Physiological Psychology Flashcards
Franz Gall had one of the earliest theories that __, __, and __ might be linked to __ __.
He developed the doctrine of __, which suggested that..
behaviour, intellect and personality; brain anatomy; if a particular trait were well developed, then the part of the brain responsible for that trait would expand. This expansion would push the area of the skill that covered that pert of the brain outward and therefore cause a bulge on the head.
Although phrenology was shown to be false, it did generate serious research on brain functions, which was the impetus for the work of __ __ in the early 19th century.
Pierre Flourens
Pierre Flourens was the first person to study the…
He did this by..
major sections of the brain; extirpation (ablation), which is when various parts of the brain are surgically removed and the behavioural consequences are observed.
Flouren’s work led to his assertion that the brain had…
specific parts for specific functions, and that removal of one part weakens the whole brain
William James (1842-1910) believed it was important to study how... His view was among the first theories that formed \_\_, a system of though in psychology that was concerned with..
the mind functioned in adapting to the environment.
functionalism; studying how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environments
John Dewey is another important name in __, since his 1982 article is seen as it’s inception.
Dewey’s article did what?
Dewey believed that psychology should focus on the study of…
functionalism; criticized the concept of the reflex arc, which breaks the process of reacting to stimulus into discreet parts; the organism as a whole as it functioned to adapt to its environment.
Around 1860, Paul Broca began examining behavioural deficits of people with brain damage. He was the first person to demonstrate that…
Broca found that a man who had been unable to…
specific functional impairments could be linked with specific brain lesions.
talk was unable to do so because of a lesion on the left side of the brain, known as broca’s area.
Johanne’s Muller identified the law of __ __ __, which states that..
specific nerve energies, each sensory nerve is excited by only one kind of energy (e.g., light or air vibrations). Furthermore, the brain interprets any stimulation of that nerve as being that kind of energy.
Hermann von Helmholtz was the first to measure the…
By doing this, he has been credited for…
speed of a nerve impulse; the transition of psychology into the field of the natural sciences.
Sir Charles Sherrington first inferred the existence of __. Which conclusion of his is false?
synapses; he thought that synaptic transmission was electrical, but it is chemical
Name and define the 3 kinds of nerve cells in the NS
1) Sensory (afferent) - transmit sensory info from receptors to spinal cord
2) Motor (efferent) - transmit info from brain and spinal cord to muscles
3) Interneurons - located predominantly in the brain and spinal cord and are linked to reflective behaviour
Interneurons are the most __ of the 3 types of neurons, and they are found…
numerous; between other neurons
Behaviour that is critical to survival is controlled by __
reflexes
What happens in the reflex arc when receptors in the foot detect pain?
- pain signal transmitted by sensory neurons up to spinal cord. As soon as the impulses arrive at spinal cord, interneurons immediately transmit that info to motor neurons. Without wasting any time, the motor neurons immediately tell your foot to step away from the nail. The original sensory info still makes it’s way to the brain, but by the time it gets there, the muscles have already responded to the pain, thanks to the reflex arc.
- Reminder that functionalists (e.g., Dewey) criticized the breaking down of the reflex processes into separate stimuli and responses, as they preferred to study the process as a whole.
The CNS is made up of:
The PNS is made up of:
- the brain and spinal cord
- nerve tissue and fibres outside of the brain and spinal cord (i.e., the PNS connects the CNS to the rest of the body)
The PNS is subdivided into the
somatic and autonomic nervous systems
The somatic NS consists of __ and __ __ distributed throughout the __ and __
sensory; motor neurons; skin and muscles
- Sensory impulses travel along __ __, which __ to the __
- Motor impulses travel along __ __, which __ the __ and __ __ on their way down to the __
- afferent fibers; ascend; brain
- efferent fibers; exit; brain; spinal cord; muscles
The GRE psych tests tends to ask alot about the autonomic NS. Pioneering work on the ANS was done by __ __
Walter Canon
The ANS generally regulates
heartbeat, respiration, digestion and glandular secretions, body temperature (by activating sweating or shivering). In other words, it manages the involuntary functions associated with many internal organs and glands.
Autonomic = regulates automatic bodily functions
The ANS has two subdivisions:
1) sympathetic NS
2) parasympathetic NS
- They are antagonistic of each other. For example, the SNS acts to accelerate HR and decrease digestion, while the PNS does the opposite
- The main role of the PNS is to __ __.
- The PNS is associated with __ and __ states, and acts to…
- The PNS also manages __, and promotes __ and __
- Which neurotransmitter is responsible for the parasympathetic responses in the body?
- conserve energy
- resting and sleeping; reduce HR and respiration rates
- digestion; resting and digesting
- acetylcholine
- The SNS is activated whenever you face __ __
- The SNS is associated with __ and __ reactions, also known as…
- stressful situations, which can include everything from a mild stressor (e..g, schoolwork) to life and death
- fear and rage; fight or flight responses
What is the order of physiological responses associated with a fight or flight reaction?
