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In 1984, three years after retiring from boxing, Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Outside of his Hall of Fame boxing career, he played an instrumental role in the civil rights movement and was a world-recognized advocate raising awareness for those suffering with Parkinson’s disease. Muhammad Ali passed away from complications of the disease on June 3, 2016, at the age of 74.
R. McPhedran/ Stringer/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Recent studies offer an exciting direction for future efforts to repair the damaged brain. Neuroscientists have long held that new nerve cells cannot be produced in the adult brain. New axons and dendrites may sprout, forming new synaptic connections. While the growth of new neurons was once considered impossible, neurogenesis researchers have since discovered that the adult human brain does spawn new nerve cells in the hippocampus, a structure that is important in learning and memory. This discovery, and the possibility that neuroscientists may some day find a way to stimulate the growth and migration of nerve cells, has led some researchers to speculate that the human brain harbors great potential for its own repair (Doidge, 2007; Fawcett, Rosser, & Dunnett, 2001).
Thinking Like a Psychologist About Behavioral Neuroscience
The study of the split-brain patient described at the outset of this chapter gave us
a glimpse into the fascinating and developing world of behavioral neuroscience. This research illustrates why it is valuable to observe individuals who are exceptional in some way and tells us that each region of the brain is involved in different psychological processes. But as we have seen elsewhere in this chapter, researchers use other methods as well, including powerful brain scans, to discover linkages among the brain, the mind, and behavior. And although different areas of the brain act as “specialists,” the healthy human brain operates as an integrated system—and has the capacity to change as a result of usage, practice, and experience.
To this day, the human brain and nervous system remain one of the great frontiers in science. From the trillions of tiny building blocks, consisting of axons, dendrites, synapses, and neurotransmitters, to the structures of the brainstem, limbic system, and cerebral cortex, there is a solid biological foundation for the study of mind and behavior. The goal, as we’ll explore in later chapters, is to understand the links between the human body and psychological processes that range from visual perception to moral development, social aggression, and the health benefits of psychotherapy.
SUMMARY
Phineas Gage’s dramatic brain injury showed that the human brain and nervous system form an integrated system of specialized parts—the concern of behavioral neuroscience.
The Body’s Communication Networks
The body has two communication networks: the nervous system and the endocrine system.
The Nervous System
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The human nervous system has two basic parts. The central nervous system (CNS) includes the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of the nerves that radiate from the CNS to the rest of the body.
The PNS is divided further into two components. The somatic nervous system transmits signals from the sensory organs and skin to the CNS. It also relays motor commands from the CNS to the skeletal muscles. The autonomic nervous system connects the CNS to the involuntary muscles, organs, and glands, thus regulating such functions as heartbeat and temperature. The autonomic nervous system has two parts: the sympathetic nervous system, which energizes the body for action, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which returns the body to its normal state.
The Endocrine System
The endocrine system is a collection of ductless glands that regulate growth, metabolism, and other functions by secreting hormones into the bloodstream. These secretions are controlled in the brain by the hypothalamus, which signals the
pituitary gland.
The Neuron
Neurons, or nerve cells, transmit and receive information throughout the nervous
system. Sensory neurons transmit information from the senses, skin, muscles, and internal organs to the CNS. Motor neurons send commands from the CNS to the muscles, glands, and organs. Interneurons serve as connectors within the CNS. Neurons cluster into interconnected working groups called neural networks. Glial cells help support, insulate, and nourish the neurons. A simple reflex like the knee jerk illustrates the speed of neural signals.
Structure of the Neuron
Each neuron has a rounded body, called the soma, and two types of branched fibers: dendrites, which receive impulses, and an axon, which sends impulses through its terminals. Many axons are covered with myelin sheath, a fatty insulating layer that speeds impulses.
The Neuron in Action
A neuron transmits messages by means of an electrical process. When dendrites receive signals of sufficient strength, the cell’s membrane breaks down. Positively charged sodium ions rush in, altering the charge inside in such a way that a burst of electrical energy known as an action potential surges through the axon as soon as a certain necessary level of stimulation, or threshold, is reached.
