PSY 2301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Lateral Geniculate Nucleus, Coccyx, Fiber Bundle

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 2301
• Professor: Stephaniebaker

Document Summary

Brain"s primary function: produce behaviour or movement. To produce behaviour - brain must absorb info about world - w/o stimuli brain cannot orient the body & direct to produce appropriate responses. Ns receive info from world & convert them into biological activity that produces perception. We also use cognitive processes to interact w/ incoming info (not only through our sensory) - see ex pg 35. Brain is plastic - neural tissue has capacity to adapt to world by changing how its functions are organized. Cerebellar agenesis: condition when person blind from birth has enhanced auditory capacities because some of brain"s visual regions have been co-opted for hearing. As we learn to play instrument/speak language - cortical regions increase in size to accommodate learning. To learn new thing - neural circuits must change to represent & store this knowledge. Culture also play dominant role in shaping behaviour.