Learning and the Human Brain

?
  • Created by: The Shrew
  • Created on: 11-01-16 15:13
3 types of learning
Language skills, motor skills, perceptual learning
1 of 33
4 contributing factors
biological, social, cognitive, cultural
2 of 33
Mirror neurones
Learning through imitation- transformation of seen action into identical motor action
3 of 33
First identified
monkeys in the 90s
4 of 33
Found in
premotor cortex
5 of 33
Fire when
We perform specific goal-directed action, when we observe other performing similar action, when we experience emotion or see someone in pain
6 of 33
Singer et al
Functional imaging- ps experience pain, then told loved one was experiencing pain in both conditions the bilateral anterior insula, rastral anterior cingulate cortex, brainstem and cerebellum were activated
7 of 33
AI and ACC correlate with
individual empathy scores
8 of 33
Mental rehearsal
activates mirror neurone system- linked to motor neurone required to perform fine tuned motor skills
9 of 33
Cortex organisation
Outer layer of brain organised into 4 different regions- conciousness, motor, speech, vision
10 of 33
Arithmatic fMRI study
13 ps trained on 18 complex multiplication problems- left hemisphere dominant when tested on both trained and untrained problems/ frontal regions for untrained- higher cognitive demand
11 of 33
Transfer learned material
fast aquisition in arithmetic associated with decreasing activation in frontal and parietal areas and increase in activation in the angular gyrus- switch from calculation to memory
12 of 33
Age dependent
children vs adults learning algebra- same regions and reduction in prefrontal cortex/ children- produced decrease in area used for mentally holding image of equation- more plastic, change more
13 of 33
Yang et al
39 English speakers, 6 weeks, half learned Chinese vocab- more successful at attaining info and more connected brain network
14 of 33
Structural changes 1960s
profound changes in gross measures of brain morphology in rats/ brain weight and cortical thickness/ modifications to synaptic density, neural and glial cell size and dendritic branches
15 of 33
Grey matter
component of central nervous system, consist of neuronal cell bodies, neuronal cell bodies, neuropil, glial cells, synapses and capillaries
16 of 33
White matter
paler tissue of brain and spinal chord- consists of nerve fibres with their myelin sheaths
17 of 33
Neuroplasticity
can increase and decrease number of neurones
18 of 33
Jugglers
changes in areas for processing and storage of complex visual motion
19 of 33
Stimulus dependent alteration to macroscopic function contradicts
view that cortical plasticity is associated with functional rather than anatomical changes
20 of 33
More grey matter in
occipital and parietal lobes indicating secondary visual cortex
21 of 33
Correlation between
grey matter density and performance, visual motion perception and hand eye coordination, experience and structural change
22 of 33
Hippocampi
spatial memory and navigation- small mammals and birds that need spatial memory= larger hippocampal volume/ some species- hippocampus increases in seasons of high demands
23 of 33
Taxi drivers
larger hippocampi
24 of 33
Rapid change
motor skill learning- increase in synapse number and glial cell volume in corebellal cortex after 10 days training
25 of 33
Diffusion MRI
thermodynamic effects molecules move in brain diffusion- apply controlled gradient magnetic fields- amplitude and direction of diffusion can be quantified- none invasive biological marker enables differentiation of tissue
26 of 33
2 types of diffusion
Isotropic diffusion- all directions equally strong, cerebral spinal fluid/ Anisotropic diffusion- one direction stronger than the other
27 of 33
Diffusion MRI example
Car racing- one group same routes/ other different routes/ control- learning group= decrease in mean diffusion of hippocampi and increase in tissue density in hippocampi
28 of 33
Rat study
24 rats- one group water maze plus control groups- decrease in mean diffusion of learning group
29 of 33
Cell staining methods
hippocampus of rats after spatial learning tasks- stained cells enlarged/ significant morphometric differences in cells and increase in immune-reactivity/ increase in synaptic vesticles and astrocyte activation
30 of 33
Musicians good model for neuroplasticity because
heterogeneous group, motor and perceptual training, numerous brain areas
31 of 33
Broadmann
ps trained in novel music task- play 3 polyrhythms, ps improve on task, percentage change in mean diffusivity for hippocampus and putamen/ percentage change negatively correlated with change in right hemisphere/ similar areas activated for language
32 of 33
Sagi and Tavor et al
Spatial learning and memory task- microstructional changes of limbic system structures were significant after only 2 hours of training
33 of 33

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

4 contributing factors

Back

biological, social, cognitive, cultural

Card 3

Front

Mirror neurones

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

First identified

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Found in

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Psychology resources:

See all Psychology resources »See all Applied Psychology resources »