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College: Psychology > Textbook Ch 2: The Biological Approach > Flashcards

Textbook Ch 2: The Biological Approach Flashcards

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1
Q

Why does the study of medicine sometimes involve looking at the mind?

A

B/c our bodies and minds are linked.

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2
Q

Give an example of where it’s clear the mind and body are linked.

A

The phenomenon of phantom limb. People experience sensations which seem to come from the missing limb. One man thought his missing finger would poke him in the eye if his hand got close enough.

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3
Q

In this approach, what we do and even what we think is seen as having its basis in what?

A

Our physical structure.

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4
Q

What did this approach arise out?

A

Attempts to understand two major issues 1) the relationship between mind and body, and the influence of heredity on behaviour.

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5
Q

What did people think in the 17th century?

A

Most people believed that the body was controlled by an intangible soul.

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6
Q

What did Rene Descartes (accent on last e facing R) propose the idea of?

A

Dualism

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7
Q

Define dualism (Descartes)?

A

His view that the mind and body are distinct but can interact.

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8
Q

Did Descartes views catch on?

A

The concept became so well-known that for the better part of 2 centuries it was the dominant view in the West.

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9
Q

What do modern day researchers of the bio approach think of dualism?

A

Reject it in favour of monism.

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10
Q

What is monism

A

The belief that the mind and body are a single entity

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11
Q

define materialism

A

all behaviour has a physical basis. it’s an assumption

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12
Q

dualism became materialism gradually due to what?

A

discoveries

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13
Q

look @ p49 to 50 and write abt julien de la mettrie etc

A

k

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14
Q

Darwin came into conflict w/ who b/c of his theories?

A

religious doctrine

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15
Q

what are now the foundations of this approach?

A

materialism and heredity

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16
Q

in everyday life we encounter situations where the body affects the mind. give an e.g. and where the mind affects the body. give an e.g.

A

coffee making u tense

executives getting high blood pressure

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17
Q

explain the purpose of nerve cells or neurons

A
  • coordinating the activity of the body’s many systems requires communication
  • this is one of the main functions of the specialised cells which make up the nervous system
  • neurons are like wires that connect one point to another and carry an electro-chem msg
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18
Q

each time a neuron connects to another neuron at a junction called a what it is possible for what?

A

synapse

it is possible for a message to be switched to other areas

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19
Q

what makes up the central nervous system (CNS)

A

the brain and the spinal cord

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20
Q

what does the spinal cord contain?

A

lots of synapses, is protected by bones (vertebrae) like wires in a flexible casing

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21
Q

define the peripheral nervous system

A

the nerve pathways which lie outside the CNS involving

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22
Q

define sensory neurons

A

neurons in the PNS which carry info from the sense receptors to the CNS

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23
Q

define motor neurons

A

those neurons in the PNS which are responsible for imitating muscle activity

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24
Q

define interneurons

A

neurons which are part of the CNS

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25
Q

define nerve impulse

A

the electrical signal generated when a neuron is active which normally asses from the dendrites along the axon to the terminals

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26
Q

communication across the synapse occurs when what?

A

the nerve impulse triggers the release of chemicals called neurotransmiters

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27
Q

which is more coplex, the PNS or the CNS?

A

CNS

28
Q

how many neurons approximately are there in the brain?

A

100 billion

29
Q

what is the cortex?

A

the outer layer of the brain

30
Q

what is the cortex made up of?

A

the separate lefet and right hemispheres. each basically controls the opposite side of the body.

31
Q

what makes up the hemispheres?

A

regions called lobes

32
Q

define frontal lobe and function?

A

the area of the cortex in front of the central fissure. involved in the interpretation of emotion and experience

33
Q

define front motor area and its function

A

the area of the frontal lobes just before the central fissure which controls all voluntary movements of the muscles

34
Q

define parietal lobe and its function

A

the portion of the cortex just behind the central fissure and above the lateral fissure. primary function is the sense of touch

35
Q

what are 2 main important landmarks in the brain?

A
  1. central fissure - divides each hemisphere front to back

2. lateral fissure - runs along the side of each hemisphere

36
Q

what’s the difference between the front moror area and much of the frontal lobes?

A

frontal lobes seem to have primary function

37
Q

define frontal lobotomy

A

an operation popular in the 1940s and 1950s which involved sectioning or removing portions of the frontal lobes in an attempt to treat cases of bipolar mood disorder or chronic ain. later shown to be largely ineffective

38
Q

what was the logic behind frontal lobotomies?

