Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary purpose of cutting the corpus callosum during the split-brain surgery?

  • To improve movement coordination in the lower brain areas
  • To treat seizure disorder by reducing communication between hemispheres (correct)
  • To enhance sensory processing on both sides of the brain
  • To enable better communication between the cerebral hemispheres

    • Which side of the body does the left cerebral hemisphere primarily control?

  • The lower half of the body
  • The right side of the body (correct)
  • Both sides of the body equally
  • The left side of the body

    • What happens to sensory processing when the corpus callosum is cut?

  • There is complete loss of sensory processing
  • Both sides process sensory information independently (correct)
  • Sensory processing is enhanced on both sides
  • Only the left hemisphere processes sensory information

    • Why did the popularity of the split-brain surgery decline in the mid-1950s?

    <p>Antipsychotic medications became available as effective alternatives</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which aspect of physical movement is the corpus callosum involved in, prior to being cut?

    <p>Linking sensory inputs to motor outputs across hemispheres</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a notable side effect of the split-brain operation?

    <p>Alteration in sensory perception between hemispheres</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the brain still coordinate movements if the corpus callosum is cut?

    <p>By using subconscious processing in the lower brain areas</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of vision, which side of the brain processes information seen on the left side of a fixation point?

    <p>The right brain is responsible for processing this visual information</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Gazzaniga’s Interpreter Theory, what is the main function of left-brain consciousness?

    <p>To generate narratives from disparate information.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What conclusion did Gazzaniga draw regarding the feelings of split-brain patients about their wholeness?

    <p>They do not miss the other hemisphere.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Gazzaniga’s Interpreter Theory suggest about free will?

    <p>Free will is an illusion shaped by unconscious processes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why did the patient laugh when the right hemisphere was instructed to do so?

    <p>His left-brain created a narrative to explain the reaction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What process is primarily responsible for generating our sense of self according to Gazzaniga?

    <p>Narratives formed by the left hemisphere.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes the consciousness attributed to the left cerebral hemisphere?

    <p>It creates meaning only after the fact.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do split-brain patients respond when asked about actions their right hemisphere initiated?

    <p>They fabricate explanations for their actions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one key aspect of consciousness as defined in the previous textbook?

    <p>Awareness of thoughts and feelings</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What philosophical approach is associated with Rene Descartes questioning everything?

    <p>Cartesian doubt</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Descartes conclude with the statement 'I think, therefore I am'?

    <p>Existence is confirmed through thought</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant change occurred during the scientific revolution regarding people's beliefs?

    <p>Growth in trust of mathematical and scientific methods</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Descartes suggest about the nature of thoughts?

    <p>They are immaterial</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scientific figure's ideas contributed to the growing belief in a deterministic universe?

    <p>Isaac Newton</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What implication does skepticism about intuition have, according to Descartes?

    <p>Reliability of perceptions must be questioned</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the notion of an unbroken chain of cause and effect suggest?

    <p>Every occurrence is determined by prior events</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What concept distinguishes between the mechanical body and the immaterial mind?

    <p>Mind-Body Dualism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term describes the paradox regarding how immaterial souls can control material bodies?

    <p>Cartesian Impasse</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best summarizes the deterministic view of the world?

    <p>All events are preordained by external causes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is suggested to exist independently of sensory input?

    <p>Thoughts and ideas</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do neurons evolve primarily to do?

    <p>Sense and coordinate movements</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is implied about the nature of meaning in a deterministic world?

    <p>Meaning is a construct created by neural activity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What major conclusion can be drawn about human thoughts and physics?

    <p>Thoughts do not always relate to physical notions of reality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the discussion of determinism, what do molecules lack?

    <p>Inherent meaning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes thinking from mere calculation?

    <p>Thinking involves the creation of abstract ideas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does self-awareness relate to thoughts?

    <p>Self-awareness grows from the realization that thoughts influence the future.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following questions remains unanswered regarding the brain?

    <p>What exactly is consciousness and how does it work?</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of theorizing in human thought?

