Physiological PsychologyStudent BookletName: ____________________________

Intro Video at http://www.learner.org/discoveringpsychology/

1. What are neurons and what do they do?2. What discharge do neurons give off?3. What are neurotransmitters?4. What does the cerebellum do?5. What area of the brain regulates our emotions?6. What does the hippocampus do?7. What fibre joins the 2 cerebral hemispheres?8. What does brain imaging measure?9. What is an electroencephalogram?

This approach assumes that:-

Neurobiology 101

Structure FunctionAmygdala

HippocampusCerebellum

MedullaBroca’s Area

HypothalamusCorpus Callosum

Angular GyrusThalamus

Nervous System

Complete the following table on the TECHNIQUES used by physiological psychologists

Technique Description (include possible strengths and weaknesses)

Can you complete the maze? How did you do it? What

skills do you think you had to use?

1. Where is the hippocampus located? Label the diagram. Amygdala? Temporal Lobe? Hippocampus? What is each of these responsible for?

2. How many hippocampi do humans and mammals have? What is the connection with sea horses?

3. What two functions is the hippocampus responsible for?

4. What happens if the hippocampus is damaged?

5. Give two examples of how we know that the hippocampus plays a part in navigation.

6. What do you understand by the term ‘neural plasticity’?

7. What is cognitive mapping?

Make a connection between sea horses and the

What is the hippocampus? Where is it in the brain? What does the hippocampus do?

Study Summary1. The aim of this study was to find out if there were any differences in

the brains of those who rely heavily on __________ navigational skills in their working life. The differences would be found in the _____________. A second aim was to look for evidence of ____________________.

2. The sample consisted of 16 London _____________ drivers who had passed the ‘____________’ a series of tests regarding routes around London. The average age of the taxi drivers was ______ and the average length of time they’d been driving was _____ years, ranging from ____ to _____. The cab drivers were compared to a control group consisting of 16 males matched to the drivers in terms of their _______. The method is best described as a __________-experiment as the researchers did not manipulate the ______________ variable in this study. All of the participants were ___________________. The MRI scans from both groups were compared to a ______________ of ‘average hippocampi’ made up from 50 healthy, right-handed males.

3. Data was collected using MRI scans – specifically Voxel-Based Morphometry and _________ counting. VBM measures grey matter _____________ whereas pixel-counting of anterior, body and posterior hippocampi gave measures of hippocampal _____________. This data was ______________ with the length of time cab drivers had been licensed.

4. Results from the VBM showed that the only region of the taxi drivers’ brains with significant differences in grey matter was the ______________. The taxi drivers had more _______________ in their ___________ hippocampus and the controls had more ____________ in their __________ hippocampus.Results from the Pixel-Counting showed the _________ hippocampal volume to be __________. The brains of the cab drivers showed significantly increased grey matter volume in the _______________ right and left hippocampi. There was also a ____________ correlation between the volume of grey matter in the ____________hippocampus of the cab drivers and the time that they had been a taxi driver. More specifically, the longer they had been a cab driver the greater the volume of their ___________ posterior hippocampus. It was also found that in the control group, the participants had a greater volume in the ____________ hippocampus.

5. In conclusion, these findings suggest that a ________________ of grey matter had occurred in the hippocampus. This further indicates that the _____________ of the brain changes in response to environmental

Hippocampus posterior 44 anterior right mental map spatial black-cab demands ages correlated quasi redistribution Knowledge 14.3 volume pixel database

_______________. A third conclusion was that the _______________ of the city of London is located in the _____________ hippocampus.

Hippocampus posterior 44 anterior right mental map spatial black-cab demands ages correlated quasi redistribution Knowledge 14.3 volume pixel database

Using PEC use each of the following issues to evaluate Maguire’s study …

Data

Application

Validity

Ethics

Sample

Reliability

Usefulness

Method

Maguire Homework

Section A

1. Explain why Maguire et al used taxi drivers in their study of spatial memory (2)2. Identify 2 criteria used to select taxi drivers as participants in this study (2)3. Suggest how the findings from this study might be used (2)4. Outline 2 major ideas of the biological approach to psychology that are in the study by

Maguire (4)5. Outline one control that was used in the study on brain scanning by Maguire and explain

why it was important to use this control. (2)6. The study used biological techniques of brain scanning. Describe one commonly used

brain scanning technique (2)7. Suggest one reason why results gathered from such biological techniques should be

treated with caution. (2)8. In the study by Maguire describe one method used to analyse the brain scans (2)9. Maguire found a positive correlation in their study of taxi driver’s brains. Explain the

term positive correlation using examples from this study )2)10.State one conclusion that can be drawn from this result. (2)

Section B

a) Describe the sample used in the study by Maguire et al and give one limitation of the sample. (6)

b) Describe how behaviour was measured in the study by Maguire(6)c) Explain how the reliability of these measurements could be assessed (6)

There are 5 stages of sleep that we go through

Sketch a graph showing a normal night’s sleep:

Why do we dream? Different theories have suggested that …

In pairs take turns to

summarise a dream you have

Can you think what makes you have this dream?

