Chapter 1: Biospyschology as a Neuroscience

Question 1

What is a neuron?

Answer 1

Cells that receive and transmit electrochemical signals that create the human brain.

Question 2

How many neurons and connections are in the brain?

Answer 2

90 billion neurons with 100 trillion connections among them, and an infinite number of paths that neural signals can follow.

Question 3

What is Neuroscience?

Answer 3

The scientific study of the nervous system comprising of many disciples.

Question 4

What is Biopsychology?

Answer 4

The scientific study of the biology of behaviour. Also known as psychobiology, behavioural biology, or behavioural neuroscience.

Question 5

What is Neuroanatomy?

Answer 5

Looks.
Structure of the nervous system.

Question 6

What is Neurochemistry?

Answer 6

Chemical bases of neural activity.

Question 7

What is Neuroendocrinology?

Answer 7

Transmissions.
The interactions between the nervous system and the endocrine system.

Question 8

What is the endocrine system?

Answer 8

Glans and organs that make hormones.

Endocrine glands secrete hormones straight into the bloodstream. Hormones help to control many body functions, such as growth, repair and reproduction.

Question 9

What is Neuropathology?

Answer 9

Damage.
Nervous system dysfunction.

Question 10

What is Neuropharmacology?

Answer 10

Chemical reaction.
Effects of drugs on neural activity.

Question 11

What is Neurophysiology?

Answer 11

Functions and activities of the nervous system.

Question 12

What are the main difference between human and animal brains?

Answer 12

Overall size and the extent of their cortical (higher functioning) development.

Otherwise similar in fundamental ways.

Question 13

Between-subjects design

Answer 13

Different group of subjects is tested under each condition.

Question 14

Within-subjects design

Answer 14

Test the same group of subjects under each condition.

Question 15

Independent variable

Answer 15

Difference between the conditions being compared.

Question 16

Dependent variable

Answer 16

Effect caused by the independent variable.

Question 17

Confounded variable

Answer 17

Variable the influences both in-and dependent variable.

Question 18

What is the Coolidge effect and its relevance to confounding variables?

Answer 18

Animal male exhibit renewed sexual interest whenever a new female is introduced, even after sex with prior but still available sexual partners.

Fatigue in males was discovered as a confounding variable. Controlled by using 2 males both fatigued for a female to decide (went for new male).

Question 19

What are Quasiexperimental studies and why are they used?

Answer 19

Studies of groups of subjects who have been exposed to the conditions of interests in the real world.

Used due to physical or ethical impediments.

Question 20

The statement ‘frequent alcohol use is associated with brain damage’ is likely a conclusion from what study?

Answer 20

Quasiexperimetal studies as they can only correlate with each other.

Note: language ‘associate’ rather than ‘causes’.

Question 21

What are Case studies and its major problem?

Answer 21

Focus on a single subject, or a very small number of subjects.

Generalisability. Degree to which results can be applied to other cases.

Question 22

Difference between pure and applied research?

Answer 22

Pure is motivated by the curiosity of the researcher, whereas applied is intended to bring benefit to humankind.

Question 23

What is translational research?

Answer 23

Aims to translate pure findings into useful applications for humankind.

Question 24

What is Physiological psychology and an example from memory research?

Answer 24

Study of neural mechanisms of behaviour by manipulating the nervous systems of nonhuman animals in controlled experiments.

E.g. surgically removing a rats hippocampus and assessing their ability to perform various memory tasks.

Question 25

What is Psychopharmacology and an example from memory research?

Answer 25

Study of the effects of drugs on the brain and behaviour. E.g. Using drugs to alter brain chemistry to improve the memory of Alzheimer’s patients.

Question 26

What part of the brain is most likely to get damaged by accident or surgery?

Answer 26

Cerebral cortex. The outer most layer of the cerebral hemispheres.

Question 27

What is Psychophysiology and an example from memory research?

Answer 27

Study of the relation between physiological activity and psychological processes in human volunteers by noninvasive physiological recordings. Research shows that familiar faces elicit the usual changes in autonomic nervous system activity even when patients with brain damage report they do not recognise a face.

Question 28

What is Cognitive neuroscience and an example from memory research?

Answer 28

Study of neural mechanisms (physiology) of human cognition through brain imaging. Using brain-imaging technology to observe the changes that occur in various parts of the brain while human volunteers perform memory tasks.

Question 29

What is Comparative psychology and an example from memory research?

Answer 29

Study of the evolution, genetics and adaptive news of behaviour. Species of birds that cache their seeds tend to have larger hippocampi, confirming that the hippocampus is involved in memory for location.

Question 30

What is ethological research?

Answer 30

The study of behaviour in an animal’s natural environment.

Question 31

Explain how converging operations has contributed to the study of Korsakoff’s syndrome.

Answer 31

Memory disorder that results from vitamin B1 deficiency. First assumed as a result of alcohol on the brain. Subsequent research on rats suggest due to thiamine deficiency.