Studying the Brain

Question 1

Studying the Brain

Answer 1

Studying the brain allows psychologists to gain important insights into the underlying foundations of our behaviour and mental processes.

Question 2

1. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Answer 2

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a brain-scanning technique that measures blood flow in the brain when a person performs a task.

fMRI works on the premise that neurones in the brain that are the most active during the task use the most energy.

Energy requires glucose and oxygen. Oxygen is carried in the bloodstream attached to haemoglobin (found in red blood cells) and is released for use by these active neurones, at which point the haemoglobin becomes deoxygenated.

Deoxygenated haemoglobin has a different magnetic quality from oxygenated haemoglobin. An fMRI can detect these different magnetic qualities and can be used to create a dynamic (moving) 3D map of the brain, highlighting which areas are involved in different neural activities.

fMRI shows activity approximately 1-4 seconds after it occurs and are thought to be accurate within 1-2mm.

An increase in blood flow is a response to the need for more oxygen in that area of the brain when it becomes active, suggesting an increase in neural activity.

Question 3

Strength - fMRI

Answer 3

Point: An advantage of fMRI is that it is non-invasive.

Evidence: Unlike other scanning techniques, for example, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), fMRI does not use radiation or involve inserting instruments directly into the brain, and is therefore virtually risk-free.

Justification: Consequently, this should allow more patients/participants to undertake fMRI scans which could help psychologists to gather further data on the functioning human brain and therefore develop our understanding of localisation of function.

Question 4

Strength - fMRI