Why do you think you dream?

Do unusual things happen in your

dreams?

Re-organisation of mental structures

Cognitive Theory

Activation synthesis

Biological Theory

Royal road to unconscious

Psychodynamic Theory

AIM OF STUDY:

Hypothesis 1

Hypothesis 2

Hypothesis 3

This was a lab experiment and the following equipment was used Draw a line to correct part of diagram to show where electrodes were attached in order for experimenters to monitor activity of muscle, eye movement and brain activity.

7 males + 2 females

No coffee or alcohol

From the study by Dement & Kleitman on sleep, what does an electroencephalogram (EEG) record? (2)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Outline one problem with using an EEG to investigate dreaming.(2)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Testing hypothesis 1

Testing hypothesis 2

Testing hypothesis 3

Participant REMNo recall No recall

DN 17 9 3 21

Participants

Electro-______________ (EEG)

Electro-___________ (EOG)Electro-___________ (EMG)

5 61Describe the procedure in Dement & Kleitman using the picture clues to help

IR 26 8 2 29KC 36 4 3 31WD 37 5 1 34PM 24 6 2 23KK 4 1 0 5SM 2 2 0 2DM 2 1 0 1MG 4 3 0 3Totals

Estimate (min) Estimate (min)After 15 min REM

Participant Right Wrong Right WrongDN 8 2 5 5IR 11 1 7 3KC 7 0 12 1WD 13 1 15 1PM 6 2 8 3Total

Times observed

Dream content

Mainly vertical 3Mainly horizontal 1Vertical and horizontal 21Little eye movement 10 Driving car, staring at an object

Finding Conclusion

Hypothesis 1

Hypothesis 2

Hypothesis 3

Using PEC use each of the following issues to evaluate D & K’s study …

Data

Application

Validity

Ethics

Sample

Reliability

Usefulness

Method

Dement and Kleitman Homework

Section A

1. Dement and Kleitmans study on sleep linked to REM activity to dreaming. Describe two pieces of evidence that supported this link. (4)

2. In the study by Dement and Kleitman there was some evidence that dreams also occurred in NREM sleep. Explain how they collected this evidence (2)

3. How did they explain the dreams being reported in NREM sleep? (2)4. Dement and Kleitman used an electroencephalogram (EEG) to record sleep activity.

Explain what the EEG shows (2)5. Describe one limitation of using EEG to investigate dreaming (2)6. Identify two of the controls used by Dement and Kleitman in their study. (2)7. Outline why controls are used in psychological research (2)8. In Dement and Kleitmans study participants were told to abstain from two

substances on the day of the experiment. Identify these two substances. (2)9. Outline one problem with these instructions (2)10. Identify one of the hypotheses of Dement and Kleitmans study on sleep and

dreaming. (2)11.Outline the results of this study in relation to the hypothesis mentioned. (2)

Section B

a) Outline the conclusions of the Dement and Kleitman study (8)b) Suggest two changes that could be made to the study and outline how these changes

might affect the results. (8)

Match the brains to the animals …

The LEFT side of the brain processes info from ______ half of bodyThe RIGHT side of the brain processes info from ________ half of body

Human elephant dolphin gorilla dog cat macaque mouse

AIMS of the study:

PARTICIPANTS:

What is the corpus callosum and what does it do?

What is a commisurectomy?

What would happen if the corpus callosum were severed (damaged?)

Lateralization of function of the right and left hemispheres

Number skills Art awareness Imagination written language

Right hand control Music Insight Reasoning

Left hand control spoken language 3-D forms

1. Label the apparatus diagram with as much detail as possible to represent the procedure and techniques used by Sperry

Tests done:

1. One visual field2. Two visual fields – objects ($, ?)3. Two visual fields – composite words (keyring)

4. One hand tactile5. Two hand tactile

LEFT

RIGHT

Findings from Visual Tests Findings from Tactile (Touch) Tests

CONCLUSIONS

Sperry suggested that it may be less confusing if one thinks of split brain patients as ____ rather than ___ individual

Clearly one _____________ does not know what the other _____________ is doing It is like two separate and rather uncoordinated individuals, though patients

could learn ___________________ in everyday life

What the study tells us....

In right handed people the ______ hemisphere is dominant Language is resident in the dominant side Both sides have their own _____________ Both sides can experience emotions The non-dominant side can perform simple ____________

BOGGLE YOUR MINDS NB: when they are doing tactile tasks their hands are hidden from view

VISUAL – image presented to left visual field

VISUAL – image presented to right visual field

TACTILE – object placed in right hand

TACTILE – object placed in left hand

SMELL - presented to the left nostril

SMELL – presented to the right nostril

1. The word key has been presented to the left visual field. Will the subject be able to say what it is?

2. The word key has been presented to the left visual field will they be able to draw the object with their right hand or their left hand?

3. The word key has been presented to the left visual field. will they be able to select from a pile of objects what they have just seen, with their left hand?

