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Techniques for studying the brain
MRI
MAGUIRE (taxi drivers)
Localization
Localization proposes that the brain is divided into specialized regions, each with unique functions.
Maguire (Taxi driver)
OR Milner (HM)
Neuroplasticity
The brain’s ability to alter its own structure
Maguire (taxi drivers)
OR Draganski (jugglers)
Neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that facilitate communication between neurons
Acetylcholine: most common neurotransmitter. Receptor sites found in hippocampus. Memory consolidation from STM to LTM
Scopolamine: antagonist. Inhibits Acetylcholine.
Troster & Beatty (Scopolamine. Free recall, new map, famous face test)
Ethics in studying the brain
Milner (HM)
Antagonist
Prevents neurotransmitters from having an effect on behaviour
Scopolamine: antagonist that inhibits the binding of acetylcholine to receptors. May have side effects of: forgetfulness, halluscinations, etc.
Troster & Beatty (Free recall, new map, remote memory battery)
Agonist
Binds to receptors and causes a reaction. Endogenous - originates in body. Exogenous- originates outside body
Acetylcholine: endegenous agonist and neurotransmitter. Plays a role in memory consolidation from STM to LTM. Most common neurotransmitter. Receptor sites are located in hippocampus.
Troster & Beatty (free recall, new map test, remote battery test)
Formation of neural networks
Neuroplasticity: the brains ability to alter its own structure following changes in the environment or in the body
Long term potentiation: enables learning and making LTM. New connections between existing neurons. Strengthening of synapses.
Neural network: interconnected groups of neurons that transmit signals, forming pathways that enable various mental processes and behaviors
Maguire (taxi drivers)
OR Draganski (jugglers)
Neural Pruning
Neuroplasticity: the brains ability to alter its own structure following changes in the environment or in the body
Neural pruning: Lack of long term potentiation of neurons may caise pruning → synaptic connections are eliminated as they are not needed anymore
Draganski (jugglers)
Excitatory and inhibitory synapses
Excitatory synapse: release of neurotransmitter increases the likelihood of an action potential firing. E.g. acetylcholine
Troster & Beatty (free recall, new map, celebrity faces)
Inhibitory synapse: when the release of a neurotransmitter decreases the likelihood of a neuron firing an action potential. Many neurotransmitters are inhibitory to some receptir sites while excitatory to others. E.g. GABA
GABA: inhibits neural activity in the hippocampus and frontal lobe, increasing cognitive load and improving memory.
Prevot (memory impaired mice, y shaped maze)
Hormones on behaviour
Testosterone: male sex hormone, secreted in testes.
Ronay von Hippel (testosterone on risk-taking)
Pheromones
MHC: immune system gene, co-dominant (inherited from both parents), ideally would be highly different between parents
Wedekind (t-shirts)
Genes on behaviour
Adoption studies: research studies that compare an adopted person's behavior to both their biological and adoptive parents' behavior.
Sorensen et al (obesity and genetics → adoption study)
Evolutionary arguments for behaviour
Natural selection: those individuals best suited to the characteristics of the immediate environment are more likely to survive, mate, have offspring, and rear their offspring to reach reproductive age.
Sexual selection: a type of natural selection where individuals with certain traits have greater success in obtaining mates, leading to the evolution of traits that enhance mating success
Wedekind (MHC, t-shirts)
OR Buss (ideal partner traits around the world)
OR Ronay von Hippel (Testosterone and risk-taking)
Ethics in genetic research
Any study
Bailey & Pillard (gay twin study)
Multi-store model
Input →sensory memory→(attention)→ STM (rehearsal) ←→(transfer/retrieval)LTM
Made by Atkinson and Shiffrin
Milner (HM)
Glanzer & Cunitz (recency & primacy effect)
Working memory model
Central executive, visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer, phonological loop, LTM
Made by Baddeley and Hitch
Baddeley & Hitch (dual task, articulatiry supression)
OR Baddeley, Thompson and Buchanan (Word length effect)
OR Shallice & Warrington (KF)
Schema theory
Mental representation used to organise knowledge
Assimilation: integrating new information into existing schemas
Accomodation: altering existing schemas or creating new ones in response to new information
Bartlett (War on the Ghosts)
OR Loftus & Palmer (car speed)
Thinking and Decision making
Dual Processing model; System 1: Fast, automatic, draws on prior experience System 2: slow, deliberate, analytical
Tversky & Kahneman (anchoring bias in math)
Englich & Mussweiler (anchoring bias in prison sentence)
Reconstructive memory
Theory of memory that proposes memories are not stored as replicas of past events but instead reconstructed by the mind each time they are recalled
Bartlett (War on the ghosts)
Loftus & Palmer (car crash)
Biases in thinking and decision making
Heuristic: a mental shortcut that allows people to solve problems and make judgements quickly
Anchoring bias: relying too heavily on the first piece of information
Englich & Mussweiler (prison sentence)
Tversky & Kahneman (math problem)
Emotion on cognition
