Psych 1010

psychobiology

understanding the biological basis of behaviour and mental processes

deductive reasoning

 stems from logic

• General principles being applied to specific instances

• Drawing a conclusion from a premise

• If the premise is right the conclusion must be

inductive reasoning

• Even if the premise is correct the conclision can still be proven false

• Not every single instance is taken into account only parts

• Probability

• Theories need to be falsifiable - because we havent surveyed everyone

what are the stages of the scientific method

Identify a theory, Form a hypothesis, Test that hypothesis

mind

 internal mental states and processes (cannot be observed)

psychology

the scientific study of behaviour and the mind

specialization:

Cognitive psychology

understanding mental processes and how people process information

history:

Cognitive perspective, what perspective was it against and why?

looks at nature of the mind and how mental processes influence behaviour. against behaviourism, not everything organisms do is learned; some things are innate.

Information processing model of cognition and which psychological thought did it come from?

the mind is a system that processes, stores, and retrieves information. comes from the Cognitive perspective, left an impact on psychology where we always use computer language for mental processing

what is the central debate of historical psychology

can the mind be studied

what is Cognition

Cognition = mental processes

clinical psychology

understanding, assessing, and treating mental health problems

Health psychology

describe and understand how biological, social and psychological factors influence health and illness

Developmental psychology

describes and understands how behaviour and cognition change across the lifespan

Social psychology

how social influence, social perception, and social interaction influence individual and group behaviour

Personality psychology

differences between individuals in thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that persist over time and across situations

structuralism

breaking down mental processes/consciousness into their most basic components (sensation and perception)

who tf is WIlhelm Wundt? what was he the first to do

Founder of structuralism. He also invented the first experimental psych lab

who tf is William James? what concept did he come up with counter to the structuralist idea of breaking down the structure of the mind? (not just functionalism)

founder of functionalism. Came up with stream of consciousness: thoughts cant be broken down, they are like a stream, continuous and inseparable.

most basic components of mental processes

sensation + perception

introspection as a method of data collection. why is it flawed?

participants’ self-report their thoughts, feelings, and mental images. people arent always honest about that so the data isn’t objective.

Functionalism, what theory did it spring with?

focuses on understanding the adaptive purpose or function of the mind and behaviour. Grew with Darwins theory of Evolution which looked at how the function of features that aid survival get passed on.

history:

gestalt psychology + what idea did it argue against

perception is more than the sum of its parts (argued against structuralism)

Behaviourism

focused on understanding how external environmental factors influence behaviour through learning. also believe mind cannot be studied, only behaviour can be relied on for psych.

history:

Biological perspective:

focuses on understanding the roles of the brain and biology in mental processes and behaviour

history:

sociocultural perspective

Focuses on both the role of the social environment (parents, peers, etc.) AND culture in influencing our behaviour and mental processes

what is the current model of psychology?

biopsychosocial model

whats the problem with correlational studies?

they cannot prove cause because they dont take into account all of the factors (counfounds) that contribute to a dependent variable

How do the mind and the brain relate?

The mind (mental activity) is produced by biochemical processes in the brain!

What makes a good theory three things

Explains prior observations (organized in a meaningful way), predictions are supported by research, it is testable and falsifiable

Hypothesis

A specific, testable and falsifiable explanation or prediction about a phenomenon with a solid scientific basis

What two examples were used for hypothesis creation

violent video games,

example one: when playing violent video games are the areas of the brain that become active linked to aggression

example two: does playing violent video games lead to more violent behaviour compared to non violent video games or no videogames

Variable and examples

Any characteristic, stimuli, biological or environmental factor whose value can vary across individuals, situations or over time

Examples:

Violent video games

aggressive behaviour

brain activity

experimental method

Manipulate one variable = establish cause

measure its effect on another variable = establish effect

holding all other factors constant (controlling other variables)

independent variable (IV)

the variable that is manipulated in an experiment

experimental group

group of participants who recieves the condition of interest/ treatment

control group

group of participants who do not receive the condition of interest/ treatment

confounding variable

Anything that systemically (poverty, abuse, outside experiences) varies with the independent variable and affects the dependent variable

random assignment

A procedure where each participant has an equal chance to be assigned to any group in an experiment (control or experimental groups) so any confounding variable should average out.

Correlational method. What can’t it do

Most common type of research. look for an association/ relation between two (or more) measured variables

• no variables are manipulated

Cannot establish causation! only a connection or relationship btwn two variables.

positive correlation

Increase in one variable relates to an increase in the other variable.

This is not inherently a good thing, just means they both go up.

two limitations of correlational studies

1. Cannot speak to the causal relationship between two variable (main issue) and we cannot say which variable causes the other

2. Third variable problem: An association may exist between two variables because they are both related to a third variable. (a confound)

Third variable problem

An association may exist between two variables because they are both related to a third variable. same as a confound(ing variable)

example: nobel lauriates and ikeas, connected not because they cause eachother but because of third variable= the wealth of a nation

correlational research benifits

1. establishes a relationship between two variable in the present

2. can be used to make predictions about variables

3. stepping stone experimental research

what historical event created the basis for ethical guidlines

Nuremberg Code

Ethical guidelines

1. provide informed consent and the participant is free to withdraw at any time (indv research participant)

2. not carry out any studies unless the probable benefit is proportionately greater than the risk to society (ethical for society)

3. minimize harm to participants, including not conducting studies that we believe at the outset would harm participants and terminating studies if they become harmful to participants

Milgram experiment 2 ways it was unethical

Example of bad research ethics

1.Used deception (one of the participants was in cahoots with the researcher)

made the participant (teacher) believe they were harming the learner

wanted to prove how far people will go when under the command of an authority.

