, tries to fit each area of the brain to having specific function but neglects ability for them to compromise where there is damage