1) When the SNS is activated, body mobilizes to fight for one’s life or run for one’s life
2) There are increases HR, blood sugar level and respiration
3) Pupils dilate in order to increase the amount of visual info reaching the retina
4) the NT adrenaline is released into bloodstream
The human brain can be divided into 3 basic subdivisions. Name them and their general functions.
1) hindbrain - balance, motor coordination, breathing, digestion and general arousal processes such as sleeping and waking. In short, it manages the functions necessary for survival
2) midbrain - received sensory and motor information
3) forebrain - linked to complex perceptual, cognitive and behavioural processes. Among it’s other functions, it is associated with emotion and memory; it is the forebrain that has the greatest influence on human behaviour.
- The meaningful connection between brain location and functional complexity is no accident. In evolutionary terms, the __ and __ were the first structures to develop, and together they form the __.
- The next brain region to evolve was the __ __, which is a group of..
- The most recent evolutionary development of the human brain is the __ __, which is the…, and is associated with
- hindbrain and midbrain form the brainstem
- limbic system; neural structures primarily linked to emotion and memory.
- cerebral cortex; outer covering of the cerebral hemispheres; everything from language processing to problem solving, and from impulse control to long-term planning.
The term for evolutionary development is
phylogeny
- The hindbrain brain contains the __ __, a lower brain structure that is responsible for..
- The __ lies above the medulla and contains __ and __ __ between the __ and the __
- At the top of the hindbrain, mushrooming out of the pons is the __, which helps to…
- The __ __ extends from the hindbrain to the midbrain and is composed of a number of interconnected __. It primarily regulates..
- medulla oblongata; vital functions (breathing, digestion, heart beat, BP)
- pons; sensory and motor tracts; cortex and medulla
- cerebellum; maintain posture and balance and coordinate body movement
- reticular formation; nuclei; arousal and alertness (sleeping and waking)
Anesthetics cause unconsciousness partly by…
depressing the activity of the reticular formation
The reticular formation is associated with __, __, and __.
arousal, alertness and attention (3 As - way to remember for exam)
- The midbrain is associated with __ __ responses triggered by __ or __ stimuli.
- There are several prominent __ in the midbrain, two of which are collectively called __.
- The __ __ receives __ sensory input.
- The __ __ receives __ sensory input.
- involuntary reflex; visual or auditory
- nuclei; colliculi
- superior colliculus; visual (s = superior = seeing)
- inferior colliculus; auditory
The inferior colliculus has a role in reflexive reactions to __ __
sudden noises
- The forebrain is above the midbrain and is divided into two __ __
- The __ is a structure within the forebrain that serves as a __ station for incoming __ __, including which senses?
- After receiving sensory info, the thalamus does what?
- The hypothalamus is subdivided into the __ __, __ __, and __ __, serves __ functions and is a key player in __ experience during __ __ states, __ behaviour and __ behaviour
- The hypothalamus also helps control some __ functions, as well as the __ __ __.
- cerebral hemispheres
- thalamus; relay; sensory information; all senses except smell
- sorts the information and then transmits it to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex
- lateral hypothalamus, ventromedial hypothalamus, anterior hypothalamus; homeostatic; emotional; high arousal; aggressive; sexual
- endocrine (hormone), autonomic nervous system
The hypothalamus serves many homeostatic functions,. Receptors in the hypothalamus regulate __, __ and __ __. When any of these functions are out of balance, the hypothalamus…
- The hypothalamus is important in _ behaviours, such as…
metabolism, temperature, water balance; detects the problem and signals the body to correct the imbalance.
- drive; hunger, thirst, sexual behaviour
The maintenance of water balance in the body (___) is performed by __ in the __.
osmoregulation; osmoreceptors; hypothalamus
Who developed the concept of homeostasis?
Walter Cannon
- The __ __ is referred to as the hunger center because…
- When this part is destroyed in rats, they..
- What is aphagia?
- What is the trick to remember the link between the lat hyp and aphagia?
- What else does this part of the brain play a role in?
- lateral hypothalamus; it has special receptors though to detect when your body needs more food/fluids
- refuse to eat or drink and would starve to death
- the refusal to eat or drink because you have no desire to do so (remember ‘phagos’ means ‘eating’. The same root word appears in ‘esophagus’, the tube leading from the mouth to the stomach.
- LH = lacking hunger
- rage and fighting behaviours
- The __ __ is defined as the satiety center, and tells you when..
- Brain lesions in this area usually lead to what?
- A name for the disorder associated with these brain lesions is?
- What is the trick to remember the connection between this brain structure and the disorder it causes?