    <p>Theorizing allows for the exploration of abstract ideas and potential futures.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do we know about the processing of information in the brain?

    <p>Cells deep within neural networks remain largely unclear in their processing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best describes mental illness in relation to understanding the brain?

    <p>Understanding of neural processes is essential to comprehend mental illnesses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does the ability to imagine future possibilities play in thinking?

    <p>It aids in understanding that actions have consequences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is understanding the brain's function crucial for comprehending feelings?

    <p>Feelings involve complex neural interactions that require understanding.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What primarily composes ordinary matter in the universe?

    <p>Atoms, protons, and neutrons</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of light is primarily emitted during the formation of atoms?

    <p>Red to infrared light</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How long has light from the formation of the first atoms been traveling through space?

    <p>13.7 billion years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage of the atoms in the universe are made up of hydrogen and helium?

    <p>Approximately 99%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does a light year measure?

    <p>The distance light travels in one year</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At what point in the universe's timeline did the first atoms form?

    <p>380,000 years after the Big Bang</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What has caused the wavelengths of light from the cosmos to stretch?

    <p>Expansion of the universe</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the wavelength of the cosmic microwave background radiation as a result of universe expansion?

    <p>1 mm</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of proteins in a cell?

    <p>They act as structural components and perform various tasks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of RNA serves as the instructions for protein synthesis?

    <p>mRNA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of tRNA in protein synthesis?

    <p>It carries amino acids and matches them with mRNA sequences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many types of amino acids are utilized to form proteins?

    <p>20</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant property of enzymes makes them vital for cellular functions?

    <p>They can be reused in subsequent reactions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic differentiates proteins from other macromolecules?

    <p>Proteins consist of chains of amino acids.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which process is primarily involved in linking amino acids during protein synthesis?

    <p>Translation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the approximate size of a protein in millimeters?

    <p>0.000003 mm</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of ribosomes in the cell?

    <p>To synthesize proteins by linking amino acids</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What molecule carries the genetic instructions required for protein synthesis?

    <p>mRNA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is DNA preferred over RNA for long-term information storage?

    <p>DNA is more stable and durable than RNA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What occurs when a ribosome encounters a complementary tRNA molecule?

    <p>The ribosome links together amino acids from the tRNA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do protein enzymes play in living organisms?

    <p>They facilitate chemical reactions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes the small and large subunits of a ribosome?

    <p>They are made of RNA and proteins</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does RNA relate to DNA in terms of their functionality?

    <p>RNA serves as a temporary copy of the information stored in DNA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the advantage of using ribosomes for protein synthesis?

    <p>They can quickly assemble proteins from amino acids</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do mitochondria primarily do in eukaryotic cells?

    <p>Generate molecules of ATP from nutrients</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary component of prokaryotic cell cytoplasm?

    <p>Saltwater mixed with sugars, nucleic acids, and amino acids</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to phospholipids when they are shaken in water?

    <p>They aggregate into micelles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about ribosomes is true?

    <p>Ribosomes synthesize proteins by translating RNA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of a gene in a cell?

    <p>To provide instructions for protein synthesis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What defines the genome of a cell?

    <p>The entire collection of DNA within the cell</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How are chromosomes related to the nucleus in eukaryotic cells?

    <p>They are tightly packed strands of DNA within the nucleus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is formed when micelles pop and reform under the right conditions?

    <p>Liposomes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of large sections of the human genome that are never transcribed into RNA?

    <p>They regulate gene expression.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is true regarding protein-encoding genes in humans?

    <p>They account for nearly 20,000 genes in the human genome.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to gene expression in a multicellular organism?

    <p>Gene expression varies from cell to cell and is influenced by environmental factors.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do non-protein encoding strands of RNA play in cells?

    <p>They mainly regulate gene expression.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of microtubules in the neuron?

    <p>To facilitate rapid transport of materials within the neuron.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why are mitochondria often referred to as the powerhouse of the cell?

