The Nature of Elicited Behaviour Flashcards
brain stem structures
- medulla oblongata
- pons
- midbrain
- reticular formation
medulla oblongata function
essentials for survival
- heart rate
- respiration
- blood pressure
pons function
- sleep + wake cycle
- respiration
midbrain function
- hearing
- motor control
- alterness
reticular formation function
alertness
thalamus
- gateway to the brain
- receives almost all incoming sensory information before it reaches the cortex
- except olfactory information
hypothalamus
- brain structure that is involved in regulation of bodily functions
- includes:
1. body temperature
2. body rhythm
3. blood pressure
4. blood glucose level - influences basic motivated Bs (aggression, hunger, thirst, sex)
hippocampus
- associated with formation of new memories
- memory of arrangements (places, objects)
- volume of gray matter found highly with years of experience as taxi driver (navigation)
amygdala
- vital role in learning to associate things with emotional responses and in processing emotional information
- special role in:
1. responding to fear eliciting stimuli
2. evaluating facial expression of emotional significance
3. intensification of memories associated with emotional arousal
nature of elicited behaviour
- learning that occurs depends on preexisting behavioural organization
- preexisting behavioural tendencies limit how learning occurs + extent of learned B change
- most B is elicited
- simplest form of elicited B = reflexive b
reflex
- involves eliciting a stimulus + corresponding linked response
- consequences of nervous system organization
types of neurons
constitute the reflex arc
1. sensory/afferent neuron
- transmits info to spinal cord
2. motor/efferent neuron
- activates muscles involved in refelx
3. interneuron
- passes info from one neuron (sensory) to another neuron (motor)
reflex arc
- excitatory pathway, sensory neurons activates motor neurons supplying flexor muscles, which withdraw limb from noxious stimuli
- inhibitory interneurons ensure that motor neurons supplying antagonist muscles that are inactive during reflex response
- at same time, motor neurons supplying extensor muscles are excited to provide support during withdrawal of the limb
the reflex arc: pathway to the brain?
most sensory neurons do not pass directly into the brain
- synapse in the spinal cord
- permits faster reaction time
- brain receives input while reflex is being carried out
- brain analyses the info after the reflex action
suckling and rooting reflex in babies
- innate respone due to stimulation of the face, mouth, cheek by touching/stroking
- brainstem mediated primitive motor reflex
respiratory occlusion reflex in babies
- if baby’s breathing = inhibited
- head pulled back, wiping face, crying
motor neuron types
- upper motor neurons
- originates in cerebral cortex
- travel to the brainstem and spinal cord
- glutamate = NT - lower motor neurons
- originate in spinal cord + innervate glands+mucles
- Ach = NT - autonomic + somatic motor neurons
- somatic = alpha, beta, gamma motorneurons
sensory neuron types
- mechanoreceptors
- thermoreceptors
- nociceptors, electromagnetic receptors
- chemoreceptors
autonomic reflexes
largely unconsciously regulate internal organs smooth muscles + glands
mediating a reflex
reflexes can be modified by descending brainstem and cortex pathways
mediating a reflex: carrying a kitten example
“If you are carrying a kitten and trip and fall…”
- automatic reflexes would normally move to break the fall
- BUT you do not want to drop the kitten
- within 30 ms, the cortical motor centers would mordify reflexes to allow you also to protect the kitten
Modal Action Patterns
- response sequence typical of a particular species
- many stimuli elicit different responses
- sign stimulus + supernormal stimulus