2.Participants had no ability to withdraw

What are the three principles of Nuremberg code

1. provide informed consent and the participant is free to withdraw at any point

2. Not carry out any studies unless the probably benifit is proportionately greater than the risk to society

3. study is supposed to minimize harm to participants, including not conducting studies that we believe at the outset would harm participants and terminating studies if they become harmful to participants

Tri council policy statement 3 points (how is it different from Nuremberg)

1. Respect for persons: respect for people’s autonomy and ability to provide free, informed, and ongoing consent

2. Concerns for welfare: minimize harms and exposure to unnecessary risk to the participant (and society as a whole), results remain anonymous

3. (only difference from Nuremberg) Justice: distribute the benefits and burdens of research participation fairly and equitably. (all of the benifit and none of the risk)consent cannot be coercive, rewards have to be small, nothing more than a token gesture

Four factors that produce intelligence in the brain

1. organization

2. surface area

3. speed/ distance with which information travels in the brain

4. connections between brain cells (more makes it easier for us to participate in complex tasks)

EEG

Electroencephalography

• Brain cells produce electricity when they fire

• Measures electrical activity over time via electrodes on the scalp (caps)

ERP

Event related potential: average brain activity for a specific event

specific cognitive processes happen at certain times in the wave

What is an EEG good for and limitation

Very good at providing information on the speed at which the brain processes info (time it takes to process)

cannot locate where the process is happening in the brain

Structural MRI

Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Uses how magnetic fields interact with water molecules in tissues to create a picture of the body

Gives highest resolition image of brain

Used in conjunction with fMRI to understand brain activity

Fuctional MRI

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Uses magnetic fiels to detect changes in blood flow and oxygenation (can tell where blood flow is moving)

Blood flow linked to neural activity

• high activity = high oxygen use and blood flow

pros and limits of MRI

Provides highest possible resolution of the brain and brain activity

limits:

cannot provide info on the speed at which the brain processes information ( blood moves slower than the brain, not at the milisecond level)

TMS and main use

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Uses a magnet to create electrical activity to temporarily disrupt or activate a specific brain region

does not create an image of the brain or brain activity over time

Main use: temporarily deactivate (or activate) a part of the brain to see what happens

TMS pros and limitations

can be combined with other methods to identify brain regions needed for specific functions

limits: can only be used for a short time

can only be used in brain regions next to the scalp

Case studies. strengths and weaknesses. examples used.

Intensive obervation, recording, and description of an atypical person or organization.

Strength: can study in great detail

Can gain valuable insights that challenge a theory or provide new info

limits:

not very generalizable to the broader pop

cannot determine cause and effect (cant make deep conclusions about what the injury causes, often people arent studied until after injury or abnormality)

Phineus gage + Hemispherectomy

Live study example

hemispherectomy: can only occur in childhood

Surgical techniques 2

Brain surgery to alleviate symptoms: eg epilepsy + split brain patients

mapping during brain surgery: observing electrically evoked responses during surgery

Limitations of live human studies 2

Cannot tell what single brain cells are doing

cannot image activity of chemicals (neurotransmitters), drugs, hormones, genes in the brain

Live animal study methods

1. In vivo research (vivo meaning living)

2. lesion studies (how damage to a specific brain area affects behaviour)

3. genetic manipulation (knock out genes and see what they do)

4. post mortem studies (proteins and enzymes, neurotransmitters, gene expression.

Three main parts of the brain

Cerebrum (forebrain)

Cerebellum

Brain stem

Cerebrum all of the structures involved

Cerebral cortex

Insula

Subcortical structure

• basal ganglia

• amygdala

• hippocampus

• thalamus

• hypothalamus

Role of cerebral cortex

involved in thought, perception/ sensation and all complex behaviour

Spinal cord role 4 things it does

keeping us alive

regulating breathing, swallowing, heartbeat, reflex archs

Sulci

grooves in the brain

dividing lines for lobes

Gyri:

raised areas in the brain

Grey matter

outer layer of the brain, brain cell (neuron) bodies. made grey because they lack mylin sheaths

White matter

Inner layer of the brain, the part of the brain cell that sends nerve impulses (axon) white from fatty mylin sheaths

Parts of the cerebral cortex 5

Frontal

occipital

parietal

temporal

plus the insula on the inside

what is the occipital lobe

primary visual cortex

note: visual stimuli is sent to opposite sides of the brain (flipped)

Parietal lobe

primary somatosensory cortex

information about pressure skin balance pain touch temp

plays a role in attention

wtf is a homunculus how are motor cortex and somata different

little man! how our somatosensory information (brain regions) are connected, and how sensitive they are (larger brain region related to it)

Motor cortex has less nerves for the mouth and lips and genitals

what occurs when the right parietal lobe is damaged (name and definition)

Hemineglect: failure to pay attention to anything on the left side of our vision.

Frontal lobe

Movement

self regulation/planning/decision making

Primary motor cortex

Back of the frontal lobe

Voluntary movement

• sides are flipped to body parts they control

prefrontal cortex

self-regulation (behaviours emotions, rewards/punishment, attention), decision making, planning

case study for prefrontal cortex

Phineus Gage

• accident caused damage to prefrontal cortex. impacted his self regulation

temporal lobe

Hearing, processing auditory information

insula 5

home of the gustatory cortex: necessary for taste

awareness of emotional experience and homeostatic states (hunger pain, fatigue)

disgust (applies to correlational research in sterotypes and prejudice)

compassion and empathy

recognizing other peoples humanity