Biopsychology: Localisation of Function in the Brain 24/25 UPDATED

Question 1

What is meant by localisation of function? (2 marks) (Example needed)

Answer 1

Where specific areas of the brain are specialized for certain functions (jobs). E.g. the motor cortex is responsible for voluntary movement. Only this area of the brain is responsible for this job.

Question 2

What is meant by holistic theory?

Answer 2

Before investigations into Localisation and Lateralisation, scientists believed that all parts of the brain worked together to process information.

Question 3

How is localisation of function different to hemispheric lateralisation?

Answer 3

Localisation of function suggests that the brain has specific areas responsible for certain functions, whereas hemispheric lateralisation argues that the brain is split into two symmetrical halves whereby the left and the right hemisphere have different responsibilities.

Question 4

What is the role of Broca’s area?

Answer 4

Production of spoken and written language

Question 5

What can damage to Broca’s area lead to?

Answer 5

Broca’s aphasia - A person may show slow speech or speech lacking in fluency or absence of speech

Question 6

Where is Broca’s area?

Answer 6

Left hemisphere

Question 7

What is the role of the motor cortex?

Answer 7

Creation of voluntary movements

Question 8

Where is the motor cortex located?

Answer 8

Both left and right hemisphere

Question 9

What does damage to the motor cortex lead to?

Answer 9

Loss of control over fine movements, small movements on the opposite side of the body

Question 10

What is the role of the somatosensory cortex?

Answer 10

Processes information from the senses in the skin. This includes touch, pressure, pain and temperature.

Question 11

Where is the somatosensory cortex located?

Answer 11

Both left and right hemisphere

Question 12

What does damage to the somatosensory cortex lead to?

Answer 12

Difficulty in perceiving touch, failure to recognise object by touch

Question 13

What is the role of the visual cortex?

Answer 13

Receives information directly from the eyes. Processes information such as colour and shape.

Question 14

Where is the visual cortex located

Answer 14

Back of the brain - across both left and right hemisphere

Question 15

Damage to the visual cortex can lead to ,,.

Answer 15

Blindness, hallucination or inability to see colour or motion

Question 16

What is the role of Wernicke’s area?

Answer 16

Involved in the understanding/comprehension of language

Question 17

Where is Wernicke’s area located?

Answer 17

Left hemipshere

Question 18

What can damage to Wernicke’s area lead to?

Answer 18

Wernicke’s aphasia - cannot understand spoken language or produces nonsense words as part of speech.

Question 19

What is the role of the auditory cortex?

Answer 19

Analyses speech based information e.g. hearing and pitch

Question 20

Where is the auditory cortex located?

Answer 20

In both left and right hemisphere.

Question 21

AO3: Research to support localisation of function was conducted by who?

Answer 21

Broca

Question 22

What can damage to the auditory cortex lead to?

Answer 22

Partial hearing loss through to full hearing loss

Question 23

AO3: What did Broca report on?

Answer 23

Broca reported the case study of a man who lost the ability to speak, expect for one word ‘Tan’ even those he could still understand language.

Question 24

AO3: What was the case study patient Broca investigated able and not able to do?

Answer 24

The patient was unable to produce language apart from the word ‘Tan’ but was still able to understand language.

Question 25

AO3: What was shown on the post mortem examinations for Broca’s case study patient?

Answer 25

Post mortems showed damaged to one area of the brain in the left hemisphere, which is now named Broca’s area.

Question 26

AO3: How does Broca’s case study research support localisation of function in the brain?

Answer 26

because it shows how the function of Broca’s area is specifically to produce language, increasing the validity of the research.

Question 27

AO3: Research to contradict localisation of function was conducted on who?

Answer 27

Patient EB

Question 28

AO3: What happened to patient EB?

Answer 28

EB suffered from brain damage which resulted in the removal of his left hemisphere, and therefore his language centres.

Question 29

AO3: What was found about patient EB?

Answer 29

After some time, EB managed to regain some of his language ability which would not be possible if the language centres were completely localised to the left hemisphere.

Question 30

AO3: How does Patient EB’s case contradict localisation of function in the brain

Answer 30

Because if language was localised to the left hemisphere, patient EB would never have been able to regain any language ability.

Question 31

AO3: What theory may be more appropriate to use to explain functioning of the brain based on patient EB’s research?

Answer 31

A holistic theory of brain functioning

Question 32

AO3: What is the problem with the use of Broca’s case study research and the case study research into patient EB AND why is it a problem?

Answer 32

Low population validity - difficult to generalise the findings beyond the sample to the wider population as they are unique cases with severe brain damage. Therefore, the general population’s brain functions may be different.

Question 33

AO3: What has research found that contradicts that language is solely in the left hemisphere?

Answer 33

It may not always be in the left hemisphere. It may be in the dominant hemisphere which is commonly found to be opposite to dominant handedness.

Question 34

AO3: What sample did Lashley use in their research which contradicted localisation of function?

Answer 34

Rats

Question 35

AO3: How can Lashley’s research to contradict localisation of function be criticised and why?

Answer 35

Animal bias - use of rats, humans have a more complex/sophisticated brain functioning therefore difficult to generalise the findings about localisation of function to humans.

Question 36

AO3: What did Lashley find in their study?

Answer 36

That no area was more important than any other area in terms of the rats ability to learn the maze. It suggested that the process of learning required all areas of the cortex rather than one specific localised area.

Question 37

AO3: Based on Lashley’s findings that ‘the process of learning required all areas of the cortex rather than one specific localised area’ - which explanation of how the brain functions would be most appropriate?

Answer 37

A holistic explanation // Holistic theory

Question 38

What is the difference between Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area?

Answer 38

Broca’s area is responsible for Speech Production whereas Wernicke’s area is responsible for comprehension/understanding of language.

Question 39

Which letter is pointing to Broca’s area?

Answer 39

A

Question 40

Which letter is pointing to the somatosensory area?

Answer 40

C

Question 41

Which letter is pointing to the Visual Cortex?

Answer 41

D

Question 42

Which letter is pointing to Wernicke’s area?

Answer 42

E

Question 43

Which letter is pointing to the Motor Cortex?

Answer 43

B

Question 44

Which box is pointing to the somatosensory cortex? Top, middle or bottom box?

Answer 44

Top box

Question 45

Which box is pointing to the visual cortex? Top, middle or bottom box?

Answer 45

Middle box

Question 46

Which box is pointing to the auditory cortex? Top, middle or bottom box?

Answer 46

Bottom box

Question 47

Which area is responsible for processing sensations such as pain and pressure?

Answer 47

C - somatosensory cortex

Question 48

Which area processes information such as colour and shape?

Answer 48

D - visual cortex

Question 49

Which area processes information such as pitch and volume?

Answer 49

E - auditory cortex

Question 50

Which area is responsible for voluntary movements?

Answer 50

B - motor cortex

Question 51

AO3: What did Lashley do in their research?

Answer 51

Lashley removed areas of the cortex in rats (between 10% and 50%) that were learning a maze.