2007PSY Mid Tri Exam Notes

Behavioural Neuroscience

An interdisciplinary field combining psychology and physiology to explain the relationship between the brain and behaviour. Also made up from information gathered from experimental biology, chemistry, animal behaviour, psychology and computer science.

Generalisation

A broader explanation based on many different smaller observations of a similar phenomenon.

Reduction

The explanation of a broader complex phenomenon using a series of smaller phenomena.

Mind-Body Problem

The philosophical debate regarding the relationship between the mind and the body, with dualism and monism being the two primary perspectives.

Dualism

The belief in the dual nature of reality, asserting that the mind and body are separate entities.

Monism

The belief that everything in the universe, including the mind, is produced by physical matter and energy.

Rubber-Hand Illusion

A phenomenon showcasing how conflicting sensory information leads the brain to misattribute touch to an external object, illustrating the relationship between body and mind.

Functionalism

A principle stating that understanding a biological phenomenon is best achieved by recognizing its useful functions for the organism.

Natural Selection

The process by which inherited traits that confer a reproductive advantage become more prevalent in a population.

Neocortex

The part of the brain responsible for higher-order cognitive processes, significantly larger in humans relative to body size due to evolutionary pressures.

3 R's of Animal Research

Guidelines focusing on Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement in the context of humane animal experimentation.

Informed Consent

The process of informing research participants about the study's nature, data handling, and benefits before participation.

Neuroethics

An interdisciplinary field focused on the ethical implications and best practices in neuroscience research.

Why do biological psychologists use both generalisation and reduction?

Research is fuelled both by psychological generalisations about behaviour and the physiological mechanisms that underlie it.

Behavioral Neuroscience

An interdisciplinary field that combines experimental methods of psychology and physiology to explain the relationship between the brain and behavior.

Generalisation in Biological Psychology

A broader explanation derived from numerous smaller observations of similar phenomena.

Reduction in Biological Psychology

An explanation of a broader complex phenomenon using a series of smaller ones.

Dualism

The belief that the mind and body are separate entities; the body consists of ordinary matter while the mind does not.

Monism

The belief that everything in the universe is composed of matter and energy, and that the mind is a phenomenon produced by the nervous system.

Rubber-Hand Illusion

Phenomenon demonstrating how conflicting sensory information can lead the mind to misattribute touch sensations to an external object, illustrating the relationship between body and mind.

Functionalism

The principle that the best way to understand a biological phenomenon is to investigate its useful functions for the organism.

Natural Selection

The process by which inherited traits that confer a selective advantage become more prevalent in a population.

Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)

A selective barrier formed by tightly packed cells that protects the brain from harmful substances while allowing essential nutrients to pass.

Membrane Potential

The difference in electrical potential inside versus outside a neuron, critical for neural communication.

Resting Potential

The stable, negative charge of -70mV maintained by a neuron when it is not firing an action potential.

Action Potential

A wave of depolarization that travels down an axon, leading to the release of neurotransmitters.

Dorsal Horns

Regions in the spinal cord's grey matter that receive sensory input from the body.

Ventral Horns

Regions in the spinal cord's grey matter that contain motor neurons sending commands to muscles.

Cranial Nerves

Twelve pairs of nerves that emerge directly from the brain, involved in various sensory and motor functions.

Spinal Nerves

31 pairs of nerves that emerge from the spinal cord, transmitting signals between the spinal cord and the body.

Sympathetic Division

The part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for 'fight or flight' responses.

Parasympathetic Division

The part of the autonomic nervous system that promotes 'rest and digest' activities, conserving energy.