Biological Psychology Quiz

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Questions and Answers

Biological psychology primarily explores the relationship between which of the following?

Environmental factors and genetic predispositions

Personality traits and childhood experiences

Social interactions and cultural norms

Behavior, emotion, cognition, and brain function (correct)

What is the core idea of Monism?

There is only one fundamental reality, either the mind or the body. (correct)

Both the mind and body exists, but can not interact with each other.

The mind and body are separate and distinct entities.

The mind is a product of the body but can not be measured.

Which of the following best describes the historical view of the location where thought and emotions originate?

The pineal gland, as proposed by the Christian Church until the 14th century.

The brainstem, as the central part of the nervous system

The heart, according to ancient Egyptians, Indians, and Chinese as well as Aristotle. (correct)

The ventricles of the brain, as proposed by Descartes.

What did Galvani's experiment with frogs demonstrate?

Muscles respond to electrical stimulation, even when detached from the nervous system. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is the best definition of human consciousness?

Awareness of one's thoughts, feelings, memories, and the ability to communicate them. Signup and view all the answers

What is a reflex, as defined in the text?

An involuntary response to a stimulus, arising from a direct sensory-motor connection. Signup and view all the answers

According to the historical origins as discussed, who was a proponent of dualism?

Descartes Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the study of biological psychology?

The examination of the biological and neurological mechanisms underlying behavior and thought Signup and view all the answers

What method is used to measure cerebral blood flow and obtain images of neural activity in specific areas of the brain?

Functional MRI (fMRI) Signup and view all the answers

Which technique involves injecting radioactive chemicals into the bloodstream for neural analysis?

Autoradiography Signup and view all the answers

What field of study investigates the effects of drugs on behavior, particularly psychoactive drugs?

Psychopharmacology Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a genetic method in psychology research?

Functional MRI Signup and view all the answers

Which area of study investigates the relationship between nervous system structures and behavior by altering these structures?

Physiological psychology Signup and view all the answers

What ethical guideline requires researchers to maximize potential knowledge gain while minimizing risks to participants?

American Psychological Association guidelines Signup and view all the answers

Which technique measures the chemical constituents of fluid from neural tissue to identify neurotransmitters?

Microdialysis Signup and view all the answers

What area of psychology compares behaviors across different animal species in relation to genetics and evolution?

Comparative psychology Signup and view all the answers

What is the Bell-Magendie Law associated with?

The pathway of sensory and motor information in spinal nerves Signup and view all the answers

Which theory asserts that a specific nerve carries a distinct type of information?

Theory of Specific Nerve Energies Signup and view all the answers

Who contributed to the understanding that the mind is located in the brain rather than the heart?

Pierre Flourens Signup and view all the answers

How did Charles Darwin's work influence psychology?

It opened the door for studying animal behavior to improve insights into human behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What psychological concept is best illustrated by the case of Phineas Gage?

The localization of function in the brain Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following provides evidence for the idea of localization of function?

Experimental ablation studies by Pierre Flourens Signup and view all the answers

Which nerve corresponds to the detection of images, according to the Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies?

Optic nerves Signup and view all the answers

What significant conclusion can be drawn from Phineas Gage's case about the prefrontal cortex?

It is necessary for rational decision-making and emotional processing. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'engram' refer to in the context of memory?

The physical location of specific memories Signup and view all the answers

According to Karl Lashley's concepts, what does mass action indicate?

Learning diminishes with the destruction of brain areas Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the difference between neuronal theory and nerve net theory?

Nerve net theory supports the idea of individual nerve cells, while neuronal theory suggests interconnected nerves. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of the stereotaxic apparatus in neuroscience?

To create lesions in specific brain regions Signup and view all the answers

Which imaging technique uses x-rays to produce a cross-sectional image of the brain?

Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT scan) Signup and view all the answers

What do macroelectrodes and microelectrodes have in common?

Both are designed to measure the activity of neurons. Signup and view all the answers

What key insight did Loewi contribute to the understanding of neurons?

Neurons interact chemically through neurotransmitters. Signup and view all the answers

What does Diffusion Tensor Imaging primarily reveal about the brain?

Bundles of myelinated axons Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Biological Psychology

Biological psychology studies the relationship between behavior, emotion, and cognition, on one hand, and brain function on the other.
It examines the biological basis of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, encompassing electrical and chemical processes crucial for nervous system communication.
A behavior is any action or response to stimulation exhibited by an organism.

What is Human Consciousness?

Human consciousness involves awareness of thoughts, reason, perceptions, memories, and feelings.
It includes the ability to communicate thoughts and intentions.
Consciousness encompasses the ability to reflect on one's own existence.

Philosophy of Consciousness

Neuroscience is shifting the study of consciousness from a metaphysical to an empirical realm.
It allows researchers to investigate the physical mechanisms underlying consciousness.

Historical Origins: Monism Versus Dualism

Monism posits a single underlying reality, either the body or the mind.
Dualism proposes that both body and mind exist as distinct entities.

