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BIOPSYCHOLOGY - Coggle Diagram
BIOPSYCHOLOGY
HOLISTIC THEORY OF BRAIN FUNCTIONING:
- Whole brain plays a role in all behaviours. (slightly outdated before research & tech.)
LOCALISATION THEORY OF BRAIN FUNCTIONING:
- Different parts/components.
- Behaviour/functions may be controlled by isolated parts of the brain.
How did Broca investigate that language is produced in a specific area of the left brain hemisphere?
- Case studY - Post mortem examination of the brain. - People with speech problems.
How did Wernike investigate that language comprehension is related to a specific area of the left brain hemisphere?
- Case studIES - Post mortem examination - People with comprehension problems.
Damage to specific areas of brain.
LIMITATIONS:
- Generalisability issues - very few, unique people.
- Cause and effect, was it the damage that caused problem? - Looking at non active brain.
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LOCALISATION OF FUNCTION EVAL:
STRENGTHS:
- Brain scans show Wernicke's area was active during a listening task and Broca's area was active during a reading task.
- Phineas experienced damage to frontal lobe due to work. He suffered significant changes in behaviour. Before he was calm and now he is agressive.
LIMITATIONS:
- Remobed 10% and 50% of rats brain that had been learning a maze. No single area of brain was more important for the rats to navigate maze.
- Brain scans showed language is not restricted to these areas. Instead language function is more holistic and brain consists of multiple areas.
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BRAIN PLASTICITY:
Misconceptions about brain:
- After childhood brain cannot change.
- Only parts of the brain are active at a time.
Neuroplasticity:
- Your brain changes when you learn a new skill. Brain constantly changes.
- Stroke patients support plasticity because they can re learn everything again.
London taxi drivers:
Larger brain regions to support spatial learning.
KEY TERMS FOR PLASTICITY:
Functional recovery:
Form of plasticity, brains ability to redistribute from damage.
Synaptic pruning:
When age, rarely use connections are deleted and frequently used connections are strengthened.
Axonal sprouting:
Undamaged axons grow new nerve endings to reconnect neurons whos links were damaged.
Denervation supersensitivity:
Axons that complete similar job become aroused and compensate for the lost ones.
Recruitment of homologous areas:
Regions on opposite sides of brain take on functions of damaged areas.
Maguire Taxi Driver Study (supports Plasticity)
Aim:
Examine whether structural changes could be detected in the brain of people with experience of spatial navigation.Method:
- MRI scans were obtained.
- 16 right handed male drivers 1.5 years ^.
- Scans of 50 healthy RH males who didn't drive taxis included for comparison.
Results:
- 1) Increased grey matter found in drivers in rear hippocampus.
- 2) Correlation found between amoun of time spend as a driver and volume in hippocampus.
Conclusion:
- Provides evidence for structural differences between hippocami in drivers & non.
Therefore extensive practice with spatial navigation affects hippocampus.
Evaluation:
Findings indicate possibility of local plasticity(LOOK AT)
STUDYING THE BRAIN
FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGINING:
- Measures changes in brain activity while doing a task.
- Measures changes in blood flow in particular areas of the brain (indicates increased neural activity in those areas).
- More active = increased demand for oxygen.
- Responds by increasing blood flow, giving oxygen in red blood cells.
- Able to make maps showing which areas of the brain are involved in a particular mental activity.
STRENGTH:
- Non invasive, no prodding. Behaviour assessed without health at risk.
- Objective and reliable. Blood volume can accurate measure. No bias.
WEAKNESS:
- Sample sizes often small.
ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM:
- Measure electrical activity in the brain.
- Electrodes (On scalp) detect small electrical changes from activity of brain cells.
- Electrodes are graphed over time, called EEG.
- EEG detects epilepsy, Alzheimerâs
- EEG patterns are; alpha (awake but relaxed), beta (physiologically aroused), delta and theta waves (person is sleeping).
STRENGTH:
- Measures in real time.
- Clinical diagnosis.
WEAKNESS:
- Can't pinpoint exact source of brain activity.
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