    <p>They generate ATP, the main source of chemical energy for the cell.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the presence of mostly non-expressed genes in multicellular organisms indicate about cellular function?

    <p>Precise regulation of gene expression enhances cellular diversity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When did organisms known as animals first appear?

    <p>Around 650 million years ago.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is referred to as neoteny in human development?

    <p>Extended youth and prolonged maturation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best describes the weight of the human brain from birth to twenty years of age?

    <p>It grows to about 1400 grams.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What primarily contributes to the growth of the human brain after birth?

    <p>Expansion of existing neurons and connections</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements addresses the Fermi Paradox?

    <p>The vast number of planets suggests alien life should be seen.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is the Milky Way galaxy considered old enough to have created potential life-bearing planets?

    <p>It is over 13 billion years old.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What could interstellar travel potentially allow life forms to do according to estimations?

    <p>Colonize the Milky Way galaxy in less than 50 million years.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the unique slow maturation of human brains imply about their behavior?

    <p>Human brains can adapt and learn throughout a longer period.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be inferred about the likelihood of intelligent life existing elsewhere in the universe?

    <p>The emergence of life is a rare event.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason the crystallization of silver chromate is valuable for scientists?

    <p>It happens rarely and makes neuron structures visible.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main function of dendrites in a neuron?

    <p>Collecting information from neurotransmitters and stimuli.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which structure is responsible for conducting impulses away from the neuron?

    <p>Axon</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What measurement indicates the voltage difference across a cell membrane?

    <p>The electrostatic potential between two points.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How are neurotransmitters released from an axon terminal?

    <p>By exocytosis into the synapse.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of axon collaterals in a neuron?

    <p>They enhance the branching of the main axon.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does a voltmeter play in measuring voltage?

    <p>It measures the difference in electric charge between two points.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What prevents ions from crossing the cell membrane without specific conditions?

    <p>The impermeability of the cell membrane.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What primarily determines the resting membrane potential of most neurons?

    <p>The permeability of the membrane to K+ ions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When K+ channels are opened more in a neuron, what happens to the membrane potential?

    <p>It moves closer to -90 mV</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the typical resting membrane potential range for most neurons?

    <p>-40 mV to -80 mV</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which ion continuously flows into neurons through other types of ion channels and pumps?

    <p>Na+</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What effect does removing K+ channels from the membrane have on the membrane potential?

    <p>It causes the membrane potential to be less negative</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is defined as the electrical charge difference across a cell membrane?

    <p>Membrane potential</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of ion is primarily responsible for establishing the resting membrane potential in neurons?

    <p>K+</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How is the balance of K+ ions maintained in a neuron?

    <p>By leak channels and pumps</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to K+ ions when the membrane potential reaches -90 mV?

    <p>There is no net movement of K+ ions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What primarily drives K+ ions to leave the cell?

    <p>Concentration gradient.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When the membrane potential is less negative than -90 mV, what occurs?

    <p>K+ ions leave the cell at a higher rate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does the negative charge inside the cell play regarding K+ ions?

    <p>It attracts K+ ions into the cell.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What occurs at the point when electrostatic pressure exceeds the force of diffusion?

    <p>K+ ions flow into the cell from the extracellular space.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which factor contributes to the competition between diffusion and electrostatic pressure for K+ ions?

    <p>The distribution of charges inside and outside the cell.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    If the membrane potential is more negative than -90 mV, what is expected regarding K+ ion movement?

    <p>More K+ ions will leave the cell than enter.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason K+ ions are more concentrated inside the cell compared to the outside?

    <p>They are actively transported inside.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the typical resting membrane potential of neurons relative to extracellular fluid?

    <p>-40 to -90 mV</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following ions is primarily more abundant inside of cells?

    <p>Potassium (K+)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of ion channels allow specific ions to flow freely when opened?

    <p>Leak channels</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best defines an ion?

    <p>An atom or molecule that carries a net electrical charge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do leak channels primarily serve in the cell membrane?

