Brain development evolution Flashcards
What are evolution and development also called?
Evolution= phylogeny Development= ontogeny
What does ontogeny (development) focus on?
Experience, learning, genetics, heredity.
What are the three -ions, the MIND according to ancient greeks?
Cognition: mental processes (thoughts, abilities)
Conation (motivational processes, basic motivations, drives)
Emotion (affective processes, emotions, feelings, mood, stress)
What does phylogeny (evolution) focus on?
adaptation, function, natural selection
What are the physiological correlates of:
- cognition
- conation and motivation
Cognition: Modern cognitive neuroscience. Conation and motivation: Modern
affective (and social) neuroscience. E.g.:
Psychophysiology (autonomic n. system) Behavioural endocrinology (hormones)
What does it mean if Descartes is a rationalist and a mentalist?
a rationalist: he believes in the power of reason, rationality, free will.
a mentalist: he believes in mental events or representations.
Mind and brain as one or two? What is “Cartesian dualism” or “interactionism”, accordign to Descartes?
He believes that body and soul (mind) are two different entities interacting with each other (via the pineal gland or “conarium”) but that each should be studied by different disciplines.
Body (Brain-domain of science) Mind (soul-philosophy)
What is the treatise of man by pascale?
! He explains the control of movements in the context of reflexes.
! Animals have no soul but humans do. Implication: humans think and feel, animals do not, i.e., they are like machines or automata.
! As humans, we have free will.
!
He does this without
modern concepts such as “nerves”, or brain electricity.
What is nature?
he innate, genetically inherited characteristics of an individual/organism; heredity (genetics). Inborn biological “program” or genetic inheritance
What is a genotype? (nature)
the genetic constitution of an organism. Refers to a gene, set of genes or entire genome.
What is a phenotype?
the expression or manifestation of the genotype (or observable characteristics), i.e., morphology, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and behaviour.
What is nurture?
the totality of environmental factors influencing the development and functioning of an individual. It is more than learning and includes experience in environmental (physical and social) conditions.
Who coined nature vs nature and why?
Galton-to describe the dichotomy between the nativist school (mainly biologists) and the behaviourist school (mainly psychologists).
What is epigenesis?
The interaction of the genetic program and environment / experience of the organism
