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Questions and Answers
At what age does the human brain reach adult size?
At what age does the human brain reach adult size?
By what age is the brain approximately 90% of its adult size?
By what age is the brain approximately 90% of its adult size?
What significant change occurs in the human brain during the first year of life?
What significant change occurs in the human brain during the first year of life?
During which age range does cortical thickness peak before it starts to decrease?
During which age range does cortical thickness peak before it starts to decrease?
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What aspect of the brain shows significant growth during the first two years of life?
What aspect of the brain shows significant growth during the first two years of life?
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What evolutionary change has contributed mainly to the increase in human brain size over the last 2-3 million years?
What evolutionary change has contributed mainly to the increase in human brain size over the last 2-3 million years?
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How many neurons are estimated to be in the human brain?
How many neurons are estimated to be in the human brain?
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What happens to cortical thickness during adolescence?
What happens to cortical thickness during adolescence?
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What is the primary focus of neuroscience?
What is the primary focus of neuroscience?
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Which of the following best describes the nature of neuroscience?
Which of the following best describes the nature of neuroscience?
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What is a key characteristic of a quasi-experiment in neuroscience research?
What is a key characteristic of a quasi-experiment in neuroscience research?
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Which data collection method focuses on a single subject for detailed investigation?
Which data collection method focuses on a single subject for detailed investigation?
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Which of the following is a disadvantage of working with human subjects in neuroscience studies?
Which of the following is a disadvantage of working with human subjects in neuroscience studies?
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Why might a researcher choose to study non-human subjects in neuroscience?
Why might a researcher choose to study non-human subjects in neuroscience?
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The case of Phineas Gage is primarily significant for demonstrating which aspect of neuroscience?
The case of Phineas Gage is primarily significant for demonstrating which aspect of neuroscience?
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What is one advantage of using human subjects over non-human subjects in neuroscience research?
What is one advantage of using human subjects over non-human subjects in neuroscience research?
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What is a key characteristic of physiological psychology?
What is a key characteristic of physiological psychology?
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What is the primary focus of neuropsychology?
What is the primary focus of neuropsychology?
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Which approach allows for invasive experiments without strict ethical restrictions?
Which approach allows for invasive experiments without strict ethical restrictions?
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What type of studies does cognitive neuroscience primarily involve?
What type of studies does cognitive neuroscience primarily involve?
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What phenomena do psychophysiology studies typically measure?
What phenomena do psychophysiology studies typically measure?
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How does the brain size change from birth to the first year of life?
How does the brain size change from birth to the first year of life?
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What is the primary goal of research in psychopharmacology?
What is the primary goal of research in psychopharmacology?
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What are brain lesions studied in physiological psychology primarily used to understand?
What are brain lesions studied in physiological psychology primarily used to understand?
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Which research approach contrasts the behaviors of species with and without a cerebral cortex?
Which research approach contrasts the behaviors of species with and without a cerebral cortex?
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What is one of the major areas of study within psychophysiology?
What is one of the major areas of study within psychophysiology?
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What is the primary goal of the Human Connectome Project?
What is the primary goal of the Human Connectome Project?
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How much of a child's daily energy budget does the human brain consume?
How much of a child's daily energy budget does the human brain consume?
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Which of the following is NOT one of the evolutionary theories mentioned for the development of the human brain?
Which of the following is NOT one of the evolutionary theories mentioned for the development of the human brain?
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Why is the human brain considered 'expensive' in terms of energy consumption?
Why is the human brain considered 'expensive' in terms of energy consumption?
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Which trait of human intelligence is specifically noted to be prevalent in great apes as well?
Which trait of human intelligence is specifically noted to be prevalent in great apes as well?
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What hypothesis is suggested about the relationship between tool use and brain development?
What hypothesis is suggested about the relationship between tool use and brain development?
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What percentage of an infant's daily energy budget is consumed by the brain?
What percentage of an infant's daily energy budget is consumed by the brain?
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What aspect of human behavior is suggested to have influenced brain evolution besides environmental factors?
What aspect of human behavior is suggested to have influenced brain evolution besides environmental factors?
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What does the Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis suggest about the evolution of large brains?
What does the Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis suggest about the evolution of large brains?
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According to Geoffrey Miller, how do large brains relate to sexual selection?
According to Geoffrey Miller, how do large brains relate to sexual selection?
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How did the ability to control fire and cook food influence human brain development?
How did the ability to control fire and cook food influence human brain development?
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What does the cultural intelligence hypothesis focus on?
What does the cultural intelligence hypothesis focus on?
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Which theory suggests that intelligence is a sign of disease-resistance?
Which theory suggests that intelligence is a sign of disease-resistance?
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What is NOT a proposed factor for the evolution of large brains in humans?
What is NOT a proposed factor for the evolution of large brains in humans?
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Which of the following aspects is NOT associated with the Social Brain Hypothesis?
Which of the following aspects is NOT associated with the Social Brain Hypothesis?
