Unit 2 CHAPTER 3 Biological Psychology o 1 The nervous system Structure function o 2 Localization of function o 3 Brain mapping methods o 4 Nature and Nurture Nervous System o Links the CNS to 1 Sensory receptors touch taste etc 2 Muscles 3 Glands Identify the two major divisions of the nervous system and describe their functions Identify the two major components of the central nervous system and describe their functions o 1 Central Nervous System CNS 1 Brain made up of cerebrum cerebellum brain stem controls what we do 2 Spinal Cord made up of nerve fibers carries messages to the brain from nerves o 2 Peripheral Nervous System PNS Somatic Autonomic Sympathetic Parasympathetic The sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body Consists of all the nerves in the body outside the brain and spinal cord 2 components somatic and autonomic Somatic o Part of the PNS interacts with EXTERNALenvironment 1 Sends signals from the sense organs eyes ears tongue etc and skin to the CNS 2 Sends signals from the CNS to the skeletal muscles directing voluntary movements Identify the two major components of the autonomic nervous system and describe their function Autonomic o Regulation of internal environment o Connects the CNS to the smooth involuntary muscles and organs e g the heart the stomach the liver and to the body s hormone producing glands o Two components Sympathetic and Parasympathetic 1 Sympathetic Triggers fight or flight response Heart and breathing rate increase pupils dilate digestion stops adrenaline flows etc 2 Parasympathetic Returns the body to a stable state of equilibrium Reverses the effects of the Sympathetic Nervous System A larger brain doesn t mean smarter brain elephant vs human The Human Brain Distinguish the parts of the hindbrain and describe the function of those structures Medulla regulates breathing heartbeat and other vital functions Pons connects cortex to cerebellum and triggers dreams Coordinates voluntary movements and balance Allows for certain types of associative learning Modulation of emotions Discrimination of sounds and textures o Hindbrain o Cerebellum o Thalamus o Limbic Systems Sits on top of the brainstem Brain s Sensory Switchboard Receives sensory input except smell and sends info to specialized regions of the brain Internal processes info like blood pressure heart rate perspiration emotions Summarize the functions of the thalamus hypothalamus hippocampus and amygdala Hypothalamus Amygdala Hippocampus Regulates the body s internal environment Regulates some emotions anger fear and drives hunger thirst sexuality Basically the 4 F s Fighting Fleeing Feeding and sex Tied to emotions such as aggression and fear Important in the formation of emotional memories Important functions in storing retrieving declarative memories Differentiate between declarative memories and procedural memories Describe the structure of the cerebral cortex and explain the various functions of the four lobes o Cerebral Cortex Divided into 2 hemispheres left right Outermost covering of the brain Hemispheres are connected by the corpus callosum Each Hemisphere is divided into four Lobes separated by Fissures 1 Frontal Don t take an exam without your frontal lobes Functions Making plans and judgments speaking and muscle movements body sensations auditory info and some speech 2 Parietal Don t get a massage without your parietal lobes Function Registers processes 3 Occipital 4 Temporal Don t go see a movie without your occipital lobes Function Processes visual info Don t turn on the radio without your temporal lobes Functions Processes Describe and know the strengths and limitations of several brain mapping techniques Brain Mapping Methods Actively manipulating the brain Electrical stimulation Lesion studies on a rats brain Electroencephalograph EEG Measures electrical activity via electrodes placed on skull cap on the skull with wires Can tell which regions of the brain are active during specific tasks Brain Scans Allow us to see the brain CT and MRI scans structure of brain PET scans changes in brain activity Explain what an fMRI study offers over and above a simple MRI brain scan fMRI studies use blood oxygenation levels to visualize brain activity Magnetic stimulation and recording Transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS applies strong and quickly changing magnetic fields to the surface of the skull that can either enhance or interrupt brain function Allows causal determination of functioning Magnetoencephalography MEG measures tiny magnetic fields generated by the brain The reason your cerebral cortex has so many folds like a wrinkled up walnut is that there is a limited amount of space inside your skull By wrinkling up the cortex creates more space to fit in more neurons More brain power Differentiate nature vs nurture and know what each contributes to the study of behavior Nature and Nurture behavior o Why do we act the way we do o Is the variability caused by Nature e g our genes or by Nurture our environment Natures Contribution o DNA Cells ex Neurons neural development of the BRAIN Organs o The biology of the brain has a lot to do with emotions and behavior o Ex If you have high CORTISOL levels a stress hormone you will be more likely to experience anxiety o Ex If you have low SEROTONIN levels you will be more likely to experience depression o Ex Amygdala dysfunction Limbic System fear aggression Nurture s Contribution o Nurture o Ex Parental and peer influence o What is the influence of parents concerns how our experience our environment affects behavior Obviously parents provide the genes Parenting styles affect self confidence and social competence Parents influence Political attitudes Religious beliefs Personal manners But surprisingly in terms of personality measures siblings who share the same home environment are on average as different from one another as a pair of children selected randomly from the population o What is the influence of peers Learning to interact cooperate and balance issues of social status among people of the same age Explain the concept of heritability and how twin and adoption studies help us differentiate hereditary and environmental influences on behavior Behavioral Genetics o Studies the relative impact of nature and nurture on psychological traits o Estimates heritability percentage of the variability in a trait across individuals that is due to genes o Some traits are highly heritable height others are not
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