6.1 Influence of biological structures on behaviour:
Divisions of the nervous system 6.3 Influence of neurochemistry on behaviour: Function of the 6.6 Ways of studying the brain
• Divided into central nervous system and endocrine system Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) 6.7 B
peripheral nervous system. • Series of glands which release chemicals throughout • Operates same as MRI scan – also shows activity as it occurs. CIRC
• CNS – brain and spinal cord. body via blood and other bodily fluids. • MRIs record energy produced by molecules of water, after magnetic
• PNS – nerves outside brain and spinal • Communicates messages to organs of the body. field removed.
cord. • Specialist glands in body . • fMRI uses same principle - measure the energy released by
CNS • Pituitary Gland: some of hormones released haemoglobin .
• Brain involved in psychological are important for regulating endocrine • When haemoglobin has oxygen it reacts differently – when are of
processes – main job is to ensure life system, brain is active and therefore using more oxygen.
maintained. • Adrenal: important part of fight-or-flight • Amount of energy released by haemoglobin is detected by scanner
• Some parts of brain more primitive and response as it facilitates the release of and change measured.
concerned with vital functioning – adrenaline. • Gives moving picture.
others involved in higher thinking, • Testes: facilitate release of testosterone. EVALUATION: Endo
planning and problem solving. • Ovaries: facilitates release of oestrogen • Provides moving picture of brain activity – patterns of activity can be
• Spinal cord helps transfer messages to and progesterone. compared rather than just the physiology of the brain.
and from brain to PNS. • Behaviour thought to be influenced by hormones – • Complexity of brain activity means interpreting an fMRI is
• Involved in reflex actions. each hormone is thought to affect behaviour in problematic.
PNS different way. • Machines expensive to buy and maintain and require trained
• Extends beyond CNS – transmits operators. Research expensive and difficult to organise.
messages to whole body from brain. • Sample size in studies often small due to availability and funding –
Two divisions: results different to generalise. Exog
6.4 Fight-or-flight response, including role of adrenaline
• Somatic system – transmits and receives EEGs and ERP
• Generated from autonomic nervous system – specifically
messages from senses (e.g. visual info • EEG – electrodes placed on scalp and they record the electrical
sympathetic.
form eyes). Directs muscles to react and activity of the brain. Measure activity of cells immediately under
• Reflex response – designed to help individual manage
move. electrode – using more gives fuller picture.
physically under threat.
• Autonomic system – transmits and • ERP – use same apparatus, but record when there is activity in
• Also activated in times of stress – body perceives stress and
receives info from organs. Further response to a stimulus introduced by researcher. Greater accuracy
threat.
divided. than self-report.
• Helps individuals react quicker than normal and facilitates
• Sympathetic system – EVALUATION:
optimal functioning so they can fight threat or run from it.
increases activity. • Both only reasonably accurate for activity measure close to
• Hypothalamus recognises threat – sends message to adrenal
• Parasympathetic system – electrodes – finer detail is missed. Evalu
gland (specifically adrenal medulla) – triggers release of
conserves the body’s natural • Cheaper methods of scanning – widely available to researchers.
adrenaline to endocrine system and noradrenaline in brain.
activity levels by decreasing • Output from equipment needs to be interpreted so there is a level of
• Prompts physical changes:
or maintaining it. expertise required.
• Increased hr – speed up blood flow to vital organs
• Useful method to test reliability of self-report answers.
and improve speed of adrenaline around body.
Post-mortem examinations
6.2 Structure and function of sensory, relay and motor neurons • Faster breathing rate – increase oxygen intake.
• Persons body, including brain, is examined after they have died.
• Neurons receive and transmit info to other cells. • Muscle tension – improve reaction time and
• Used to see where damage had occurred in brain and how that
• 100 billion in brain, 1 billion in spinal cord. speed.
might explain behaviour exhibited by individual. INFRA
Sensory Neuron • Production of sweat – temperature regulation.
EVALUATION:
• Tell rest off brain about external and internal • Physical changes help individual to fight or run away from
• No brain activity measured – dead person.
environment, processes info from senses. potentially threatening situation.
• Issues with comparison of functioning prior to death. May have been
Relay Neuron • EVALUATION:
little info about person.
• Carry messages from one part of CNS to another, • Assessing extent to which biological structures affect
• Some brains may have been effected by the reason for death.
connect motor and sensory neurons. behaviour is very difficult. Argued that they are just tools to
• No discomfort experience by person.
Motor Neurons make behaviour happen rather than being cause. Cause
• Carry signals from CNS which helps organs and and effect cannot be established – only the relationship
muscles function. between biological influence and behaviour can be Evaluation:
investigated. Split-brain research •
• Sensory neuron only transmit messages (unipolar). • Corpus callosum – link between the hemisphere.
• Motor and relay send and receive messages • Biological structures that underpin behaviour can be seen as
reductionist. Attempts to reduce behaviour and cognitive • People who suffered from epilepsy that was not helped by drug treatment had
(multipolar). brain surgery.