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The ecological dominance-social competition model implies that humans evolved to:
The ecological dominance-social competition model implies that humans evolved to:
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Study Notes
Neuroscience Introduction
- Course: PSYC112/132: Introduction to Neuroscience
- Week: 6, Thursday 14th November 2024
- Lecturer: Dr Abigail Fiske
- Email: [email protected]
Psychology Anagrams
- Activity to engage students
- Provided as a starting point
- Included: VELOPALMENDET, EMROYM, NGOITIOC, NNRUSICEСEOE
Questions, Comments, Concerns
- Contact details for contacting the lecturer
- Email: [email protected]
- Office: Fylde C42
- Microsoft Teams
- Moodle discussion forum
Lecture 2: Neuroscience & The Human Brain
- Topic of the lecture
Learning Objectives
- Define neuroscience as a scientific field of study
- Understand human brain development (in utero to adulthood)
- Describe evolutionary theories of human brain development
- By the end of lecture, students will have a basic understanding of neuroscience and human brain development
The Why
- Scientific background of psychology and neuroscience
- Brain-behavior relationship, importance of understanding brain development for psychological functions and mental health
- Theoretical background: incorporating evolutionary theories to understand modern human behavior
Part I: What is Neuroscience?
- Introduction to the study of the nervous system
- Neuroscience as a multifaceted field with various sub-disciplines like comparative psychology, cognitive neuroscience, physiological psychology, psychophysiology, psychopharmacology, and neuropsychology.
- Importance of collaboration among various disciplines to enhance understanding of the nervous system
Defining Neuroscience
- Neuroscience = the study of the nervous system
- Human brain complexity necessitates knowledge from various scientific disciplines
- Neuroscience encompasses multiple sub-disciplines, which often overlap.
Types of Neuroscience Studies
- Experiments manipulate conditions to establish cause and effect (e.g., memory performance & antidepressants)
- Quasi-experiments study groups already exposed to conditions (e.g., reaction time & alcohol users)
- Case studies intensely focus on a single individual or a small group (e.g., Phineas Gage) to investigate the effects of a particular phenomenon or condition
Human and Non-Human Subjects
- Human Subjects: easily follow instructions, report experiences, cheaper, ethical considerations, compare developmental conditions
- Non-human Subjects (mice, rats, etc.): less complex brain structure, easier manipulation in experiments, invasive procedures ethical considerations, compare across species
Physiological Psychology
- Focuses on neural mechanisms of behavior
- Direct manipulation and recording of the brain
- Example research topics: emotion, sleep, stress, effects of brain lesions
Psychopharmacology/Neuropharmacology
- Study of drugs' effects on brain and behavior
- Employ controlled experiments, both with legal and illegal drugs
- Includes development of therapeutic drugs, reducing drug abuse
Neuropsychology
- Study of psychological effects of brain dysfunction in human patients.
- Primarily focused on studying patients with brain injuries or brain dysfunction
- Goal is to improve health and well-being through diagnosis and treatment.
Psychophysiology/Neurophysiology
- Relation between physiological activity & psychological processes (e.g., measuring brain/body response)
- Non-invasive methods (e.g., EEG, NIRS, fMRI) are employed to measure brain activity, as well as measure autonomic nervous system activity (e.g. heart rate)
- Data can be used in clinical settings to study psychological processes and to improve treatment strategies
Cognitive Neuroscience
- Investigates neural basis of cognitive processes like thought, memory, attention and language.
- Uses non-invasive brain imaging techniques (e.g., fMRI).
- Collaboration with other disciplines in research is common
Part II: The Human Brain
- Focus on how the human brain develops
How the Human Brain Develops
- Brain size at various developmental stages (e.g. infants' brains grow very rapidly).
- Importance of brain growth during infancy and early childhood
- Rapid myelination and cortex expansion in the first year
- Cortical thickness peaks in early years and decreases during adolescence
How the Human Brain Evolved
- Significant increase in brain size (e.g., brain tripling in size over millions of years) over time
- Factors that have influenced brain development like our environmental challenges and social behavior
- Theories on the cultural and environmental requirements for huge brain sizes
How the Human Brain Compares
- Relative sizes of human brain to other animal species
- Importance of taking body size into consideration; human brain size relatively huge for body size
Mapping the Human Brain
- Connectome mapping project- aims to map all brain connections
- Data from mapping brain connections is available to scientists
Part III: Is the Human Brain Special?
- The cost of a huge brain: how much energy does the brain consume
- Evolutionary theories explaining the development of human brains (e.g., social interaction, environmental challenges)
Evolutionary Theories
- Environmental challenges (e.g., finding food).
- Social interaction and communication skills (social brain hypothesis); social complexity is a key driver in brain sizes.
- Cultural knowledge accumulation
- Sexual selection (brain size as a sign of fitness)
- Cooking to increase energy from food
Other Theories
- Cultural intelligence: social learning
- Reduction in aggression
- Social exchange theory: mutual exchange of resources
- Disease resistance: Intelligence as a sign of disease resistance; humans developed more advanced thinking skills, allowing them to develop their intelligence more easily
- Ecological dominance-social competition: competition and leadership are key drivers in brain size
Homework
- Read Chapter 1 of the course textbook
- Review the optional reading list for Lecture 2
- Watch the "The Neuron" YouTube video.
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Description
This quiz explores the foundations of neuroscience and its significance in psychology. It covers topics such as brain development, evolutionary theories, and the distinctions between neuroscience and psychology. Test your knowledge on key concepts that define this interdisciplinary field.
