psych exam 1 (brain bases)

How are humans different from other species?

capacities of the mind and brain were shaped over generations by evolutionary pressures to survive and reproduce

human brain abilities (4)

1. memory and future thinking

2. language

3. symbolic, abstract thought

4. social cognition and cooperation

ratchet effect

when someone discovers/invents a technological advancement, it moves culture and societies forward; future generations then build off of this 

• EX: flight (first flight to now shows the advancement!!)

norm of reciprocity

ISRAEL DAYCARE STORY: When I do something for you, you do something for me. You do something for me and I do something for you do. If you do something for me and I don’t do something for you, I feel guilty.

True or False: neurons are fast but not instantaneous

true

Central Nervous System

brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

rest of the neurons in the nervous system

explain how the nervous system is organized

CNS and PNS

PNS has autonomic (involuntary) and somatic (voluntary)
autonomic splits to sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest/digest)

cell body

collects and integrates information received from dendrites

dendrites

receives chemical signals from other neurons

axon hillock

point on axon that determines if an AP is released; chemical signals gather here

axon

long, thin fiber that transmits signals away from the soma to other neurons or to muscles or glands

myelin sheath

lipid covering that insulates axon and helps neuron signals go faster

node of ranvier

gaps in the myelin sheath that allow signals to “jump” and travel faster

axon terminal/terminal buttons

knoblike structures that carry NTs

synapse

where axon terminals of one neuron connect with dendrites of another neuron

all or nothing principle

idea that a neuron either fires or it doesn’t (can’t happen halfway); same strength/shape each time

neurons vs nerves

nerves are bundles of neurons (that allow the brain and the rest of the body to communicate) —> nerves > neurons

overall spatial organization of somatosensory cortex and what it corresponds to

area such as face, mouth, and nose are much more sensitive than areas like arms/legs so they have more space

• brain organization is NOT random (specialized functions)

• brain communicates w the body and other parts of the brain

overall spatial organization of motor cortex and what it corresponds to

areas such as the hands/finger/face/tongue have larger area than others → about how precise the movement required is

multiple sclerosis (MS)

disorder where myelin is attacked by body causing myelin damage → functions in your body is slowed down as signals can’t travel as efficiently

How do hemispheres function?

right hemisphere controls left portion of body, left hemisphere controls right portion of body

frontal lobe + cortex

lobe: thought, planning, decisions, personality

cortex: primary motor cortex, prefrontal cortex (attention, social interactions, plans)

parietal lobe + cortex

lobe: touch, spatial relations

cortex: primary somatosensory cortex (sensations)

temporal lobe + cortex

lobe: hearing

cortex: primary auditory cortex, fusiform face area (recognizing faces)

occipital lobe + cortex

lobe: vision

cortex: primary visual cortex

cerebellum

movement, balance

cerebellar ataxia

movement disorder associated with damage to cerebellum

• loss of muscle coordination

• difficulties with speech + swallowing

• involuntary eye movement

broca’s aphasia

language disorder (damage to Broca’s area) that results in difficulties with language production

• thinking + comprehension is fine; difficulty finding words and putting them together

What does cerebellar ataxia and Broca’s aphasia tell us about brain organization?

there are specialized regions for specific functions in the brain

corpus callosum

dense and fibrous group of connections that connects the two hemispheres

What happens when the corpus callosum is severed?

split-brain: where each hemisphere functions independently, causing symptoms such as an inability to name objects in the left hand

What does the left hemisphere of the brain process?

language (brocas) and speech (wernicke), analytical, right motor and visual

What does the right hemisphere of the brain process?

spatial processing, emotion/creativity, left motor and visual

What is perceived depends on the _______ of the perceiver

body and the brain

sensation

the detection and transmission of information about external stimuli to the brain; “raw data” from external world

perception

the organization and interpretation of sensory signals; enables us to recognize and make sense of objects, experiences, and events 

order of how something is perceived

stimulus → sensation → sensory coding → perception

transduction

translation of stimuli; involves sensory receptors → everything goes through thalamus except smell

Difference Threshold (just noticeable difference)

the smallest difference between two stimuli that you can notice; increases as stimulus becomes more intense