- ventromedial hypothalamus; you’ve had enough to eat
- obesity
- hyperaphagia or excessive eating
- VH = very hungry
- The hypothalamus’ job is to manage the…
- How did researchers first discover the hypothalamus’ role in rage and fighting?
- fight or flight responses associated with the SNS
- Through classic experiments conducted with cats. When researchers removed that cat’s cortex but left the hypothalamus in place, the cat displayed pseudo-aggressive behaviour that was called “sham rage” - lashing of the tail, arching of the back, clawing and biting - except that rage was spontaneous or triggered by the mildest touch. These animals displayed randomr rage that was not necessarily directed at the provocation (as it is in normal rage responses). The researchers concluded that the cortex typically inhibits this type of response.
- What happened when researchers removed the cortex and hypothalamus of cats?
- So, without the cerebral cortex, animals have little or no control over…
- Without the hypothalamus, animals seem seem to lack the ability to…
- without both the cortex and the hypothalamus, the cats lacked the…
- The cat no longer showed any signs of sham rage, and much rougher stimulation was required before the cats showed defensive behaviour.
- their defensive and agressive behaviour
- defend themselves against threats to survival
- ability to coordinate and organize emotional responses
- Electrical stimulation of the anterior hypothalamus causes…
- In many species, damage to the ant hyp causes..
- damage to the Anterior hypothalamus leads to..
- an increase in aggressive sexual behaviour (mounting just about anything, including objects)
- permanent inhibition of sexual activity
- Asexual behaviour - emphasis in the A’s
A useful way to remember the hypothalamus’ function is to think of the 4 f’s
- feeding, fighting, fleeing and sexual functioning
- In the middle of the brain is a group of structures called the basal ganglia, which __ __ __ as it receives information from the __ and relays this information via the ___ motor system to the __ and __ __.
- coordinates muscle movement, cortex, extrapyramidal; brain; spinal cord
The extrapyrimidal motor system does what?
gather info about body position (from areas such as the basal ganglia) and carries this information to the brain and spinal cord. Basically, it helps to make our movements smooth and our posture steady.
- A chronic disease associated with the basal ganglia is __ __, characterized by…
- The basal ganglia may also play a role in __
- Parkinson’s disease; jerky movements and uncontrolled resting tremors
- Schizophrenia
- The ventricles are __ __ __ in the middle of the __ that link up with the __ __ that runs down the middle of the __ __.
- The ventricles and the spinal canal are both filled with?
- Researchers have linked abnormally enlarged ventricles with a pattern of symptoms often seen in schizophrenia, which are…
- fluid filled cavities; brain; spinal canal; spinal cord
- cerebrospinal fluid
- social withdrawal, flat affect and catatonic states
The limbic system comprises a…, and is primarily associated with __ and __.
- The primary components of the limbic system are:
- Phylogenetically, the limbic system was the __ major area of the brain to evolve; it lies in the __ __ of the __ __.
- group of interconnected structures looping around the central portion of the brain; emotion and memory
- septal nuclei, amygdala, hippocampus, although the system also includes portions of the hypothalamus and cortex
- second; oldest part; cerebral hemispheres
- The septal nuclei form one of the primary __ centers in the brain.
- Mild stimulation of the septal nuclei is reported to be intensely __ and __ __.
- Who discovered this phenomenon in the 1950s?
- How did they discover this? (the experiment)
- The septal nuclei also __ __; damage leads to behaviour called __ __.
- pleasure (think septal sounds like sexual)
- pleasurable and sexually arousing
- James Olds and Peter Milner
- They found that when rats could stimulate their septal nuclei at will, the rats found it so pleasurable that they preferred it to eating, even after going 24 hours without food
- inhibits aggression; septal rage
- The amygdala plays a role in __ and __ behaviours; it has a __ effect on behaviour
- When the amygdala is damaged, __ and __ behaviours are __ __.
- Lesions to the amygdala result in __ and __ states
- Heinrick __ and Paul __ performed studies that linked…
- These researchers identified changes in animals that resulted from bilateral removal of the amygdala as __ __.
- defensive and agressive; dual
- agression and fear; markedly reduced
- docility; hypersexual
- Kluver, Bucy; the amygdala with defensive and agressive behaviour in monkeys.
- Kluver-Bucy Syndrome
- The __ plays a role in learning and memory processes.
- Researchers discovered this connection the hard way, with patient H.M. Which parts were removed and why?
- After surgery, H.M’s intelligence was in tact, but he suffered a drastic and irreversible loss of __ for __ __.
- This kind of memory loss is called __ __, and is characterized by…whereas memory for __ __ is usually intact.
- Hippocampus
- Parts of the temporal lobes - including the amygdala and hippocampus - were removed from H.M. in order to control epileptic seizures.
- memory for anything new
- anterograde amnesia; not being able to establish new long term memories, distant events
Retrograde amnesia
memory loss of events that happened before the brain injury