localization and plasticity
what is localization of function
the theory that specific parts of the brain are responsible for specific behaviours or cognitive processes.
state the 3 types of neurotransmitters
excitatory neurotransmitters, inhibitory neurotransmitters and metabotropic neurotransmitters
what is the human genome project
a research initiative which aimed to map and sequence the human genome
what are prospective studies
sample is selected and observed before certain behaviours are observed
Which research method was used in sharot et al
it was a quasi-experiment
what is plasticity
Plasticity is the brain’s ability to change its structure following changes within the body or in the external environment.
what is an antagonist
a chemical or drug that binds to receptors in the brain and prevents an agonist from having a reaction, therefore a behaviour will not happen.
one way that researchers study inheritance
adoption studies, pedigree (family) studies, gene mapping, twin studies
state the types of triangulation in case studies
data triangulation, method triangulation, researcher triangulation and theory triangulation
what were the four methods used in the case study of eugene pauly
interviews, psychometric testing, observational studies and MRI
what does long-term potential lead to
greater level of response, longer periods of depolarization on the post-synaptic membrane.
what is the role of adrenaline
it is responsible for arousal and the "fight or flight" response and plays a role in emotional memory formation.
what is self-fulfilling prophecy
when a person unknowingly causes a prediction to come true, due to the simple fact that he or she expects it to come true.
advantages of MRI
minimal potential harm to the participant. the image has high resolution= good sense of the actual structure of the brain.
what did HM suffer from and how did it affect his memory and knowledge
suffered from anterograde amnesia
could not acquire- semantic and episodic knowledge
able to form a cognitive map, had a capacity for working memory and procedural memory
4 lobes that play a key role in behaviour and what are they associated with
Frontal Lobe- executive functions; planning, decision-making, and speech
Occipital Lobe- visual processing
Parietal Lobe- perception of stimuli
Temporal Lobe- auditory processing and memory.
4 neurotransmitters and their roles
Acetylcholine- memory formation in the hippocampus.
Dopamine- pleasure and motivation
Norepinephrine- arousal and alertness.
Serotonin- sleep, arousal levels, and emotion.
what is the diathesis–stress model
a psychological theory that states how mental and/or physical disorders derive from genetic predispositions that are expressed as a result of stress.
what is positron emission tomography used for
PET scanning - used to observe metabolic processes in the brain by detecting the gamma rays emitted indirectly by a tracer.
how did scopolamine affect acetylcholine receptors in antonova et al
scopolamine blocked acetylcholine receptors resulting in a significant reduction in the activation of the hippocampus
state the 5 components of the limbic system and their roles
Amygdala- formation of emotional memory and fear responses.
Basal ganglia- habit-forming and procedural memory.
Hippocampus- Responsible for the transfer of short-term memory to long-term memory
Hypothalamus- Involved in homeostasis, emotion, thirst, hunger, circadian rhythms, and control of the autonomic nervous system. controls the pituitary gland.
Nucleus accumbens- addiction and motivation.
difference between a hormone and neurotransmitter
neurotransmitter- released in neurons from terminal buttons, only found in the brain
hormone- secreted by a gland and released into bloodstream
why is the concordance rate of monozygotous twins almost never 100%
they do not have the same genetic expression of genes
what are the limitations of brain-imaging techniques
may lack ecological validity, participants may experience discomfort, some of the activity may be related to anxiety or reaction to the machine
colors may exaggerate the activity of the brain, it is difficult to know exactly which areas of the brain are active in a behaviour.
brain areas activate for various reasons
evaluate maguire (2000)
quasi-experiment- no cause and effect relationship
brain scans were coded/ single blind control = no researcher bias.
high ecological validity. lacks external validity
difficult to generalize findings, sampling bias