Historical Origins: The Location of the Mind

Ancient cultures, including Egyptian, Indian, and Chinese, often believed the heart housed the mind.
Aristotle also considered the heart to be the source of thought and emotion.
Galen proposed the ventricles of the brain as the origin of mental activities.
This view became the accepted understanding of the Christian Church until the 14th century.
Descartes, a dualist, proposed a hydraulic model with the pineal gland controlling the nervous system.
Galvani's experiments disproved Descartes' hydraulic model, demonstrating the electrical stimulation of nerves.

Historical Origins: Reflex

A reflex is an involuntary response to a stimulus caused by a direct connection between a sensory receptor and a muscle.

Historical Origins: Bell-Magendie Law

The Bell-Magendie Law explains that the dorsal root of a spinal nerve carries sensory information to the spinal cord, and the ventral root carries motor information to muscles.

Historical Origins: Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies

The doctrine of specific nerve energies proposes that the nervous system detects messages based on which nerve carries the message rather than how it's stimulated.
Johannes Müller (1835) articulated this concept.

Historical Origins: Localization of Function

The idea that specific functions are located in particular areas of the nervous system.
Phrenology assumed mental functions are localized to specific brain areas, related to the size and integrity of those areas.

Historical Origins: Localization of Function - Evolution

Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, influencing the understanding of animal research in relation to human behavior.
Pierre Flourens, through experimental ablation, identified the brain as the location of the mind, not the heart.
This marked the beginning of comparative psychology, as exemplified by George Romanes.

Historical Origins: Localization of Function - Phineas Gage

Phineas Gage's accident, involving a tamping rod piercing his prefrontal cortex, impacted his decision-making and emotional responses.
Damasio's (1994) research further confirmed the prefrontal cortex's role in rational decision-making and emotional processing.

Historical Origins: Localization of Function - The Four Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex

The brain is divided into four lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.
Specific regions within each lobe perform unique functions.

Historical Origins: Localization of Function - Karl Lashley

Karl Lashley researched the physical location of memories.
He developed the concepts of mass action and equipotentiality:
- Mass action - the more brain area destroyed, the more severe the impact on learning.
- Equipotentiality - any part of a functional area can perform that function.

The Neuron

Neurons are the structural units of the brain, responsible for its functioning.
Nerve net theory proposes a network of connected nerves as a model of the nervous system.
The neuronal theory posits the nervous system as a collection of connected neurons.

The Synapse

Synapses are the points of functional contact between neurons and their targets.
Sherrington's studies on reflexes and neuron interaction helped define the concept of the synapse
Loewi's experiments demonstrated the presence of neurotransmitters in neurons.

Techniques for Studying Brain Function: Ablation of Neural Tissue

Ablation (lesioning) involves the experimental destruction of neurons or surgical removal of a brain part to understand its function.
Stereotaxic apparatus is a surgical instrument for precise brain lesion creation.

Techniques for Studying Brain Function: Static Images of the Nervous System

Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT scan) produces cross-sectional images of the brain using X-rays.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) utilizes strong magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed 3D images of the brain, measuring hydrogen atom radiation.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) identifies myelinated axon bundles in the living human brain through specific radio frequencies and magnetic field pulses.

Techniques for Studying Brain Function: Recording Nervous System Activity

Macroelectrodes record from multiple neurons simultaneously.
Microelectrodes record from single or a few neurons.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) graphically records the brain's electrical activity.
Evoked potentials measure neural responses to sensory stimulation to determine specific brain areas.

Techniques for Studying Brain Function: Positron Emission Tomography

Positron Emission Tomography (PET scan) measures metabolic activity in specific brain regions or structures, helping determine neural functioning.

Techniques for Studying Brain Function: Functional MRI

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) measures cerebral blood flow to visualize neural activity in specific brain areas.

Techniques for Studying Brain Function: Measuring Chemical Activity

Autoradiography involves injecting radioactive chemicals to identify their location in the nervous system.
Microdialysis measures the chemical constituents of neural fluid to identify neurotransmitters in specific brain areas.

Genetic Methods

Twin studies, adoption studies, genomic studies, and targeted mutations are used to examine the genetic basis of psychological characteristics.

Areas of Study within Biological Psychology

Physiological psychology investigates the relationship between the nervous system and behavior.
Psychophysiology examines the connection between physiology and behavior using physiological responses.
Psychopharmacology explores drug effects on behavior, focusing on psychoactive drugs.
Comparative psychology studies the behavior of different animal species to learn about the influence of genetics and evolution on behavior.
Neuroscience classifications of specialization within the relevant field.

Ethics of Conducting Human Research

Guidelines established by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the American Psychological Association, govern human research to maximize knowledge gain and minimize risks to participants.
Informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, and the right to withdraw are essential ethical considerations.

Ethics of Conducting Research: Research on Nonhuman Subjects

Federal laws, such as the Animal Welfare Act, protect nonhuman research subjects and ensure their humane treatment in research.
Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) oversee animal research to maintain ethical and regulatory compliance.
The APA provides further guidelines for animal research practices and care.

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Description

Test your knowledge of biological psychology concepts, including the relationship between biology and behavior, historical perspectives, and techniques used in neuroscience. This quiz covers key topics such as dualism, human consciousness, and the effects of drugs on behavior.