PSY 250 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Neuron, Gene, Prefrontal Cortex
PSY 250
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Garrett:'Brain'&'Behavior,'3e' '
1'
'
!"#$%&'()*(+"#%(,-(.,/$-01"/2/304(
5/$,1#2(67%2,8&(#89(:&0(5&';-(
'
1. Origins'of'<,/$-01"/2/30'and'8&7'/-1,&81&=(.,/$-01"/2/30'studies'the'relationships'between'
the'body'and'behavior'
a. >,89?<'#,8($'/<2&;:'what'is'the'relationship'between'mental'states'and'the'brain'and'
the'physical'world?'
i. >/8,-;‐'the'mind'and'the'body'are'the'same'substance'
1. >#%&',#2,-%,1(>/8,-;‐'only'the'physical'exists,'and'the'mind'is'a'by‐
product'created'by'the'nervous'system'
2. >&8%#2,-%,1(@/'(A9,-%,1B(>/8,-;‐'only'the'mind'exists,'and'the'
physical'world'is'a'construct'of'the'mind'
ii. C7#2,-;‐'The'mind'and'the'physical'world/brain'are'separate'entities'
b. Descartes'and'the'physical'model'of'behavior'
i. C&-1#'%&-'was'a'17th'century'philosopher'and'physiologist'who'believed'that'
movements'and'behavior'were'controlled'by'animal'spirits'or'fluids'that'flowed'
through'the'nerves;'his'significance'lies'in'his'physical'explanation'of'behavior'
ii. D;$,',1,-;‐'knowledge'can'be'gained'through'careful'observation'
c. Electric'brain:'early'researchers'established'the'electrical'basis'of'neural'activity'
i. E#2F#8,‐'stimulating'muscles'electrically'caused'them'to'contract'
ii. G&2;"/2%H‐'measured'the'actual'speed'of'neural'conduction,'finding'it'slower'
than'electrical'conduction'along'wires'
d. I/1#2,H#%,/8'of'brain'areas'involved'in'specific'physical'and'mental'activities'
i. J"'&8/2/30'was'the'correlation'of'faculties'to'specific'areas'of'the'brain'
ii. DK7,$/%&8%,#2,%0'suggests'that'brain'operates'as'a'whole'rather'than'parts'
iii. .'/1#'localized'language'to'a'specific'brain'area''
iv. Since'Broca,'many'L781%,/8#2(#'&#-'of'the'brain'have'been'associated'with'
speech,'movement,'sensation,'hearing,'and'vision'
2. Nature'versus'nurture'
a. M#%7'&‐'genes'direct'protein'production,'which'influences'both'structure'and'behavior'
i. The'3&8&'is'the'smallest'unit'of'heritability'on'a'1"'/;/-/;&,'which'is'a'long'
string'of'a'nucleotide'molecule'called'9&/N0',</8712&,1(#1,9'(CMO).'
ii. Humans'have'22'pairs'of'chromosomes,'and'a'pair'of'sex'chromosomes'
iii. Some'characteristics'are'controlled'by'more'than'one'gene'($/203&8,1'effects).'
iv. The'G7;#8(E&8/;&(J'/P&1%'has'mapped'99%'of'the'genes'comprising'the'
genetic'code'of'humans.'
b. Nurture‐'environmental'influences'behavior'through'parenting,'nutrition,'learning,'etc.'
i. M#%7'#2(-&2&1%,/8,'an'idea'conceived'by'Darwin,'suggests'that'the'environment'
selects'the'most'advantageous'traits'to'survive,'while'less'advantageous'traits'
do'not'
ii. G&',%#<,2,%0'score'indicates'how'much'of'a'behavior'or'trait'is'due'to'genes'
(such'as'height'at'approximately'90%,'intelligence'at'50%,'or'speaking'English'at'
0%).'
iii. Q728&'#<,2,%0'indicates'that'genes'contribute'a'predisposition;'the'strength'or'
number'of'genes'sets'the'threshold'that'an'environmental'influence''must'
exceed'in'order'for'the'characteristic'to'be'expressed.''
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Chapter 1: What is Biopsychology?
- Neuroscience: the multidisciplinary study of the nervous system and its role in behavior
- The Origins of Biopsychology
- Neuroscience identifies the subject matters of the investigation rather than the
scientist’s training (biologist, physiologist, anatomist, neurologist, chemist,
psychologists, or psychiatrist)
- Biological Psychology: the branch of psychology that studies the relationships
between behavior and the body, particularly the brain
- Behavior is overt acts and also internal events like learning, thinking, and emotion
- Psychology has a long history
- Prescientific Psychology and the Mind-Brain Problem
- Mind-brain problem deals with what the mind is and what its relationship
is to the brain
- Mind, like weather, is just a concept; it is not a something; it does not do
anything
- Monism: the idea that the mind and the body consist of the same substance
- Materialistic Monism: the body and mind and everything else are physical
- Dualism: the mind and the brain are separate
- Descartes and the Physical Model of Behavior
- Model: a proposed mechanism for how something works
- Descartes used a hydraulic model to explain the brain’s activity
- Descartes lacked an understanding of how the brain and body worked, so
he relied on a small amount of anatomical knowledge and a great deal of
speculation
- Empiricism: gathered information through observation rather than logic,
intuition, or other means
- Helmholtz and the Electrical Brain
- Scientists showed that animal spirits were not responsible for movement,
but instead nerves operated by electricity
- This started a biological phenomenon about how the brain and nerves in
the brain work
- The Localization Issue
- Localization: the idea that specific areas of the brain carry out specific
functions
- Emerged in the first half of the 19th century
- Phineas Gage
- Railroad construction worker when a dynamite explosion drove an
iron rod through his skull and frontal lobes
- Survived with no impairment of intelligence, memory, speech, or
movement
- Became irresponsible and profane and was unable to abide by
social conventions
- Broca’s area was found after Broca performed an autopsy on a man who
lost his ability to speak after a stroke (Broca’s area is responsible for
speech)
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find more resources at oneclass.com
