Module 11
What are the types of neural measures?
- Electroencephalogram (EEG)
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
- Computer tomography (CT)
- Positron emission tomography (PET)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
What did phrenology focus attention on?
The localization of function (the idea that various brain regions have particular functions)
What are the subdivisions of the autonomic nervous system?
- Sympathetic Nervous System (think "fight or flight")
- Parasympathetic Nervous System (conserves energy as it calms us)
What is the Cerebral Cortex?
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ulimate control and information-processing center
According to Gazzaniga, what did he say the left hemisphere resembles? And what did he conclude?
The left hemisphere resembles an Interpreter that instantly constructs explanations.
He concluded that the brain often runs on autopilot; it acts first and then explains itself.
What is the brain's oldest and innermost region and what is it responsible for?
The brainstem. It is responsible for automatic survival functions
What is the building block of our body's neural information system?
Neurons/Nerve Cells
Why do our brain's neurons cluster into work groups called neural networks?
Neurons network with nearby neurons which they can have short, fast connections; each layer's cells connect with various cells in the neural network's next layer. Learning occurs as experience strengthens connections.
Who discovered what is now called the motor cortex?
German physicians Gustav Fritsch & Eduard Hitzig
If the left hemisphere is skilled at making quick, literal interpretations of language, the right hemisphere _______________.
- excels in making inferences
- helps us modulate our speech to make meaning clear
- helps orchestrate our self-awareness
What is the limbic system?
Neural system (including the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives
What is a refractory period in neural processing?
A breif resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state
What is the endocrine system?
The body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
The ones requring precise control, such as the fingers and mouth
How do evolutionary psychologists presume that consciousness offers a reproductive advantage?
They say it helps us cope with novel situations and act in our long-term interests rather than merely seeking short-term pleasure and avoiding pain
What is the hippocampus?
A sea-horse shaped brain structure that possess conscious, explicit memories and decreases in size and function as we grow older. It is a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process for storage explicit (conscious) memories of facts and events
What are glia cells?
Aka "glue cells." Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory
What is the most influential endocrine gland and what does it do?
The pituitary gland. It regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands under the influence of the hypothalamus.
Who identified a cortical area at the front of the parietal lobes, parallel to and just behind the motor cortex--that specializes in receiving information from the skin senses? (We now call this area the somatosensory cortex)
Wilder Penfield
What do behavior geneticists study?
- Our differences
- They weigh The effects and the interplay of heredity and environment
What is the Reticular Formation?
A nerve netwrok that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal
What is reuptake?
A neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron
What do epinephrine (adrenaline) and nonrpinephrine (nonadrenaline) do?
These hormones increase heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar, providing a surge of energy known as the fight-or-flight response
What does the prefrontral cortex in the foward part of the frontal lobes enable?
- judgement
- planning
- processing of new memories
What did data tell us about the environment shared by a family's children having an effect on their personality?
The environment shared by a family's children has virtually no discernible impact on their personalities