• Dendrite/receptor cell receive the signal and it processes down to biological processes e.g. level of •
hormones. Too simplistic. • Cut corpus callosum so epilepsy contained in one hemisphere – reduce number ULTRADIAN
travels through neuron to pre-synaptic terminal. of fits.
• Scientific research – measures totally objective – opinion or •
judgement do not play a part. Increases reliability. • Affects on behaviour and perception.
• Patients can tell us about roles of each hemisphere.
Sperry 1968:
• Presented with visual stimuli to far side of each visual field – to one hemisphere at
6.5 Localisation of the brain a time. Flashed image for 1/10 second.
Hemispheric Lateralisation • Tactile stimuli –screen so subject could not see what he was holding – info from
Synaptic Transmission: • Brain is contralateral – left hemisphere deal with right one hand received by contralateral hemisphere alone.
• Process of transmitting messages from neuron to side etc. • Image/object only recognised when presented to same eye/hand again. Dement et al.
neuron. • What you see in right visual field is processed in left • Can only say what they saw or felt when presented to right eye/hand – left • Pa
• Synapse – specialised gap between neurons hemisphere. hemisphere. • Too
through which electrical impulse from neuron is • Same with auditory info, taste and smell. • Objects/images presented to left eye/hand can be identified by pointing to • Eve
transmitted chemically. • LEFT – most people language processing is done in left. pictures, feeling for it in array of objects or drawing it with left hand.
• Electrical nerve impulse travels down the neuron • Hig
• RIGHT – dominant for recognising emotions in others and • Each hemisphere has its own memory that’s not accessible to the other.
and prompts release of neurotransmitters at pre- oth
at spatial relationships. • Only the left hemisphere able to produce language (speech and writing).
synaptic terminal. • Right recall and identify stimuli even though it cant verbalise it. • REM
• Left focuses on detail – right processes overall patterns.
• Neurotransmitters then released into synapse. • Two hemispheres have independent perception, awareness and memory. co
MOTOR CORTEX
• Other neuron then must quickly take up EVALUATION: • Sta
• Movement centred on primary motor cortex of brain –
neurotransmitters and convert them into electrical sends messages to muscles via brain stem and spinal • Useful in understanding role of each hemisphere and extent to which their • Ma
impulse to travel down neuron to next pre-synaptic cord. lateralised. • Wa
terminal. • Particularly important for complex movement. • Possible that there were other effects during surgery in addition to procedure of o
• Within motor cortex there are areas which control itself – evidence may be flawed. • Dre
specific parts of body. • EEG
Divisions of the nervous system 6.3 Influence of neurochemistry on behaviour: Function of the 6.6 Ways of studying the brain
• Divided into central nervous system and endocrine system Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) 6.7 B
peripheral nervous system. • Series of glands which release chemicals throughout • Operates same as MRI scan – also shows activity as it occurs. CIRC
• CNS – brain and spinal cord. body via blood and other bodily fluids. • MRIs record energy produced by molecules of water, after magnetic
• PNS – nerves outside brain and spinal • Communicates messages to organs of the body. field removed.
cord. • Specialist glands in body . • fMRI uses same principle - measure the energy released by
CNS • Pituitary Gland: some of hormones released haemoglobin .
• Brain involved in psychological are important for regulating endocrine • When haemoglobin has oxygen it reacts differently – when are of
processes – main job is to ensure life system, brain is active and therefore using more oxygen.
maintained. • Adrenal: important part of fight-or-flight • Amount of energy released by haemoglobin is detected by scanner
• Some parts of brain more primitive and response as it facilitates the release of and change measured.
concerned with vital functioning – adrenaline. • Gives moving picture.
others involved in higher thinking, • Testes: facilitate release of testosterone. EVALUATION: Endo
planning and problem solving. • Ovaries: facilitates release of oestrogen • Provides moving picture of brain activity – patterns of activity can be
• Spinal cord helps transfer messages to and progesterone. compared rather than just the physiology of the brain.
and from brain to PNS. • Behaviour thought to be influenced by hormones – • Complexity of brain activity means interpreting an fMRI is
• Involved in reflex actions. each hormone is thought to affect behaviour in problematic.
PNS different way. • Machines expensive to buy and maintain and require trained
• Extends beyond CNS – transmits operators. Research expensive and difficult to organise.
messages to whole body from brain. • Sample size in studies often small due to availability and funding –
Two divisions: results different to generalise. Exog
6.4 Fight-or-flight response, including role of adrenaline
• Somatic system – transmits and receives EEGs and ERP
• Generated from autonomic nervous system – specifically
messages from senses (e.g. visual info • EEG – electrodes placed on scalp and they record the electrical
sympathetic.
form eyes). Directs muscles to react and activity of the brain. Measure activity of cells immediately under
• Reflex response – designed to help individual manage
move. electrode – using more gives fuller picture.
physically under threat.
• Autonomic system – transmits and • ERP – use same apparatus, but record when there is activity in
• Also activated in times of stress – body perceives stress and
receives info from organs. Further response to a stimulus introduced by researcher. Greater accuracy
threat.
divided. than self-report.
