Cognitive Neuroscience AO3

Question 1

✅ How has cognitive neuroscience been applied to real-world problems?

Answer 1

Cognitive neuroscience has provided a neurological basis for understanding mental disorders, such as the link between the parahippocampal gyrus and OCD. This understanding has led to new treatments, including the option to lesion this area for severe cases. It also helps reduce stigma by highlighting a biological cause, shifting blame away from the individual.

Question 2

✅ Why does cognitive neuroscience support psychology’s status as a science?

Answer 2

Cognitive neuroscience uses objective, scientific methods, including brain scanning techniques (e.g., fMRI, PET scans), which allow for the direct observation of brain activity. This helps establish cause-and-effect relationships between brain areas and behaviours, making the study of the mind more scientific.

Question 3

❌ What are the ethical concerns with the use of cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 3

Cognitive neuroscience has been used to identify brain areas linked to lying, with fMRI lie detection being used in the criminal justice system. However, the subjective interpretation of fMRI data means that innocent individuals may be wrongly judged, impacting their livelihood and reputation.

Question 4

❌ How has cognitive neuroscience enhanced our understanding of brain plasticity?

Answer 4

Research like Maguire et al. (2000) showed that London taxi drivers, who have extensive spatial navigation experience, have greater volume in the right posterior hippocampus. This highlights that the brain is not fixed but can be shaped by experience, supporting the concept of neuroplasticity