Biopsychology - Methods of studying the brain AQA
- Created by: SerenM
- Created on: 15-01-18 10:11
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- Methods of Studying the brain
- Post Mortem studies
- Dead patient
- Longitudinal studies for rare conditions
- Used by Broca with 'Tan'
- Lesions in left cerebral hemisphere discovered
- Brocas area discovered
- Lesions in left cerebral hemisphere discovered
- Evaluation
- Valuable insight into unusual conditions
- Difficult to gather brains to study - cant generalise findings
- Can't tell us about the living brain
- Difficult to gather brains to study - cant generalise findings
- Valuable insight into unusual conditions
- Dead patient
- Scanning Techniques
- EEG - Electroencephalogram
- Non-invasive
- Place electrodes on scalp. Electrical signals in brain recorded
- Used to monitor conditions (epilepsy) and study sleep disorders
- Evaluation
- Doesn't interrupt normal functioning - true reflection of brain activity
- Electrodes aren't that sensitive - cant pick out activation of single neurons
- Doesn't interrupt normal functioning - true reflection of brain activity
- ERP - Event Related Potentials
- Record brain activity in response to a stimulus
- The brain waves that are triggered during a particular event
- Use same EEG apparatus
- Evaluation
- Accurate for activity near electrode - finer details missed if not near electrode
- Cheap method
- ERPs good to test reliability of self report questions
- Level of expertise is needed to interpret results
- ERPs good to test reliability of self report questions
- Cheap method
- Accurate for activity near electrode - finer details missed if not near electrode
- Record brain activity in response to a stimulus
- FMRIs - Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Monitors blood flow in brain - using magnetic field and radio signals
- greater blood oxygenation in areas of the brain involved in specific activities - specific areas can be linked to specific abilities
- provides a dynamic picture (moving) and is accurate to 1-2mm in the brain. Shows activity 1 second after it occurs
- Evaluation
- Moving images allow patterns of activity to be compared
- Problems interpreting data due to the complexity of the brain
- Expensive - machines and training operators
- Difficult to generalise findings bc small sample sizes
- Expensive - machines and training operators
- Problems interpreting data due to the complexity of the brain
- Moving images allow patterns of activity to be compared
- EEG - Electroencephalogram
- Post Mortem studies
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