How Neurons Communicate
To transmit a signal across the synapse, the tiny gap between two neurons, the sending neuron releases chemical neurotransmitters from vesicles in its axon terminals. These chemicals bind to receptors on the dendrites of a receiving neuron. There are many neurotransmitters in the body, and each fits only certain receptors.
Neurotransmitters
Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neurotransmitter that links motor neurons and muscles.
ACh has an excitatory effect on muscles. Dopamine, in contrast, inhibits muscles and helps control voluntary movements. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia have all been linked to problems with these chemical messengers. Other neurotransmitters called endorphins serve as the body’s own pain relievers.
The Brain
The basic anatomy of the brain has long been known, but behavioral neuroscientists face the more difficult task of understanding how it functions.
Tools of Behavioral Neuroscience
Although phrenology was misguided in linking mental characteristics to bumps on the skull, it correctly supposed that functions are localized in particular parts of the brain.
Today, neuroscientists use four methods to study brain functions: (a) clinical case studies of people with brain damage; (b) invasion of the brain through surgery, drugs, or electrical stimulation; (c) electrical recordings of activity using the
electroencephalograph (EEC); and (4) brain-imaging techniques, such as computerized tomography (CT) scan, positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
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Regions of the Brain
The brain consists of three main parts: the brainstem, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex. Each of these comprises several important structures.
The brainstem is the inner core. It contains the medulla, which controls vital involuntary functions such as breathing; the pons, involved in sleep and arousal; and the reticular formation, a netlike group of cells that filter sensory information and help control sleep, arousal, and attention. Nearby are the cerebellum and basal ganglia, which play an important role in balance and coordination.
Above the brainstem is the limbic system, which helps govern motivation, emotion, and memory. It includes the thalamus, a relay station for sensory information; the amygdala, linked to fear, anger, and aggression; the hippocampus, which performs a key function in memory formation; and the hypothalamus, which helps regulate the autonomic nervous system, emotions, and basic drives.
The outermost 80 percent of the brain, the wrinkled cerebral cortex, controls higher order mental processes. Anatomically, it consists of two hemispheres and four lobes. It can also be divided into areas based on function: (a) Sensory areas specialize in receiving sensory information. For example, the somatosensory cortex receives information from the touch receptors in the skin. (b) The motor cortex controls the voluntary muscles. (c) The association cortex areas communicate with the sensory and motor areas and house higher mental processes. Within the association cortex, two areas specialize in language. Broca’s area directs the production and comprehension of speech, and Wernicke’s area is involved in language comprehension.
The Split Brain
Researchers have investigated Fechner’s idea that each side of the brain has its own mind (Fechner, 1860). The studies rely on the fact that the left hemisphere communicates with the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere with the left side. The hemispheres are connected by, and share information through, the corpus callosum. Experiments with split-brain patients, in whom the corpus callosum has been severed, show that each hemisphere has a somewhat different version of experience.
Other research has tried to determine which functions have a tendency toward cerebral lateralization, or control by a single side of the brain. The key language centers are in the left hemisphere. The right hemisphere plays a crucial role in nonverbal functions. But the most important distinction may be the style of processing. The left hemisphere seems to rely on analytical processing, whereas the right hemisphere is more holistic.
Research supports the notion that the two hemispheres, when their links are cut, produce separate streams of consciousness. But in the healthy brain, they exchange information so quickly that our mental experience is a seamless whole.
Prospects for the Future
Recent advances in the study of the brain have addressed two questions: Does the adult brain have a capacity to change and adapt as a result of experience, and is it possible to repair a damaged brain?
The Brain’s Capacity for Growth and Reorganization
Research shows that the brain has plasticity, a capacity to change. Specifically, certain experiences can spark the branching of new dendrites and the growth of new synaptic connections. This enables the brain to compensate for damage. But it also causes people with amputated limbs to experience phantom pain.
