Examine one interaction between cognition and physiology in terms of behaviour. Evaluate 2 relevant studies

Question 1

What is cognitive neuroscience? What does it investigate? What has been the case in recent years? (3)

Answer 1

• the scientific study of biological correlates of mental processes (cognition)
• how various brain areas are involved in cognitive processes (e.g. how brain damage affects memory)
• researchers have also investigated how cognition and physiological processes may interact in people who meditate

Question 2

What are a number of neuroscientists examining now? (2)

Answer 2

• how meditation or mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may influence brain functions
• the effect of meditation on attention, emotional reactivity and stress

Question 3

Where can ‘interaction of cognition and physiology’ be seen? (1)

Answer 3

• in the self-regulation of attention (MBSR) which seems to have physiological benefits (stress reduction)

Question 4

What are 2 relevant studies to examine one interaction between cognition and physiology in terms of behaviour? (2)

Answer 4

• Davidson et al. (2004) Brain waves and compassion meditation
• Vestergaard-Poulsen et al. (2009)

Question 5

AMFCE Davidson et al. (2004) Brain waves and compassion meditation (8)

Answer 5

Aim: to investigate whether meditation can change brain activity

Method:

• eight monks who had practised meditation for many years and a control group of 10 students who had one week of training participated in the study
• cognitive activities (inc meditation) produce electrical activity why the neurons fire = recorded by the EEG (electroencephalograph which records electrical activity as brain waves)
• participants asked to meditate on ‘unconditional compassion’ i.e. open the mind for feelings of love and compassion for short periods
• control group participated in a training session where they were asked to think of someone they cared about and to let their mind be invaded by love and compassion
• after initial training the participants were asked to generate an objective feeling of compassion without focusing on anyone in particular

Findings:
- EEG of monks’ brains showed greater activation + better organisation + coordination of gamma waves = positive correlation between hours of practice and level of gamma waves

Conclusion:
- results support idea that attention and affective processes are skills that can be trained

Evaluation:
- but more research is needed to establish if the change in brain waves is caused by hours of training and not individual differences before training

Question 6

What did Vestergaard-Poulsen et al. (2009) find? What were these things specifically? (2)

More (4)

Answer 6

• found that extensive practice of meditation involving sustained attention could lead to changes in brain structure
• structural changes in lower brain stem of participants engaged in LT practice of meditation compared with age-matched non-meditators
• MRI scans of two groups of participants = meditators + non-meditators
• study found changes in brainstem regions concerned with control of respiration and cardiac rhythm (autonomic nervous system) = connection of neurons seemed more complex in people who meditated = could explain some of the beneficial effects found in research on stress reduction techniques such as MBSR because cortisol levels are reduced and the cardiac and breathing rhythm slow down
• meditative practices have already been applied in health psychology e.g. Davidson et al. (2003) found that Mindfulness meditation could increase positive emotion and immune responses
• MBSR also found to alleviate pain (Grant et al. 2010)

Question 7

Examine one interaction between cognition and physiology in terms of behaviour. Evaluate 2 relevant studies

Answer 7

• Intro (6)
• Davidson et al. (2004) Brain waves and compassion meditation (8)
• Vestergaard-Poulsen et al. (2009) (6)