Midterm 1 Flashcards
Who was Hippocrates and what was his influence?
Ancient Greece physician who developed the world’s first personality classification scheme.
Socrates & Plato
Mind and body are connected
knowledge is acquired though experience
mind as a “blank slate” (tabula rasa - john locke)
Avicenna (980-1037 CE)
Human intellect at birth is a blank sheet
Knowledge comes from empirical familiarity with objects in this world
Ibn Tafail (1105-1185 CE)
Demonstrated this idea through an allegorical tale in his book Hay ibn Yaqzan
Influenced john lockes later formula of tabula rasa
The mind body problem
John locke: proposed that the mind and the body could be made of the same substance
james mill: proposed that the mind may be entirely physical, and therefore follow laws
Who was Charles Darwin and what was his influence?
Darwin developed the theory of natural selection - the genetically inherited traits that contribute to survival and reproductive success are more likely to flourish within the breeding population.
Wilhelm wundt and edward bradford titchener
- structuralism
- examined the induvidual structures of the mind through introspection
- report thoroughly on your experiences
william james
- functionalism
- focus on how mental and behavioural processes function
- what purpose do the activities of the mind serve? how can this help us survive as a species
Sir Francis Galton
Believed that hereditary (genetics) could explain the physical and psychological difference found in population.
Ivan Pavlov
Salivating puppies - observation led to research of mechanisms of learning.
John B. Watson
Believed all behaviour could ultimately be explained through conditioning.
What was B. F. Skinner’s view?
Radical behaviourism - how an organism responded to rewards and punishments
Who was Donald Hebb, and what theory did he develop?
Hebb was a Canadian neuroscientist who examined how cells in the brain change over the course of learning. He developed Hebb’s law - memory is related to activity occurring at the cellular level.
Genes
The basic units of heredity; responsible for guiding the process of creating proteins that make up our physical structures and regulate development & psychological processes
Genes are composed of DNA, which is what?
A molecule that contains 4 nucleotides (adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine) - each gene is a unique combination of these 4 which represent the code used to create the thousands of proteins in the body.
Genotype vs phenotype
Genotype - the genetic makeup of an organism (unique set of genes that comprise the individual’s genetic code)
Phenotype - the resulting physical traits & behavioural characteristics that show genetic variation
All the cells in our body contain 23 pairs of chromosomes which are?
Structures in the cellular nucleus that are lined with all the genes an individual inherits.
Behavioural genomics
refers to the study of DNA and the ways in which specific genes are related to behaviour
Behavioural genetics
the complementary field of behavioural genomics that refers to the study of how genes and the environment influence behaviour
What term refers to a statistic (between 0 & 1) that represents the degree to which genetic differences between individuals contribute to individual differences in a behaviour found in a population?
Heritability - 0 means genes don’t contribute to individual differences in a trait; 1.0 means genes account for all individual differences in a trait.
Epignetics
study of changes in gene expression that occur as a result of experience and that do not alter the genetic code
CRISPR-Cas9 (CRISPR)
refers to the technique that allows genetic material to be removed, added, or altered in specific locations of the genome
What is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and how does it help research?
A procedure in which an electromagnetic pulse is delivered to a targeted region of the brain. Results in a temporary disruption of brain activity allowing researchers to investigate a number cognitive processes.
What is structural neuroimaging, and how is it useful?
Type of brain scanning that produces images of the different structures of the brain. Used to measure the size of different brain areas and to determine whether any brain injury has occurred.
What are the 3 types of structural neuroimaging?
- Computerized tomography (CT scan)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Tensor imaging (DTI)
What is functional neuroimaging, and how is it useful?
Type of brain scanning that provides info about which areas of the brain are active when a person performs a particular behaviour.
What are the types of functional neuroimaging?
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) - for temporal resolution
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG) - measure magnetic activity associated with cells firing
- Positron emission tomography (PET) - show activity of the whole brain
What are operational definitions? E.g.?
A clear statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. Variable: Express anger -> Op. def: punch a punching bag
What are descriptive approaches?
Case studies, surveys, naturalistic observation that describe behaviour but don’t explain it.
What is correlational research?
Measuring the degree to which two variables co-occur or predict one another. E.g. Number of hours of sleep and number of arguments with romantic partner
Correlation coefficient
If it’s a positive relationship the +/- will tell you that, and the number will tell you the strength. r = 1.0 (the perfect positive relationship); r = 0.0 (scattered); r = -1.0 (the perfect negative relationship)
Experimental research
A means of determining the cause of events. If we think one variable causes changes in another, we manipulate that variable (independent variable IV) to determine its effects on the (dependent variable DV).
What is a drug?
Exogenous substance, not necessary for normal function, which alters the functions of cells. Can cause changes in physiology and behaviour.
AGONIST
Drugs increase or mimic effects of neurotransmitter at synapses
ANTAGONIST
Drugs block or inhibit effect of neurotransmitter at synapses
Part of the nervous system: The brain and spinal chord
Central
Part of the nervous system: Transmits info between brain & rest of body
Peripheral