A

removing frontal lobes -> person would not be able to form an emotional response -> no extreme moods experienced

39
Q

define temporal lobe

A

the region of the cortex below the lateral fissure. primary functions are hearing and memory. also plays a role in language.

40
Q

define occipital lobe

A

the rear-most portion of the cortex which is devoted solely to vision

41
Q

what area of the brain is responsible for making language meaningful?

A

Wernicke’s area

42
Q

what is seen in individuals w/ damage to the Wernicke’s area?

A
  • have difficulty understanding words and phrases

- provide word salads, sentences spoken well but make no sense

43
Q

do u need ur brain to see

A

yes. seeing depends on brain activity as well as sensory

44
Q

what would be an e.g. of something extreme that would happen to someone w/ damage to their occipital lobe?

A

would beblind despite having working eyes

45
Q

does the brain function as a whole?

A

yes, functions of the cortex are often interlinked

46
Q

define limbic system

A

a series of subcortical structures which connect the cortex with other parts of the brain and what are important in many basic functions.

47
Q

what are the main parts of the limbic system?

A

thalamus and amygdala

48
Q

what is the hippocampus

A

a structure within the limbic system which is important to memory function

49
Q

define hypothalamus

A

one of the most important parts of the limbic system. regulates behaviours associated w/ hunger, thirst, sex etc and plays a part in regulating hormonal functions

50
Q

what is the amygdala

A

an almond-shaped structure which plays a art in basic emotions and possibly memory and stimulus evaluation

51
Q

milner (1965) explain

A

a man who suffered damage to the hippocampus lost the ability to retain experiences which occured postsurgery but left his before memories intact

52
Q

where does the word amygdala come from?

A

latin for almond b/c of its shape

53
Q

what else does the amygdala play a role in?

A

basic emotions such as fear and rage. research shows it may be involved in aspects of emotion e.g. forming emotional memories thru link to hippoc. to identifying emotionally significant stimuli e.g. facial expressions

54
Q

look at diagram on p.58 in this book online

A

k

55
Q

define cerebellum

A

means little brain in latin. two small hemispheres located beneath the cortical hemispheres, at the back of the head. plays an important in directing balance and movement, especially fine motor control activities like playing the piano, and also complex movements like gymnastics. also plays a role in sensory processing

56
Q

what is the brain stem

A

the region at the top of the spinal cord composed of 3 primary structures: the medulla, the PONS and part of the reticular formation.

57
Q

define medulla and what its function is

A

a small swelling at the top of the spinal cord composed of the cell bodies of neurons whose axons extend to the heart and other internal organs. its role is to regulate basic bodily processes

58
Q

define PONS

A

latin for bridge. a region in the brain stem above medulla which provides connections between the cortex and cerebellum

59
Q

define reticular formation

A

a network of nerve fibres which runs through the brain stem and limbic system w/ connections both up to the cortex and down to the spinal cord.

60
Q

what is the role of the reticular formation?

A

acts as a relay network controlling sensory inputs and thereby plays a key role in regulating arousal level, alertness and sleep

61
Q

explain herwig et al 2007

A

when we expect to be shown an unpleasant or disgusting picture there is increased activity in a variety of areas of the brain including the prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and hypothalamus etc

62
Q

what used to be the main method available for studying the brain? what was a weakness of it?

A 
case studies (also called clinical cases/observation)
lack of control etc
63
Q

case studies can sometimes lead to a breakthrough however, how?

A

broca discovering the speech centre. problem existed for many yrs so was possible to study the patient in detail. after patient’s eventual death an autopsy clearly showed a lesion (tissue injury) in the left front lobe, providing the basis for broca’s conclusion.

64
Q

what’s an EEG?

A

a device for recording the electrical activity of the brain by means of electrodes placed on the scalp

65
Q

results still need to be interpreted which can involve various assumptions and potential limitations e.g.?

A
  • interconnectedness and complexity
  • correlational data
  • variability
66
Q

explain butt et al

A

a neurotransmitter acetylcholine released by motor neurons to activate muscle fibres. in the CNS it has been shown to be involved in learning and memory

67
Q

how does dopamine play a role in parkinson’s and schizophrenia?

A

plays a role in both motor control and sensory processing. low levels in motor pathways -> parkinson’s. high levels in sensory pathways -> partially linked to schizophrenia.

College: Psychology (3 decks)

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