    <p>They allow constant ion flow in and out of the cell.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of pressure causes positively charged ions to want to enter the neuron?

    <p>Electrostatic pressure</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT considered an important positively charged ion in cells?

    <p>Chloride (Cl-)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage of the atomic composition of cells is made up of hydrogen?

    <p>59%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of sodium-potassium transporters in neurons?

    <p>To maintain ion concentration gradients</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What determines the resting membrane potential of a neuron?

    <p>The permeability to potassium relative to other ions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which ion contributes most significantly to the resting membrane potential of -70 mV in neurons?

    <p>Potassium ions (K+)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic of potassium leak channels affects the resting membrane potential?

    <p>They create a more negative internal environment when open.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What function do receptors on the dendrites of neurons serve?

    <p>To detect stimuli from the extracellular environment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a unique feature of ion channel receptors found in neurons?

    <p>They respond to neurotransmitters and allow ions to flow.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What occurs when a receptor is activated and allows Na+ ions to enter the cell?

    <p>The membrane potential briefly becomes less negative.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In a resting neuron, what is the concentration of sodium compared to potassium?

    <p>More sodium outside the cell than inside</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the activity of sodium-potassium transporters influence the neuron's resting state?

    <p>They help maintain the necessary ion gradient for neural signaling.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of K+ leak channels following the influx of Na+ ions?

    <p>They help return the membrane potential to its resting state.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why are changes in membrane potential significant for neurons?

    <p>They enable the activation of voltage-gated ion channels essential for neuronal signaling.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the typical change in membrane potential when Na+ ions enter the cell during receptor activation?

    <p>It changes from -70 mV to -60 mV.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main reason neurons can quickly return to their resting membrane potential after depolarization?

    <p>The presence of always-open K+ leak channels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What triggers the opening of electrically charged gates on voltage-gated ion channels?

    <p>Changes in the membrane potential.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the nature of changes to membrane potential in neurons?

    <p>They are transient and return to resting potential quickly.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which ions predominantly influence the depolarization of the membrane potential during receptor activation?

    <p>Na+ ions entering the cell.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do outer hair cells play in hearing?

    <p>They enhance the sensitivity of the tectorial membrane.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of tip links in hair cells?

    <p>They connect adjacent cilia and regulate ion channel activity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to hair cells after experiencing loud noises?

    <p>They break easily and cannot transmit auditory information.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does place coding contribute to auditory perception?

    <p>It affects how sound frequency is perceived at different points on the cochlea.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the consequence of not having functioning inner hair cells?

    <p>Complete loss of the ability to hear.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of coding primarily encodes moderate to high frequencies of sound?

    <p>Place coding</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What typically occurs after tip links break due to excessive noise exposure?

    <p>Temporary hearing loss may happen, but tip links usually regrow in hours.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of hearing loss occurs when outer hair cells are not functional?

    <p>Poor hearing ability but not complete loss.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What physical property corresponds to the loudness of sound?

    <p>Amplitude of molecular vibrations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes timbre?

    <p>The complexity of the sound wave</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the range of sound wave lengths that the human ear can transduce?

    <p>0.017 to 17 meters</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do the ossicles in the middle ear do in response to sound?

    <p>Vibrate in response to the tympanic membrane</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How is pitch determined in sound waves?

    <p>By the frequency of molecular vibrations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to variations in air pressure that do not repeat?

    <p>They are perceived as noise</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What property of sound waves determines how far they will travel?

    <p>Loudness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which part of the ear is primarily responsible for vibrational transmission?

    <p>The tympanic membrane</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do overtones play in determining the timbre of a sound?

    <p>They are frequencies that enhance the richness of the sound.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do cochlear implants stimulate different notes for the hearing-impaired?

    <p>By stimulating different places along the cochlea.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What method does the brain use to localize low frequency sounds below 800 Hz?

    <p>Phase differences between the two ears.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason for the dampening of high-pitched sounds by the head?

    <p>The head creates interference with sound waves.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the shape of our outer ear assist in sound localization?

