Intro Flashcards
What were the first beliefs of the mind?
Ancient egyptians, chinese, indians, and some greek scolars thought the mind was in the heart.
- they would perserve the heart after death
Hippocrates Thoughts
he though the brain was needed for higher mental functions and thinking/emotions
Aristotle’s thoughts
he thought that the brain existed only to col the blood
- not involved in thinking
Galen’s thoughts
proposed brain specialization: the cerebrum was in charge of sensations and memories while the cerebellum was for movement
- the pneumatic-ventricular model (hollow tubes) which was influential until 17th century
dualism
mind and body are separate entities
monolism
human mind is a product of the activity of the nervous system
descartes
- dualist
- beleivd in hydraulic engines
- thought humans unqieule were given a soul that ontorl the body while animals relied only on reflexes
Luigi Galvani
- debunked the pneumatic-ventricular model by showing that a frog’s leg moved even when detached
Charles bell & francois megendi
- used ablation (nerve severing) to show that nerves are bundles of wires that conduct electrical signals
- they carry to and from the brain
Localization
specific brain functions in specific brain areas
- joseph gall (pioneered)
- phinease gage was proof
- paul broca
mass action theory
more about the amount of brain destruction than the location
- brain is a unified whole
- karl lashley
- piere flourens
phrenology
pseudoscience that says the shape of the skull has to do with behavior
- joseph gall
- localized function
paul broca
- lost ability to speak but identified the brain area responsible for speech.
levels of analysis
- molecular
- cellular
- behavioral
- cognitive
goals of research
- generalization: explaining as examples of general law
- reduction: explain complex stuff in simple parts
