Psychology winter exam 2023

Lobes of the brain

1. Frontal

2. Parietal

3. Occipital

4. Temporal

Brainstem - Primal brain

Ensures survival and controls our self-preserving behaviour.

The 4 “f’s” of the primal brain

Feeding, Fighting, Fleeing, Reproducing

Limbic system - Emotional brain

Emotions, learning and memory.

Cortex - Thinking brain

Analysis, learning, memory, decision making, problem solving.

Techniques to study the brain

• Case studies

• Animal research

• Brain imaging technologies

• Studies in neuroplasticity

Localization of functions

Different parts of the brain have different functions which play a role in human behaviour.

Interactionist approach

Uses biological, cognitive, and sociocultural to get a richer understanding of behaviour.

Reductionist approach

Analyses a complex behaviour through basic mechanisms.

Data triangulation

When more than one source of data is used.

Method triangulation

When more than one research method is used.

Researcher triangulation

When more than one researcher studies a case.

Theory triangulation

When we look at a case from more than one theoretical perspective - ex. biological, cognitive, and/or sociocultural.

Strokes

Brain attacks. Occurs when something blocks the blood supply.

Brain imaging techniques

• MRI

• fMRI

• PET

MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging: uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to generate detailed images of the inside of the body.

fMRI

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: measures and maps brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow to produce images showing which parts of the brain are activated during specific tasks or in response to stimuli.

PET

Positron Emission Tomography: Observes metabolic processes in the brain by detecting the gamma rays.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that transmit signals across synapses, the gaps between neurons (nerve cells), allowing communication within the nervous system.

Neuron

They are cells responsible for transmitting information by electrical and chemical signalling.

Synapse

A connection between two neurons or between a neuron and a target cell that allows cells to communicate with each other.

Agonist

They hold on to synaptic receptors and increase the effect of the neurotransmitters.

Antagonist

They hold on to synaptic receptors but they decrease the effect of the neurotransmitter.

Structure of a typical neuron

• Dendrite

• Cell body

• Nucleus

• Node of Ranvier

• Axon

• Myelin sheath

• Schwann cell

• Axon terminal

Excitatory neurotransmitters

They allow the impulse of a neuron to cross the synapse and then produce stimulating effects on the brain.

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

They stop the impulse of a neuron, preventing it from crossing the synapse

Drugs that function as agonists

• Opioids

• SSRIs

Drugs that function as antagonists

• caffeine

• beta blockers

Hormone

A chemical that is secreted by glands in the endocrine system to regulate changes in the body.

Cortisol

It is produced in the adrenal glands. It increase the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood and provides energy for the “fight or flight response”.

Adrenaline

A hormone and neurotransmitter that the adrenal glands release in response to stress or excitement. It prepares the body for the "fight or flight response”.

Effects of adrenaline

• Increase in heart rate

• Dilating airways

• Redirecting blood flow to vital organs

• Providing a boost of energy

Flashbulb memories

A highly vivid and detailed ‘snapshot’ of a moment in which a consequential, surprising, and emotionally arousing piece of news was learned.

Dopamine

A feel-good neurotransmitter. It is responsible for motivation.

Testosterone

A hormone that increases sexual desire toward your new partner and increases feelings of aggression.

Noradrenaline

A neurotransmitter and hormone that helps control emotions and stress. It provides a rush of excitement and stimulates the production of adrenaline, which makes our heart race, and our palms sweat.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter and hormone to which levels drop when we fall in love. These low levels cause the obsessive thinking and heightened mood extremes

Oxytocin

A hormone linked to human attachment and levels of trust and is secreted as a result of touch and sexual activity.

Sexual selection

A process in evolution that involves traits that help an individual secure a mate and reproduce successfully.

Intrasexual selection

A type of sexual selection where members of the same sex (usually males) compete with each other for access to mates (usually females).

Natural selection

How organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more successfully than those less adapted, leading to the propagation of advantageous traits within a population over time.

Parental investment theory

How parents invest time, effort, and resources into raising their offspring. It suggests that because reproduction demands more from females (like carrying and nurturing the young), they often invest more in their offspring compared to males.

Internal validity

How well an experiment is done.

Extraneous variables

Factors or conditions, apart from the ones being studied, that could affect the results of an experiment.

Construct validity

How well a test or experiment measures the theoretical construct or idea it's supposed to measure.

External validity

The extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other situations

Population validity

A type of external validity that describes how well the sample used can be generalized to a population as a whole.

Ecological validity

A type of external validity that looks at the experimental environment and determines how much it influences behavior.

Frontal lobe

• Reasoning

• Planning

• Thinking

• Decision making

Parietal lobe

Movement, orientation, perception

Occipital lobe

Visual processing

Temporal lobe

Processing auditory information, memory and speech

Major parts of the human brain

• Cortex

• Cerebellum

• Limbic system

• Brain stem

Limbic system

• thalamus

• hypothalamus

• amygdala

• hippocampus

CAM (casual animal model)

Biological functions and resulting behaviour in mammal that are similar to human.

[animal] → [human]

HAM (hypothetical analogical model)

Use of animal research to create hypothesis regarding humans (and their physiology and behaviour).

[animal] → [hypothesis] → [humans?]