    <p>By creating a direction-selective filter.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which frequency range is optimal for understanding human speech through cochlear stimulation?

    <p>250 Hz to 6500 Hz</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the fundamental frequency range of human speech?

    <p>100 Hz to 250 Hz</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In what way do interaural cues assist in sound localization?

    <p>They analyze loudness and timing differences between ears.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What structure does sound first vibrate after being funneled by the pinna?

    <p>Tympanic membrane</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where in the cochlea are high-pitched sounds primarily detected?

    <p>Basilar membrane thick and narrow section</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What mechanism allows hair cell cilia to open ion channels?

    <p>Stretching and bending of cilia</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of outer hair cells in the cochlea?

    <p>Their cilia are attached to the tectorial membrane.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which part of the ear contains the sensory neurons that transduce sound?

    <p>Cochlea</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What causes the movement of the basilar membrane within the cochlea?

    <p>Pressure differences created by the oval window vibrations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of sound frequency does the thin and wide area of the basilar membrane primarily detect?

    <p>Low-frequency sounds</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which structure acts as the receptive organ within the cochlea?

    <p>Organ of Corti</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary role of the organ of Corti in the auditory system?

    <p>To send auditory information to the brain via the cochlear nerve</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where do axons from the cochlear nuclei first synapse after leaving the organ of Corti?

    <p>In the superior olivary nuclei and inferior colliculi</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which structure is primarily responsible for analyzing different frequencies of sound?

    <p>The primary auditory cortex</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the shape and size of the outer ear affect sound processing?

    <p>It influences the localization of elevation of sounds.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the organization of the primary auditory cortex that corresponds to different frequencies?

    <p>Tonotopic representation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What occurs at the cochlear nuclei in the auditory pathway?

    <p>Copies of the auditory signal are created for parallel analysis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which structure in the auditory pathway assists in localizing the source of sounds?

    <p>Inferior colliculi</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the green trace on the auditory graph indicate?

    <p>The change in timbre of the sound</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the posterior auditory pathway?

    <p>Sound localization</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the anterior auditory pathway primarily help with?

    <p>Identifying the origin of a sound</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes amusia?

    <p>Inability to perceive or produce melodic music</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do individuals with amusia typically respond to consonant and dissonant music?

    <p>They struggle to identify differences but can feel emotions from both.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which area of the auditory association cortex processes rhythm?

    <p>Various regions of the auditory association cortex</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What function does the vestibular system primarily serve?

    <p>Detecting gravity and head movement</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which auditory agnosia may occur due to damage in auditory association cortex?

    <p>Inability to perceive pleasant versus unpleasant sounds</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which streams are auditory information analyzed in?

    <p>What and where streams</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Course Information

    • Course title: Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience
    • Course code: PSYC 211
    • Instructor: Jonathan Britt
    • TA email: [email protected]
    • No required reading for lecture 1

    Course Content

    • Covers topics well understood by neuroscientists, such as:
      • Brain structure
      • Neural activity
      • How neurons interact and adapt
      • Control of muscles and glands
      • Neurological disorders
    • Also covers topics less well understood by neuroscientists, such as:
      • Emotions
      • Mental illness
      • Language
      • Learning
      • Hunger
      • Sleep
      • Sex differences

    Professor Jonathan Britt

    • Associate Professor
    • Canada Research Chair
    • Research Fellow
    • Postdoctoral Fellow
    • PhD in Neurobiology
    • Research Assistant
    • BA
    • Research Lab: Stewart Bio
    • Research focuses on:
      • Neural underpinnings of motivation and reinforcement learning
      • Dopaminergic signaling
      • Neural processing in the basal ganglia
      • Optical imaging and targeted neural manipulations in mouse learning and decision-making
    • Office Hours: Thursdays, 10:00 AM -11:00 AM (Sept 19 onward)
    • Office location: Stewart Biology room N8/9

    Syllabus Information

    • Recommended but not critical prerequisites:
      • Introductory Psychology (PSYC 100) or equivalent
      • Introductory Biology (BIOL 111, 112, 115) or equivalent
    • Class attendance is helpful, but not mandatory. All lectures are recorded and posted online (MyCourses).
    • Recommended textbook: Discovering Behavioral Neuroscience 5th Edition (access may be purchased online through MyCourses for $75). Textbook is helpful but not necessary.
    • Exam questions come from lectures, textbook can help clarify misunderstandings or gain other perspectives
    • MindTap is not needed or used for this class.

