Named studies for brain and psychology

Question 1

Penfield study aim

Answer 1

to describe the psychological responses patients gave when parts of their brain were electrically stimulated

Question 2

penfields method

Answer 2

patients with epilepsy lay on an operating table and were conscious. only a local anesthetic was used. penfield stimulated different areas of the brain using the montreal procedure, and recorded patient’s responses (he also treated their epilepsy).
Over 30 yrs he conducted more than 1000 cases.

Question 3

Penfield Results

Answer 3

Stimulating visual area = patient reported colours and crude outlines of objects
Stimulating somatosensory cortex = tingling sensation or a fake sense of movement
Stimulating temporal lobe, 2 reponses:
1. experience - past experiences felt they were happening now
2. interpretations - felt emotion related to experience, e.g. fear

Question 4

Penfield Conclusion

Answer 4

temporal lobe must have a role in storing memories of previous events. Interpretive cortex is the area that stores info on feelings

Question 5

Advantages of Penfields study

Answer 5

(+) extremely usefuul to map the areas of the brain
(+) was very precise in the areas that he stimulated so could determine if he got the same result what that area was responsible for

Question 6

Disadvantages of penfields study

Answer 6

(-) sample was epilepsy patients so hard to generalise as this sample may have had change in brain function due to epilepsy
(-) had different results when stimulated interpretive cortex so may not be about stored memories - lacks validity

Question 7

Hebbs neuronal growth theory

Answer 7

• suggests that when we learn, new connections are created in our brains
• suggests that if a neurone repeatedly excites another neurone, neuronal growth occurs and the synaptic knob gets larger
• during learning, groups of neurones fire and if this happens frequently, neural pathways are developed
• the more we do the task we have learnt, the stronger and more efficient these neural pathways become

Question 8

Brain plasticity

Answer 8

ability of brain to modify its connections, or rewire itself based on experience
- can make new connections (so more synapses) or strengthen old ones

Question 9

Engrams

Answer 9

a memory trace
- pattern of neural cells that fire to recall a memory
- trace can be made permanent with practice (use it or lose it)

Question 10

Evaluation of Hebb’s theory of neuronal growth.

Answer 10

(+) application to education, more stimulating enviornments lead to better neuronal growth
(-) is reductionist, doesn’t take account of other factors that influence learning, e.g. self efficacy and praise