Introduction to Neuroscience (slide one)

This set of flashcards covers key concepts in neuroscience as introduced in the lecture, including definitions of terms, significant theories, and the scientific method.

Neuroscience

The study of the nervous systems and cells in it.

Behavioral Neuroscience

A subdiscipline of neuroscience that focuses on the relationship between behavior and the nervous system.

Dualism

The philosophical concept that the mind and body are distinct entities, often associated with Rene Descartes.

Phrenology

The study that claimed specific behaviors, emotions, and traits were localized in particular areas of the brain, based on the shape and bumps of the skull.

Neuron Doctrine

The theory that neurons are the basic structural and functional units of the nervous system, proposed by Santiago Ramón y Cajal.

Scientific Method

A procedure used to test hypotheses that gradually eliminates the impossible and generates knowledge.

Independent Variable (IV)

The factor that is manipulated or changed in an experiment.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The factor that is measured or tracked in an experiment.

Experimental Group

The group in an experiment that receives the variable being tested.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that does not receive the experimental treatment and serves as a baseline for comparison.

What are the primary goals of behavioral neuroscience?

1. Description

2. Explanation

3. Prediction

4. Control/Application

Description (Goal of Neuroscience)

Observing and characterizing behaviors and the underlying neural mechanisms.

Explanation (Goal of Neuroscience)

Understanding the causes of behaviors and their neural underpinnings.

Prediction (Goal of Neuroscience)

Forecasting future behaviors based on past observations and established relationships.

Control/Application (Goal of Neuroscience)

Influencing or manipulating behavior through intervention based on scientific understanding.