Flashbulb memory: a vivid and detailed memory of a surprising and emotionally arousing event
Reconstructive memory: Theory of memory that proposes memories are not stored as replicas of past events but instead reconstructed by the mind each time they are recalled
Brown and Kulik (public figure deaths, MLK, Kennedy)
Neisser & Harsch (September 11th distortion longitudinal questionnaire)
Social Identity Theory
Social categorization, social identification, in-group/out-group
Tajfel (Klee and Kadinsky)
Hillard & Liben (Children’s gender salience in classroom)
Social Cognitive Theory
Attention, retention, motivation and potential, self-efficacy
Bandura et al (bobo doll)
Charlton et al (St. Helens TV agression)
Formation of stereotypes
Preconceived notion about a group of people
Illusory correlation: a belief that there is a relationship between 2 unrelated events
Confirmation bias: when people tend to seek or remember information that supports their current beliefs
Cognitive misers
Hamilton & Gifford (A & B group statements)
Hillard & Liben (Children gender salience in classroom)
Stereotypes on behaviour
Stereotype threat: when worrying about conforming to a stereotype leads to underperformance
Steele & Aronson (Black knowledge vs problem solving “test”)
Martin & Halverson (gender stereotype photos children)
Culture on behaviour
Individualism vs. Collectivism
Norasakkunikit & Uchida (hikikomori)
Ogihara & Uchida (work women relationships)
Cultural dimensions on behaviour
Cultural dimension: trends of a behaviour in a given culture
Norasakkunikit & Uchida (hikikomori values)
Ogihara & Uchida (women in work relationships)
Enculturation
Process of learning and adopting the schemas of your culture
Martin & Halverson (children gender-congruent photos on memory)
Odden & Rochat (Observational learning in Samoan village)
Acculturation
Process by which someone comes into contact with another culture and starts to adopt the norms and behaviours of that culture
Acculturative stress, marginalization, separation, integration, assimilation
Ishizawa & Jones (asian migrant obesity)
Da Costa, Dias & Martins (natives vs. Migrant obesity)
Biological explanation for obesity
Sorensen (adoption study obesity)
Dutch Hunger Winter
Cognitive explanations for obesity
Stahre et al (CBT)
Jokela (Big 5 personality)
Sociocultural explanations for obesity
Ishizawa & Jones (Asian 2nd and 3rd gen. Obesity)
Curtis (Pacific Islanders)
Prevalence rates of obesity
The percentage of the population that has a disease
Incidence: development of cases over a span of time
Joseph (fast food in provate school boys)
Martinez-Gonzales (sedantary lifestyle in EU)
Health beliefs
Weinstein (students risk perception)
Lewis et al (moderate vs. Severe obese beliefs)
Biological approach to personal relationships
MHC: gene that codes for immune system, co-dominant (inherited from both parents), ideally would be highly different between parents
Sexual selection: a type of natural selection where individuals with certain traits are more likely to mate, leading to evolution of these traits
Wedekind (t-shirts, MHC)
Buss (33 countries, preferred traits)
Cognitive approach to relationships
Halo-effect: generalise about a person based on one trait
Attachment styles: secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant
Dion et al (halo effect, attractive, personality)
Hazan & Shaver (infant attachment on romantic relationships)
Sociocultural approach to relationships
Mere-exposure effect: tendency to prefer things that one has been repeatedly exposed to
Cultural dimensions: trends of behaviour in a given culture
Moreland & Beach (student mere-exposure)
Ye et al (dating ads in China vs USA)
Communication & why relationships end
Process through which you send and receive messages with others
Attributional theory: people understand the behaviours of others and themselves by attributing behaviours to causes:
dispositional: Inner cause e.g. personality
Situational: outer cause e.g. an event
Positive attribution style: assume best intent: + behaviour → dispositional, - behaviour → situational
Relationship enhancing/distress maintaining patterns
Four horsemen: Criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling
Bradbury & Fincham (videotaped conflict in marriage)
Gottman (couples over 20 years, interviews & observations)
Cooperation and competition
Cooperation: working together towards a common goal
Competition: social situation where individuals believe their goals are negatively related to others’ goals
Kerr (pumping air, free rider & sucker effects)
Sherif (Robbers Cave)
Prejudice and discrimination
Prejudice: an attitude thay is favourable or unfavourable towards any member in the category of question
Discrimination: treating someone based on group membership rather than individual merit
Availability heuristic: making a decision based on the answer that most easily comes to mind
Fein & Spencer (gay actor)
Hart (biological, fMRI, racial in-group and out-group)
Origins of conflict and conflict resolution
Realistic conflict theory: cinflict arises due to conflicting goals and scarce resources. Conflict can be diminished through superordinate goals
Contact hypothesis: conflict can be resolved by getting to know more about the other group
Sherif (Robbers Cave, group formation, inter-group conflict, conflict reduction)
Novotny & Polansky (Czech and Slovak attitudes on Muslims)