Unit 1 exam Flashcards
What is the definition of Phrenology?
It is the psudoscientific study of the relationship between the skull’s surface and personality
What is brain ablation?
It is the surgical removal or cutting of tissue, it helped researches to determine how the brain responds to damage.
- it was only done to animals
What are the split brain studies?
A patient underwent a procedure that cuts the nerve between the tissue that connected the two hemispheres. Allowed researches to understand that both sides have different functions and specialisations.
What are the pros and cons of CT scans?
cons = limited to black and white, non detailed, electromagnetic radiation is used. pros = detects issues with structural function, such as cancers, blood clots and hemorrhage.
What are the pros and cons of MRI scans?
cons = cannot be used on a person with internal screws or pacemakers. pros = less harmful to the patient due to the device using a magnetic field to take images. Can produce more detailed and coloured images.
What are the pros and cons of PET scans?
cons = less detailed in showing brain structures. pros = shows the structure of the brain as well as activity. useful for tracking brain functions
What are the pros and cons of fMRI scans?
cons = can only capture a clear image if the person being scanned stays completely still pros = able to trace brain function and activity, does not require an injection of a radioactive substance.
What do interneurons do?
They relay neuronal messages between motor and sensory neurons
What does the nervous system consist of?
CNS (central nervous system) and PNS (peripheral nervous system)
What does the CNS consist of?
Brain and spinal cord
What does the PNS consist of?
The autonomic nervous system, and somatic nervous system
What does the autonomic nervous system consist of?
Parasympathetic nervous system and Sympathetic nervous system
What is the role of the cerebrum?
Most sophisticated functions such as language, perception, evaluation, learning and memory
What is the role of the reticular formation?
- filters important information to the brain
- adjusts muscle tension
- regulates the sleep-wake cycle and consciousness
- regulates physiological arousal and alertness
What is the role of the cerebellum?
Calculate and help coordinate muscle movement, maintain balance, memory formation for natural tasks such as riding your bike.
What is the role of the Hypothalamus?
- Maintaining homeostasis
- biological processes such as sleep cycles, hunger, and sex drive.
What is the left hemispheres role?
Verbal and analytical functions including
- reading
- writing
- speaking
- sequential (step by step) processes of analysis
What is the right hemispheres role?
Non-verbal functions including
- visual awareness, including recognition of places, objects and faces
- spatial awareness
What are the midbrains functions?
- processing sensory information
- regulating sleep and physiological arousal
- motor movement
What are the hindbrains functions?
Autonomic regulation of breathing and basic movement
What are the forebrains functions?
Cognition, perception, learning and memory
What is the primary somatosensory cortex?
An area of the parietal lobe responsible for receiving and processing sensory information
What is the primary motor cortex?
An area of the frontal lobe that initiates voluntary movements by signalling the other parts of the brain to send motor neural messages to our skeletal muscles
What is brain plasticity?
The ability of the brain to physically change in response to experience and learning.
What is rerouting?
A neuron’s ability to form a new connection with another undamaged neuron
What is sprouting?
A neuron’s ability to develop new branches on the dendrites or axons
What is synaptogenesis?
The formation of synapses between neurons as axons and dendrites grow
What is parkinson’s disease?
A progressive disease that involves the loss of neurons, therefor a reduced production of neurotransmitter dopamine occurs.
Define Nature ( In the context of nature vs nurture )
Nature refers to the influence of biology on our psychological development
Define Nurture ( In the context of Nature vs Nurture )
environmental impacts
What was the strange situation experiment?
It was a standardized procedure devised in the 1970s to observe attachment security in children within the context of caregiver relationships
Who was the psychologist behind the strange situation experiment?
Mary ainsworth
What are the three attachment styles?
Secure attachment, Insecure avoidant attachment and Insecure resistant attachment
How can you spot insecure avoidant attachment?
Infants who treat their parents as stranger; they do not cry when they leave the room and ignore them when they return
How does insecure avoidant attachment come to be?
This attachment type is hypothesised to be a result of neglectful parents.
How can you spot Insecure resistant attachment in infants?
Seen in infants who are upset when separated from their parent but also anxious when they return, often squirming away from them.
How does insecure resistant attachment come to be?
It is thought that this type of attachment results from parents who are not responsive to the needs of their child.
What are factors that influence attachment styles?
Genetics, Temperament, and/or Early life experiences
What was Piagets theory of cognitive development?
Piaget identified four stages of cognitive development which span from birth to the age of 12
What are the 4 stages of development according to Piaget in order?
Sensorimotor stage, preoperational period, concrete operational period, formal operational period
What is gained in the Sensorimotor period?
Coordination of sensory input and motor responses
Development of object permanence
What is gained in the Preoperational period?
Development of symbolic thought marked by irreversibility
Centration
Egocentrism
What is gained in the Concrete operational period?
Mental operations applied to concrete events
Mastery of conservation
Hierarchial classification
What is gained in the Formal operational period?
Mental operations applied to abstract ideas
Logical, systematic thinking
What is transformation according to Piaget’s theory?
Children in the preoperational period are unable to identify the specific elements in between stages of an action. Such as dropping a pen, it is in the hand, the hand drops the pen, the pen is now on the floor. The children are unable to describe what happens in between these fundamental stages.
What is animism according to piagets theory?
The belief that all existing objects are conscious and can
perform actions, as well as have thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
What is accommodation according to piagets theory?
Refers to changing an existing mental idea in order to fit new information
What is assimilation according to piagets theory?
Is the process of taking in new information and fitting it into and making it part of an existing mental idea about objects or the world
What is schema according to piagets theory?
Mental idea, or organised mental representation, of what something is and how to deal with it.
What is the first stage of erikson’s theory?
Trust vs Mistrust (0-1)
What is the 2nd stage of erikson’s theory?
Autonomy vs shame/doubt (1-3)
What is the 3rd stage of erikson’s theory?
Initiative vs guilt (3-6)
What is the 4th stage of erikson’s theory?
Industry vs inferiority (6-12)
What is the 5th stage of erikson’s theory?
Identity vs role confusion (12-19)
What is the 6th stage of erikson’s theory?
Intimacy vs isolation (19-30)
What is the 7th stage of erikson’s theory?
Generativity vs stagnation (30-64)
What is the 8th stage of erikson’s theory?
Integrity vs despair (64+)
What does ESB stand for?
Electrical stimulation of the brain
ESB makes the assumption that
if electrical stimulation of a specific brain area results in a response, it must control that response
How does ESB work?
it involves further stimulating or ‘exciting’ the brain with an electrical current. Electrodes are placed on specific areas of the head, then send an electrical signal to that specific part of the brain, thereby stimulating the activity of the neurons
Pros and cons of ESB
pros :
does not damage portions of the brain, nor remove nerve cells
cons :
Most patients have to be awake during it
it’s very expensive
Many electronics can not be used by the patient post procedure
What are neurons?
Neurons are information messengers. They use electrical impulses and chemical signals to transmit information between different areas of the brain, and between the brain and the rest of the nervous system.
What are glial cells?
They are a specialised cell that protects and supports neurons and their functioning (they’re like little mechanics and the neurons are cars)
