LECTURE 3

Question 1

NEURON

Answer 1

Cell specialized for electrical communication
* Receives connections from other neurons (input)
and projects connections to other neurons (output)
* Connections can be excitatory or inhibitory
* Connections change through learning

Question 2

ACTION POTENTIAL

Answer 2

STUDY DIAGRAM

Question 3

BRAIN

Answer 3

Composed of ~46 million neurons and trillions of connections between each. Hindbrain, midbrain,
forebrain.

Question 4

CORTEX

Answer 4

Outer surface of forebrain. Divided into 4 main lobes. It is wrinkled to maximize surface area and have efficient blood flow to the brain.

Question 5

4 DIVISIONS OF CORTEX

Answer 5

Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, Occipital

Question 6

WHITE AND GREY MATTER

Answer 6

White matter represents connections between neurons. They are present deeper within the cortex. Grey matter is present on the surface of the cortex, composed of cell bodies of nerves.

Question 7

FRONTAL LOBE

Answer 7

Coordinates information from other association areas, controls some behavior and reasoning skills.

Question 8

PARIETAL LOBE

Answer 8

Sensory information from skin, muscoskeletal system, viscera and taste buds.

Question 9

OCCIPITAL LOBE

Answer 9

Vision

Question 10

TEMPORAL LOBE

Answer 10

Hearing

Question 10

GUSTATORY CORTEX

Answer 10

Taste

Question 10

OLFACTORY CORTEX

Answer 10

Smell

Question 11

SKELETAL MUSCLE MOVEMENT

Answer 11

Motor association areas

Question 11

THALAMUS

Answer 11

Sensory processing

Question 12

HIPPOCAMPUS

Answer 12

Memory formation

Question 13

AMYGDALA

Answer 13

Emotion-based learning

Question 14

CONTRALATERAL

Answer 14

Each hemisphere receives input about, as well as
controls, opposite side of body.

Brain is composed of two structurally symmetrical hemispheres (Functionally distinct for many processes). Communication between hemispheres occurs at the corpus callosum.

Question 15

LEFT HEMISPHERE

Answer 15

Language (incl. Broca’s & Wernicke’s areas)
* fast temporal processing?
* local detail (small details)

Question 16

RIGHT HEMISPHERE

Answer 16

Spatial processing and global configuration

Question 17

10% BRAIN USAGE DEBATE

Answer 17

No, brain activates different areas for different activities.

Question 18

fMRI

Answer 18

Functional magnetic resonance imaging
* Measures blood flow amount to areas in the brain
* High spatial resolution, low temporal resolution
(multiple seconds)

Question 19

EEG

Answer 19

Electro encephalograph
* Measures electrical changes in the scalp
* Low spatial resolution, high temporal resolution (a
few milliseconds)

Question 20

TMS

Answer 20

Transcranial magnetic stimulation
* Uses magnetic fields to temporarily disrupt
electrical activity in a certain region of the brain
* Effects on cognition are then assessed

Question 21

Brain Injury

Answer 21

Can be due to traumatic injury, stroke,
or disease.
* Damaged area is localized and effects on cognition are studied
* Compare patients to find double dissociations

Question 22

EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Answer 22

Compare two or more experimental conditions to find systematic differences * Uses scientific method and statistical analysis * Independent and Dependent Variables * Most common dependent variables are: * Accuracy – number (or %) of correct responses * Latency – time to make a response * Use statistics to explore differences between conditions

Question 23

MOTION TRACKING

Answer 23

Provides continuous data. - Eye tracking: * Records eye movements while looking at stimuli or reading * Can be used to create heat maps showing where people look

Question 23

MENTAL CHRONOMETRY

Answer 23

Neural communication takes time * Every stage in a mental process takes some amount of time (latency) * If two similar processes take reliably different amounts of time, there is some difference between them * Theoretical source of the difference up for debate

Question 24

ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY

Answer 24

The degree to which an experiment’s findings would hold up in everyday life