Key Theories
According to the James-Lange Theory of Emotion, physiological arousal occurs first and then the brain _______ it.
interprets
In Penfield's studies of the interpretive cortex, he used the ______ procedure to electrically stimulate parts of the patients' brains in order to cure their ________.
Montreal
Epilepsy
The Broca's area in the left frontal lobe governs _____. Damage to this area can result in difficulty forming ______.
speech
words / sentences
Neurons communicate with each other via ______ _______.
synaptic transmission / neurotransmission
What is the key claim of Hebb's Theory of Learning and Neuronal Growth.
The brain changes in response to new experiences / learning (neuroplasticity).
What was the aim of Tulving's 'Gold Memory Study'?
To investigate if semantic (words) and episodic (events) memory could be located in different regions of the physical brain.
The parietal lobe, contains the ________ area, which governs perception of stimuli like touch, heat, pressure, etc.
somatosensory
Sensory neurons carry messages from the _______ to the _______.
PNS (peripheral nervous system)
CNS (central nervous system)
Evaluate (with one strength and one weakness) Hebb's Theory of Learning and Neuronal Growth.
Strength: Scientific / Empirically based theory that was pioneering in the field of cognitive neuroscience. Real-world applications (greater importance placed on stimulus rich learning environments based on this)
Weakness: Reductionistic explanation for learning.
Outline (aim/method/results) Penfield's studies of the interpretive cortex:
Aim: To describe the psychological phenomena (deja vu, auditory and visual hallucinations, etc.) epileptic patients experienced when their brains were electrically stimulated.
Method / Procedure: Locally anesthetized patients would lie on an operating table and Penfield would electrically stimulate regions of their brains (Montreal procedure).
Results: Patients would experience shapes and colors when Penfield stimulated their visual cortex and memories and interpretations of past events when he stimulated their temporal lobe.
The temporal lobe contains the _______ area which governs _______ and also includes part of the Wernicke's area which governs ______.
auditory
hearing
language
_______ neurotransmitters like adrenaline increase an action potential (firing of neurons) while _______ neurotransmitters like GABA or serotonin increases the negative charge of the neuron making it less likely to fire.
Excitatory
Inhibitory
The James-Lange Theory of emotion can be summarized as ________ - ________ - ________ - __________.
Event - Arousal - Interpretation - Emotion
Evaluate (one strength and one weakness) Tulving's 'Gold Memory' Study:
Strength: High internal validity. The methodology (lab experiment) produced empirical evidence (gold radiation in the PET scan lighting up different brain regions) in response to both episodic (events) and semantic (words and facts) prompts.
Weakness: A very small sample size of 6 participants, only 3 of which demonstrated this difference, was tested. Semantic and episodic memories can overlap.
At the back of the brain is the _________ lobe which governs _______ processing.
occipital
visual
_____ ______ carry messages from the _______ to our muscles and glands.
Motor neurons
CNS (central nervous system)
Evaluate (one strength and one weakness) the James-Lange Theory of Emotion.
Strength: Real-World Application - Emotional states predictably follow physiological arousal in the case of phobias and panic / anxiety disorders.
Weakness: The Cannon-Bard Theory claims that emotion and physiological arousal are simultaneous. Challenged as too simplistic by the 2-Factor Theory (Schacter and Singer) which suggests that the same physiological arousal can be interpreted with different emotions depending on the context.
Evaluate (one strength and one weakness) Penfield's study of the interpretive cortex:
Strength: Penfield developed a precise and empirical research methodology for mapping brain function and was able to isolate the specific brain region where patients' memories would be triggered. Helped people suffering with epilepsy.
Weakness: Narrow sample of epileptic patients not necessarily generalizable to the larger population. Penfield's follow up study yielded less consistent results.
What are two major functions of the frontal lobe?
Higher order functions (thinking, planning, decision making).
Motor functions (coordination and balance)
What are the functions of the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the ________ nervous system and the ________ nervous system?
sympathetic - physiological arousal; increased heart rate, heavier breathing, sweating, "fight or flight" response.
parasympathetic - return to homeostasis; rest, digestion, decreased heart rate, slower breathing, etc.