    Exam Schedule and Grading

    • 10% Homework Quizzes (on MyCourses; 2 quizzes, each worth 5% and there is no limit to submission attempts, best score will be used until December 9th).
    • 25% Midterm 1 (Monday, September 30th, 4:05 PM-5:25 PM; covers lectures 1-8).
    • 25% Midterm 2 (Monday, November 11th, 4:05 PM-5:25 PM; covers lectures 9-17).
    • 40% Final Exam (date in December, University determined, cumulative, post-midterm 2 material emphasis).
    • 2% Extra Credit: available for participation in Psychology Study Participant Program with more information on MyCourses

    Important Information on Requirements

    • Final Exam (or deferred exam) is necessary to pass the class.
    • Midterm and quizzes are optional, but only contribute to your overall grade if they are higher than your final exam score. Lower grades are dropped.
    • Makeup exam for Midterm 1 will be offered on Monday October 7th as a similar test in class. Request for a makeup exam for Midterm 1 must be submitted to [email protected] before Tuesday October 1st if it cannot be completed on October 7th.
    • No makeup exams are offered for Midterm 2

    Extra Credit Opportunity

    • 2% extra credit for participating in a 2-hour study through the Department of Psychology through MyCourses step-by-step tutorial
    • Contact [email protected] with any further questions

    Teaching Assistants

    • Madeleine Morris
    • In-Hyun Baek
    • Naima Mansuri
    • Caitlyn Antal
    • Caroline Rajda
    • Email: [email protected] for questions about the course
    • Provide review conferences and individual/group meetings

    TA-Led Review Conferences

    • Specific dates, days, and topics for review conferences are listed. Locations are also specified.
    • TAs do not record the sessions but do post their PowerPoint presentations on MyCourses.

    Today's Topic: Consciousness and Free Will

    • What is consciousness?: The state or quality of awareness of thoughts, perceptions, memories, and feelings.
    • Research Method: Examining brain damage cases and how people perceive the world.
    • Results: Brain damage can disrupt conscious awareness.
    • Take-Home Point: We still don't understand how consciousness works and remain uncertain about free will.

    What is Consciousness?

    • Consciousness defined as a state of awareness involving thoughts, perceptions, memories, and feelings
    • Consciousness generates subjective experiences.
    • If an entity is capable of experiencing consciousness, then something needs to be considered - like the experience of a rock, plant, ant, calculator, computer, or AI robot

    Medical Fad in the 1940s and 50s - Lobotomy

    • Once a common treatment for psychosis, depression, and anxiety.
    • The procedure involved cutting the frontal lobes.
    • Over 20,000 lobotomies were performed in the US alone in the 1940s
    • Became less popular in the mid-1950s after the discovery of effective antipsychotic medications.

    A Different Medical Procedure - The Split-Brain Operation

    • A surgical approach for treating epilepsy (and seizure disorders), involves cutting the corpus callosum (bundle of nerve fibers connecting the brain’s hemispheres).
    • Generally effective, but has unacceptable side-effects that are not comparable with lobotomies.

    Brain Anatomy - Cerebral Hemispheres and Retinal Axons

    • Hemispheres are critical to processing sensory information and purposeful body movement
    • Left hemisphere largely responsible for right-side body functions and vice versa (though nerve fibers cross)
    • Object recognition and movements in split-brain patients can become impacted on the affected side and may also appear to have separate thoughts and feelings.
    • The left visual field is processed by the right hemisphere and vice versa.

