psychology AOS#1 Flashcards
psychology
scientific study of human mental states and behaviour (observable actions)
father of modern psychology
wilhelm wundt
brain vs heart debate
is the brain or heart responsible for central functions?
central functions
thoughts, feelings, emotions
mind body problem
are the mind and body seperate entities (dualism) or the same thing (monoism)
dualism: mind and body are seperate because of how seperate their nature is eg. the things they do and the substances they are
monoism: mind and body are the same substance –> mental states ARE physical states
phrenology
feeling the bumps and grooves of the skull to determine intelligence, personality etc.
localisation of function originated from phrenology
autopsy
examination of the brain after death. helpful in initial studies of the brain
ablation
surgical removal of brain tissue
showed how brain worked when damaged and which area was responsible for what.
discovered mind was in brain not in heart
electrical brain stimulation
electrically stimulates parts of the brain to stimulate neuron activity. discovered that right hand was controlled by left brain
split brain studies
confirmed left and right hemispheres have different functions
conducted by rodger sperry and michael gazzaniga in 1960
neuroimaging techiques
a range of techniques used to capture images of the brain structure and functioning
- much less invasive than previous methods
CT scan
computerised tomography: structural
the patient ingests dye called contrast and then continuous 2D x-ray images are taken and processed to create a 3D image.
advantages: enables disease and cancer detection and does not need to be used as frequently as other methods
disadvantages: black and white only, can be dangerous if used excessively.
MRI
magnetic resonance imaging: structural
uses magnetic and radio fields to take 2D and 3D images of a person’s brain
the magnetic field causes atoms to move and send signals which can be captured as an image
advantages: less harmful than CT and more detailed than a CT scan
disadvantages: cannot be used with pacemakers or internal screws.
fMRI
functional magnetic resonance imaging
traces oxygen levels in the brain –> the more active a part is, the more oxygenated it will be
advantages: more detailed than a PET scan, and is the safest, most detailed option we have at the moment
PET
positron emission technology
person is injected with radioactive glucose solution which ‘lights up’ active parts of the brain. patients are then asked to perform certain activities in a chamber.
advantages: very useful for tracking brain activity
disadvantages: uses radioactive substances so it can be invasive
structural neuroimaging techniques
produces images of brains structure and composition
functional neuroimaging techniques
shows how the brain functions to perform specific tasks. can show both brain structure and brain activity.
nervous system
network of cells allowing for communicaton around the body
main functions of the nervous system
to recieve information
to transmit information
to process information
to formulate and coordinate a response
central nervous system
made up of the brain and spinal cord. coordinates information from the PNS and creates a necessary response
brain
coordinates thought, behaviour, and nervous system
spinal chord
connects the brain to PNS. carries motor information from the brain and sensory information from the body.
peripheral nervous system
all nerves outside of the CNS
carries information to and from the CNS
the somatic nervous system
sends motor information from CNS to skeletal muscles, and brings sensory information from the body to the CNS.
Formulates voluntary responses.
example of the somatic nervous system
it is raining
- body registers rain from the external environment
- SNS sends sensory information to the CNS
- CNS processes this information and coordinates a response
- CNS sends motor messages to skeletal muscles telling them to open up the umbrella
the autonomic nervous system
connects CNS to non-skeletal muscles, organs, and glands.
—> initiates responses and sends information to the CNS about these.
- -> Mostly involuntary although control can be gained eg slowed breathing
the sympathetic nervous system
responsible for activating the body’s visceral muscles organs and glands, during increased activity or threat.
–> could involve increasing or decreasing regular activity
responsible for the flight/fight response
what chemical is responsible for flight/fight response
adrenaline aka. epinephrine is released when under threat etc.
the parasympathetic nervous system
branch of the ANS that returns and maintains visceral muscles, organs, and glands to optimal and balanced functioning
maintains homeostasis
gently brings body back to normal after heightened arousal of a sympathetic response –> like a parachute
what would the nervous system do if it heard the phone ring unexpectedly?
- receive information: vibrating air molecules are received by sense receptors
- transmit information: information is sent to the brain via the auditory nerve
- process information: brain processes auditory information as your phone ringing
- coordinate a response: brain sends messages along nerve pathways to activate muscles to pick up the phone and answer it.
neurons
nerve cell responsible for transmitting, receiving, and processing information around the brain and nervous systems.
information is sent through neural messages.
electrochemical messages
chemicals that contain neural messages are sent between neurons, which is powered by an electrical current generated within a neuron.
neurotransmission
electric current (action potential) arrives to the end of the neuron, and chemicals are released
neural reception
chemical message is recieved by neuron
neural pathways
neurons are organised into pathways which are the basis for all we think, feel, and do
when we learn something, new pathways are formed or old ones strengthened
motor neuron
efferent neuron
messages are sent from CNS to muscles, organs, and glands. communicates information about movement
sensory neuron
afferent neurons
communicates information about sensations
information is sent from sense organs to CNS
—> sense organs have sensory receptors that convert sensory information into neural messages.