Biopsychology - ways of studying the brain

Question 1

How does an fMRI scan work

Answer 1

shows where neuronal activity occurs by detecting changes in blood-glucose concentration in an area of high activity

Question 2

What will an fMRI scan produce

Answer 2

produces a 3D image of the brain known as an activation map

Question 3

what can an fMRI scan tell us

Answer 3

which parts of the brain are involved in a particular mental process

Question 4

what is temporal resolution

Answer 4

how quickly a scanner can detect changes in brain activity

Question 5

what is spatial resolution

Answer 5

How detailed the structural image is /refers to the smallest feature (or measurement) that a scanner can detect

Question 6

what is a benefit of having high temporal resolution

Answer 6

it can record the brain’s activity in real time as opposed to looking at a passive brain. This leads to an accurate measurement of electrical activity when undertaking a specific task.

Question 7

What is a benefit of having high spatial resolution

Answer 7

Greater spatial resolution allows psychologists to discriminate between different brain regions with greater accuracy.

Question 8

What is a benefit of the fMRI scan in comparison to a PET scan

Answer 8

less risk to health as does not involve injecting radioactive material therefore less invasive which could allow more pps to use and gather further data

Question 9

Which resolution is a strength of fMRI and why

Answer 9

spatial resolution - psychologists can determine the activity of different brain regions with greater accuracy

Question 10

what is a problem with causation and fMRI scans

Answer 10

do not provide a direct measure of neural activity only measures changes in blood flow. therefore difficult to infer causation

Question 11

who might fMRI scans not be beneficial to

Answer 11

young children and people with metal in their body as is magnetic, very loud and requires sitting still for long periods of time so data is not disturbed

Question 12

how does an EEG work

Answer 12

measures frequency of electrical activity and amplitude using skull cap and electrodes

Question 13

what does an EEG tell psychologists

Answer 13

shows changes in brain activity that may be useful in diagnosing brain conditions, especially epilepsy and sleep conditions

Question 14

Which resolution is an EEG poor in and why is it a problem

Answer 14

poor in spatial resolution which means it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where the activity is taking place. limited in what it can tell us about brain regions and electrical activity

Question 15

An EEG has high temporal resolution, why is this a strength

Answer 15

it can record the brain’s activity in real time as opposed to looking at a passive brain.This suggests that EEG can provide a high degree of accuracy when examining the onset of brain activity, allowing psychologist to make accurate conclusions in relation to the timing of neural activity,

Question 16

what is a practical limitation of an EEG

Answer 16

EEG/ERP is uncomfortable for the participant, as electrodes are attached to the scalp. This could result in unrepresentative readings as the patient’s discomfort may be affecting cognitive responses to situations

Question 17

how does an event related potential work.

Answer 17

similar equipment to EEG, however a stimulus is presented to pps eg. picture and the researcher looks for a change in activity related to that stimulus using a statistical averaging technique.

Question 18

what is an advantage of the data produced by an ERP

Answer 18

brings more specificity (due to the stimulus and response testing ) to measurement of neural processes than could be achieved by raw EEG data

Question 19

Why is an ERP more easily accessible than a PET scan

Answer 19

non invasive as no radiation or instruments inserted into brain and is risk free. in addition is cheaper than fMRI so more readily available - allows more patients to use and therefore data on functioning and understanding of psychological phenomena

Question 20

what is a practical limitation of an ERP

Answer 20

to establish raw valid data background noise must be completely eliminated, might not always be achievable.

Question 21

what is a post mortem exam

Answer 21

analysis of a persons brain following their death. often of a person who displayed a particular behaviour while they were alive that suggested possible brain damage

Question 22

what is a real life example of a post mortem exam.

Answer 22

work of Broca, who examined the brain of a man who displayed speech problems when he was alive. It was subsequently discovered that he had a lesion in the area of the brain important for speech production that later became known as the Broca’s area

Question 23

why are post mortem exams useful (broca’s area as example)

Answer 23

vital for early understanding of brain regions for example, discovery of broca’s area - this leads to improved medical knowledge of key processes - speech production.

Question 24

what is the issue with causation in relation to post mortem exams
(broca’s area as example.)

Answer 24

The deficit a patient displays during their lifetime (e.g. an inability to speak) may not be linked to the deficits found in the brain (e.g. a damaged Broca’s area). The deficits reported could have been the result of another illness, and therefore psychologists are unable to conclude that the deficit is caused by the damage found in the brain.