    Cutting the Corpus Callosum

    • Disrupts communication between hemispheres.
    • Lower brain areas (brainstem and spinal cord) still coordinate movements without the corpus callosum
    • Coordinated movement capabilities can be remarkable when viewed through the lens of split-brain operations.

    Brief History of the Split-Brain Surgery

    • History of the use of the split-brain surgery in treating epilepsy
    • Independent clinical trials of the surgical interventions revealed some unexpected results.
    • Some long-term studies of cases have revealed the surgery doesn’t always resolve the problems it aims to solve.

    Split-Brain Patients- Interesting Dilemmas and Vicki

    • Split-brain patients may report their left-hand acting against what they want, outside of their conscious awareness
    • Patients with split brains sometimes displayed issues with recognizing and coordinating their left-hand
    • Challenges or conflicts may resolve over time.

    Studies on Split-Brain Patients

    • Deficits and limitations can be observed in regards to processing or understanding information (touch and vision) in split-brain patients.
    • These deficits are not disruptive during tasks that develop practices or coordination over time and use the brain's ability integrate information from different hemispheres.

    Localization of Language in the Brain

    • Language abilities are predominantly located in the left hemisphere.
    • The right hemisphere can sometimes still have very limited language; however, patients can use their left hands to indicate responses to certain questions/statements.

    Split-Brain Patient Experiments

    • Display of visual and tactile stimuli being interpreted differently from the different hemispheres of the brain.

    Split-Brain Consciousness

    • Patients may make up explanations (post-hoc) when asked to explain their actions.
    • The right hemisphere is given instructions and then the left hemisphere attempts to create a cause/reasoning behind these actions.

    Gazzaniga’s Interpreter Theory

    • Left brain attempts to create rational explanations for actions initiated by the right hemisphere (even when unaware of the reasons)
    • Left hemisphere uses language as a way to interpret and rationalize information from the right hemisphere
    • This action creates a unified sense of self (despite the hemispheres' lack of communication during tasks).

    How Did We Get Here?: Historical context for the scientific revolution and faith in the laws of Physics

    Our intuitions cannot be trusted

    • Descartes and the questioning approach
    • Importance of considering that our perceptions and intuitions may be inaccurate

    Mind-Body Dualism

    • Apparent contradiction between the deterministic laws of physics and subjective experiences of free will.
    • Descartes developed mind-body dualism to address that contradiction (mind is immaterial, independent of body functions)

    The evolution of thought

    • Neural networks evolved to process internal and external information and coordinate responses.
    • Thoughts don’t produce automatic responses, but rather create and influence behavioural responses
    • Thoughts result from complex interactions within the brain and exist independent of external input/output

    Is the World Deterministic?

    • Deterministic framework, all events stem from causal links, outside of human influence.
    • However, our minds create meaning.
    • There is a distinct layer of representation, using the laws of nature, where thoughts have an important layer of influence.

    Thoughts Have Influences and Power

    • Thinking as a creative act
    • Imagining the future and theorizing gives rise to complex ideas and thought
    • Thinking isn't calculating, but creative and influences the future/actions.
    • Self-awareness arises from realizing that our thoughts can influence our future.

    Important Outstanding Questions

    • Questions about feelings, consciousness, thinking, and mental illness (and treatments).
    • The question of why/how mental illnesses arise, given our limitations in understanding the brain's underlying processes.

    We Have Learned a Lot About the Brain

    • Significant progress in understanding the neural processes of the brain at cellular and inter-neural level
    • However, the complexity underlying cognitive processes and consciousness remains somewhat of a mystery

    Jill Bolte Taylor and Other Videos

    • Excerpts from Jill Bolte Taylor's Ted talk about consciousness are available on MyCourses.
    • Other material will be presented if time/mood permits in class (and not deemed mandatory)

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    Description

    Test your knowledge on the key concepts of Behavioral Neuroscience covered in PSYC 211. This quiz focuses on brain structure, neural activity, emotional processing, and neurological disorders. Challenge yourself and see how well you understand the interactions between neurons and behavior.

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