IB Psychology: The Biological Approach (Part 1)

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering animal models, brain imaging methods, localization of function, key case studies, and neuroplasticity for IB Psychology Unit 1.

Three Rs

An ethical framework in animal research emphasizing the principles to replace, reduce, and refine animal use, while considering whether an equally informative alternative exists.

Speciesism

An animal rights objection used to challenge utilitarian cost-benefit analysis in animal experimentation.

Anthropomorphism

The attribution of human traits or emotional states to animals, presenting a risk of bias and a limit of inference when interpreting animal models.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

A brain imaging technology that provides detailed structural images of tissue-level anatomy.

fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

A brain imaging method that measures blood-oxygenation changes associated with neural activity during specific tasks.

Strict localization

The theoretical model proposing that a narrowly specialized psychological or behavioral function is associated with a particular brain region.

Relative localization

The theoretical model proposing that a specific brain region is especially important for a function, but not exclusive to it.

Distributed processing

The model proposing that complex cognitive processes are supported by multiple interacting brain regions rather than a single isolated area.

Lateralization

The principle that a particular neurological or behavioral function is more strongly associated with one hemisphere of the brain.

Hippocampus

A subcortical brain structure primarily responsible for the formation and consolidation of new declarative memories.

Basal ganglia

A group of subcortical structures involved in habits and procedural learning.

Amygdala

A brain structure critically involved in processing fear and forming emotional memories.

Hypothalamus

A subcortical structure responsible for maintaining biological homeostasis.

Nucleus accumbens

A brain region playing a central role in reward processing and motivation.

Cerebellum

A hindbrain structure essential for motor coordination and motor learning.

Broca-type aphasia

A language disorder characterized by effortful, nonfluent speech production with relatively preserved comprehension.

Wernicke-type aphasia

A language disorder characterized by fluent but often poorly meaningful speech paired with impaired comprehension.

Patient H.M.

A classic neurological lesion case illustrating profound difficulty in forming new conscious declarative memories despite preserved skill and procedural learning.

Patient E.P.

A neurological case study demonstrating that familiar habitual navigation routes could remain possible while flexible spatial navigation was impaired.

Neuroplasticity

Experience-related change in neural organization or function over time.

Long-term potentiation (LTP)

The persistent strengthening of synaptic efficacy following repeated neural activity.

Dendritic branching

The structural growth and elaboration of dendritic processes that increases synaptic connectivity.

Synaptic pruning

The selective removal and refinement of inactive or less-used synaptic connections.

Maguire (2000)

A study demonstrating that London taxi drivers showed differences in posterior hippocampal grey matter volume, correlated with navigation experience and spatial memory.

Draganski et al. (2004)

A study showing that juggling training was associated with regional grey-matter increases, some of which declined after practice ceased.

Tissue-level imaging limitation

The constraint that MRI measures macroscopic tissue-level differences rather than individual dendrites, synapses, LTP, or pruning directly, meaning an absence of volume change does not prove an absence of plasticity.