Bio Psychology 01 Flashcards
(28 cards)
What is biological psychology in basic terms?
It is the study of behaviour from a biological perspective. It looks at how our physical selves, including brains, neurotransmitters, hormones, and genes, influence our thoughts and actions.
What is the primary focus of biological psychology for psychologists?
To use biological insights to understand why we think and behave as we do, rather than mastering all technical biological details.
Briefly define ‘Neuroscience’ as a subdivision.
It examines the neural foundations of behaviour, looking at how neurons or networks link to cognition (like emotion or language) or behaviour (like sleep or schizophrenia).
Briefly define ‘Neuropsychology’.
It focuses on the link between brain structure/activity and function, often in the context of illness or injury, frequently using case studies.
Briefly define ‘Psychophysiology’.
It studies the relationship between physiological processes (like heart rate, brain activity, sweat, pupil dilation) and psychological states like learning, memory, or stress.
Briefly define ‘Psychopharmacology’.
It investigates how drugs interact with neural systems and affect behaviour, covering topics like tolerance, withdrawal, and medication effects.
Briefly define ‘Comparative Psychology’.
It studies the behaviour of different species to gain insights (often evolutionary) that might apply to humans.
What did Swartz et al. (2019) find regarding amygdala activity and bullying?
They found that in adolescents, high amygdala activation to angry faces and lower activation to fearful faces predicted more bullying behaviour.
Until approximately what age does the brain continue to mature, and which lobe finishes last?
The brain isn’t fully formed until about age 25, with the frontal lobe being the last to mature.
Who developed phrenology, and what were its two main ideas?
Gall and Spurzheim developed phrenology. Its key ideas were (1) different brain regions have different functions, and (2) the size of these regions alters skull shape.
What important concept from phrenology persists in modern neuroscience?
The concept of functional specialisation – the idea that different brain areas perform different roles.
What did Paul Broca discover through post-mortems?
He found that individuals with impaired speech (but other functions intact) had damage to a specific region on the left side of the brain, now called Broca’s area, suggesting functional specialisation and lateralisation.
What is ‘lateralisation’?
The principle that different hemispheres (sides) of the brain are responsible for different types of processing.
Who was HM, and what happened after his hippocampi were removed?
HM (Henry Molaison) had surgery for severe epilepsy which removed his hippocampi. Afterwards, his seizures improved, but he lost the ability to form new long-term memories.
What did the case of HM teach us about memory?
It demonstrated that the hippocampus is crucial for forming new long-term memories but not for storing old ones, indicating memory is not a single process and is distributed in the brain.
How did Penfield and Rasmussen map the brain in the 1950s?
They used electrical stimulation on the brains of conscious patients during epilepsy surgery, observing the effects (like sensations or movements) to identify the functions of different regions.
What is Electroencephalography (EEG)?
A technique that measures electrical activity within the brain, usually via electrodes placed on the scalp.
What is EEG’s main strength and weakness?
Its main strength is excellent temporal resolution (shows when activity occurs); its main weakness is poor spatial resolution (cannot precisely show where activity occurs).
What is an Event-Related Potential (ERP)?
An ERP is a specific type of EEG measurement that captures brain activity related to a specific stimulus or event.
What is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)?
A method using magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed structural images of the brain.
What is neuroplasticity, and how did Maguire et al.’s (2000) taxi driver study illustrate it?
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt and change through experience. Maguire et al. found London taxi drivers had larger hippocampi (involved in spatial memory), demonstrating structural brain changes due to their work.
What is Positron Emission Tomography (PET)?
A functional technique measuring brain metabolism by injecting a radioactive substance and tracking its uptake by active neurons.
What are PET’s strengths and limitations?
Strength: Can show metabolic changes invisible to MRI/CT. Limitations: Invasive (radioactive), expensive, and cannot be used on children.
What is Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)?
A functional technique measuring brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygen levels (the BOLD signal).