• Helps individuals react quicker than normal and facilitates
• Sympathetic system – EVALUATION:
optimal functioning so they can fight threat or run from it.
increases activity. • Both only reasonably accurate for activity measure close to
• Hypothalamus recognises threat – sends message to adrenal
• Parasympathetic system – electrodes – finer detail is missed. Evalu
gland (specifically adrenal medulla) – triggers release of
conserves the body’s natural • Cheaper methods of scanning – widely available to researchers.
adrenaline to endocrine system and noradrenaline in brain.
activity levels by decreasing • Output from equipment needs to be interpreted so there is a level of
• Prompts physical changes:
or maintaining it. expertise required.
• Increased hr – speed up blood flow to vital organs
• Useful method to test reliability of self-report answers.
and improve speed of adrenaline around body.
Post-mortem examinations
6.2 Structure and function of sensory, relay and motor neurons • Faster breathing rate – increase oxygen intake.
• Persons body, including brain, is examined after they have died.
• Neurons receive and transmit info to other cells. • Muscle tension – improve reaction time and
• Used to see where damage had occurred in brain and how that
• 100 billion in brain, 1 billion in spinal cord. speed.
might explain behaviour exhibited by individual. INFRA
Sensory Neuron • Production of sweat – temperature regulation.
EVALUATION:
• Tell rest off brain about external and internal • Physical changes help individual to fight or run away from
• No brain activity measured – dead person.
environment, processes info from senses. potentially threatening situation.
• Issues with comparison of functioning prior to death. May have been
Relay Neuron • EVALUATION:
little info about person.
• Carry messages from one part of CNS to another, • Assessing extent to which biological structures affect
• Some brains may have been effected by the reason for death.
connect motor and sensory neurons. behaviour is very difficult. Argued that they are just tools to
• No discomfort experience by person.
Motor Neurons make behaviour happen rather than being cause. Cause
• Carry signals from CNS which helps organs and and effect cannot be established – only the relationship
muscles function. between biological influence and behaviour can be Evaluation:
investigated. Split-brain research •
• Sensory neuron only transmit messages (unipolar). • Corpus callosum – link between the hemisphere.
• Motor and relay send and receive messages • Biological structures that underpin behaviour can be seen as
reductionist. Attempts to reduce behaviour and cognitive • People who suffered from epilepsy that was not helped by drug treatment had
(multipolar). brain surgery.
• Dendrite/receptor cell receive the signal and it processes down to biological processes e.g. level of •
hormones. Too simplistic. • Cut corpus callosum so epilepsy contained in one hemisphere – reduce number ULTRADIAN
travels through neuron to pre-synaptic terminal. of fits.
• Scientific research – measures totally objective – opinion or •
judgement do not play a part. Increases reliability. • Affects on behaviour and perception.
• Patients can tell us about roles of each hemisphere.
Sperry 1968:
• Presented with visual stimuli to far side of each visual field – to one hemisphere at
6.5 Localisation of the brain a time. Flashed image for 1/10 second.
Hemispheric Lateralisation • Tactile stimuli –screen so subject could not see what he was holding – info from
Synaptic Transmission: • Brain is contralateral – left hemisphere deal with right one hand received by contralateral hemisphere alone.
• Process of transmitting messages from neuron to side etc. • Image/object only recognised when presented to same eye/hand again. Dement et al.
neuron. • What you see in right visual field is processed in left • Can only say what they saw or felt when presented to right eye/hand – left • Pa
• Synapse – specialised gap between neurons hemisphere. hemisphere. • Too
through which electrical impulse from neuron is • Same with auditory info, taste and smell. • Objects/images presented to left eye/hand can be identified by pointing to • Eve
transmitted chemically. • LEFT – most people language processing is done in left. pictures, feeling for it in array of objects or drawing it with left hand.
• Electrical nerve impulse travels down the neuron • Hig
• RIGHT – dominant for recognising emotions in others and • Each hemisphere has its own memory that’s not accessible to the other.
and prompts release of neurotransmitters at pre- oth
at spatial relationships. • Only the left hemisphere able to produce language (speech and writing).
synaptic terminal. • Right recall and identify stimuli even though it cant verbalise it. • REM
• Left focuses on detail – right processes overall patterns.
• Neurotransmitters then released into synapse. • Two hemispheres have independent perception, awareness and memory. co
MOTOR CORTEX
• Other neuron then must quickly take up EVALUATION: • Sta
• Movement centred on primary motor cortex of brain –
neurotransmitters and convert them into electrical sends messages to muscles via brain stem and spinal • Useful in understanding role of each hemisphere and extent to which their • Ma
impulse to travel down neuron to next pre-synaptic cord. lateralised. • Wa
terminal. • Particularly important for complex movement. • Possible that there were other effects during surgery in addition to procedure of o
• Within motor cortex there are areas which control itself – evidence may be flawed. • Dre
specific parts of body. • EEG
