Ch 1: Biology & Behavior

Question 1

Franz Gall

Answer 1

Early theory linking behavior, intellect, and personality to brain anatomy.

Phrenology - brain expands physically when well developed

Question 2

Pierre Flourens

Answer 2

First person to study major brain functions by extirpation (ablation). Asserts that specific parts = specific functions

Question 3

extirpation

Answer 3

various parts of the brain are surgically removed to observe behavioral consequences

Question 4

William James

Answer 4

Father of American psychology. Believed in importance of studying how the mind functioned in adapting to the environment. One of first theories that formed functionalism

Question 5

Functionalism

Answer 5

a system of thought in psychology that studied how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environments

Question 6

John Dewey

Answer 6

Criticizes the concept of reflex arcs. Believes that psychology should focus on the study of the organism as a whole as it functioned to adapt to the environment

Question 7

Paul Broca

Answer 7

examined behavioral deficits of people with brain damage, demonstrates that specific functional impairments could be linked to specific brain lesions

Question 8

Hermann von Helmholtz

Answer 8

measured speed of nerve impulse

credited with transition of psychology into natural sciences

Question 9

Sir Charles Sherrington

Answer 9

Inferred existence of synapses; thought synaptic transmission was an electrical process, but it’s actually a chemical process.

Question 10

Afferent neurons

Answer 10

transmit sensory information from receptors to spinal cord and brain (CNS)

“Ascends to the brain”

Question 11

efferent neurons

Answer 11

transmit motor information from CNS to muscles and glands

Question 12

interneurons

Answer 12

most abundant, found between other neurons

predominantly in CNS, often linked to reflexive behavior

Question 13

explain what happens when you step on a lego, wrt the reflex arcs

Answer 13

When the receptors of the foot detect pain, signal is transmitted by afferent neurons up to the spinal cord, connecting to interneurons to replay pain impulses to brain. Rather than waiting for brain to send out a signal, interneurons in spinal cord send signals to muscles of both legs, causing individual to withdraw foot with pain

sensory information still makes its way up to the brain, but once it does, muscles have already responded to the pain