4. Will they be able to do the above with their right hand?

5. The word case has been presented in the right visual field. will they be able to say what they have just seen?

6. The word case has been presented in the right visual field. will they be able to pick the object out of a pile with their left hand?

7. The word comb has been presented in their left visual field. will they be able to demonstrate what this object is used for, why?

8. The word key has been presented in the left visual field. will the subject be able to respond non verbally e.g. by pointing to the object and if so, with which hand?

9. If the subjects were presented with key (left visual field.) and case (right visual field.) simultaneously and asked to draw what they had just seen with their left hand what would they draw? If they were asked to say what they had just drawn, what would they say?!!

10.Which hand would a subject have to be holding something in for them to be able to tell you what it is?

11.Something is presented to the right visual field. and then to the left. Would the subject agree they had just seen it?

12.Key and case are presented simultaneously and the subject is asked to draw with both hands what they’d seen. Would this be difficult for them to do (apart from drawing with their non hand), more so or less so than a person with a ‘normal’ brain, why?

NB: the above refers to right handers

Using PEC use each of the following issues to evaluate Sperry’s study …

Data

Application

Validity

Ethics

Sample

Reliability

Usefulness

Method

Sperry HomeworkSection A

1. From the study by Sperry explain why the split brain operation was carried out on the participants in the study [2]

2. Outline the major function of the corpus callosum [2]3. Sperry suggested that we effectively have two minds. Outline one piece of evidence that shows this

[2]4. Explain what is meant by ‘left visual field’ in this study [2]5. Describe the technique that Sperry used to present information to one side of the brain at a time

[2]6. Explain why normal people do not have any difficulties with the technique used to test split brain

patients [2]7. If such a word as ‘key’ was presented only to the rights hemisphere, participants were not able to

name it. Identify how they were able to respond to show that they had seen the word [2]8. What does this tell us about how ‘normal brains’ function? [2]9. Patients had problems with material presented to their left visual field. How might patients

overcome these problems in everyday life? [2]10. Give one result that demonstrates that the right hemisphere is not completely ‘word-blind’ [2]11. Outline and explain one difference between the ability of split-brain patients and ‘normal’ people

to identify objects by touch alone [4]

Section B

a) Identify the aim of Sperry’s study [2]b) Describe how behaviour was tested in the study [6]c) Suggest two changes that could be made to the study and suggest how these changes may affect

the results [8]

Ch … ch…ch… changes …

You could be asked to make changes or improvements to the studies and to say what effect these changes might have on the result. Try to complete the following table about the 3 studies in the social approach

Study What change would you make What would be the effect of the change?

DEMENT & KLEITMAN

MAGUIRE

SPERRY

Section C Style Exam Qustions

In the Core Studies exam, Section C questions are always the same so we can prepare them really, really well!

a) Outline on assumption of the phsyiological approach in psychology [2]

b) Describe how the physiological approach could explain… [4]Neuroplasticity

In the __________ study…

Dreaming

In the __________ study…

Lateralization of function

In the __________ study…

c) Describe one similarity and one difference between any two phsyiological studies [6]Similarity One similarity is…

In the __________ study…

In the __________ study…

Difference

One difference is…

In the __________ study…

In the __________ study…

d) Discuss strengths and weaknesses of the phsy approach using any examples from the phys approach studies

Stre

ngth

1

Point

Evidence

Comment

Wea

knes

s 1

Point

Evidence

Comment

Stre

ngth

2

Point

Evidence

Comment

Wea

knes

s 2

Point

Evidence

Comment

For this stretch and challenge project you are going to produce a storyboard/poster/cartoon portfolio for all or some of the biological approach. For each key question you are invited to explore some different ideas and theories, making sure that you use the core study as a piece of evidence for at least one of the points you are making.

Part 1: Design part of storyboard/poster/cartoon for “Can the brain change its structure?”Keywords: neuroplasticity, environmental demand, brain scansCore Study: Maguire

Part 2: Design part of storyboard/poster/cartoon for “What happens when we sleep?”Keywords: sleep stages, dreams, REM, sleepwalking, sleeptalkingCore Study: Dement & Kleitman

Part 3: Design part of storyboard/poster/cartoon for “What does each hemisphere do?”Keywords: lateralisation of function, cortexCore Study: Sperry

Your poster portfolio will be marked and given a grade according to the following assessment criteria:

Grade CriteriaA The poster portfolio demonstrates an excellent understanding of the key questions that

goes beyond basic content. There is evidence of a great deal of effort going into the project.B The poster portfolio answers each question in depth yet also concisely, showing a good

level of understanding.C The poster portfolio answers each key question clearly and coherently, using the core

studies as evidence.D The poster portfolio lacks detail and depth through either lack of understanding or lack of

effort. Some content may be missing.E The poster portfolio shows little understanding. Minimal effort has been put in.

Considerable content may be missing, or core studies may not have been referred to.U Insufficient effort and detail. Poster portfolio not completed.