Repairing the Damaged Brain: New Frontiers
Advances in understanding the brain have shown that neurogenesis continues past infancy and have led to attempts at brain repair. With the neural graft procedure, researchers have transplanted brain tissue from one animal to another in an effort to reduce deficits in brain function. Among human beings, the greatest hope may involve the transplantation of fetal tissue, a highly controversial procedure. Contrary to what has been believed, recent studies show that new nerve cells can be produced in the mature brain.
Critical Thinking
Thinking Critically About Behavioral Neuroscience
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1. What is the difference between the “mind” and the “brain”?
2. Advances in brain-imaging technology allow us to observe the human brain at work. What kinds of questions do you think we might be able to answer with these sophisticated techniques?
3. Research investigating neural plasticity suggests that life experiences can alter the neural circuitry of the brain. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this phenomenon? What are some of the real-world implications of this research (e.g., for child rearing or the treatment of stroke victims)?
4. What is your opinion of the concussion protocols in sports? For example, should a sports league be forced to make changes if concussions are a known risk of the sport? Do athletes need to be better educated on the risks involved? In your answer, explain how science and, specifically, psychology can help inform how to protect athletes going forward.
Career Connection: Research
Research Assistant
Research assistants aid in the collection and analysis of data at universities, think tanks, market research firms, consulting and polling companies, and other organizations. Pursuing a career as a research assistant is a great way to put a bachelor’s degree in psychology to good use. Assistants who work in labs are heavily involved in research and experimental psychology. Those who work in government agencies and private-sector businesses that study human behavior put their understanding of psychology to work alongside many of the more general research and critical-thinking skills that are essential for a psychology major. Research assistants may review and summarize existing data, write or edit documents, conduct experiments, log data, organize materials and information, and generally assist the lead researchers for whom they work.
Key skills for this role that psychology students learn to develop:
Scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena Critical thinking and analysis Effective communication across a variety of contexts
Key Terms
acetylcholine (ACh) (p. 55) action potential (p. 54) amygdala (p. 64) association cortex (p. 67) autonomic nervous system (p. 49) axon (p. 53) basal ganglia (p. 63) brainstem (p. 63) Broca’s area (p. 68) central nervous system (CNS) (p. 49) cerebellum (p. 63) cerebral cortex (p. 65) cerebral lateralization (p. 72) computerized tomography (CT) scan (p. 60) concussion (p. 77) corpus callosum (p. 69) dendrites (p. 53) dopamine (p. 56) electroencephalograph (EEG) (p. 59) endocrine system (p. 50) endorphin (p. 57) glial cells (p. 52) hippocampus (p. 65) hormones (p. 50) hypothalamus (p. 65) interneurons (p. 52) limbic system (p. 64) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (p. 60) medulla (p. 63) motor (motion-producing) neurons (p. 52)
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motor cortex (p. 66) myelin sheath (p. 53) neural graft (p. 79) neural networks (p. 52) neurogenesis (p. 77) neurons (p. 52) neurotransmitters (p. 54) parasympathetic nervous system (p. 49) peripheral nervous system (PNS) (p. 49) phrenology (p. 58) pituitary gland (p. 50) plasticity (p. 75) pons (p. 63) positron emission tomography (PET) scan (p. 60) receptors (p. 55) reflex (p. 52) reticular formation (p. 63) sensory neurons (p. 52) soma (p. 53) somatic nervous system (p. 49) somatosensory cortex (p. 66) split brain (p. 69) sympathetic nervous system (p. 49) synapse (p. 54) thalamus (p. 64) threshold (p. 54) Wernicke’s area (p. 68)
Descriptions of Images and Figures
Back to Figure
The nervous system is divided into 2 main systems as follows.
1. The Central Nervous System. This includes the brain and the spinal cord.
2. The Peripheral Nervous System. The peripheral nervous system breaks down into the Somatic and Autonomic systems. The autonomic system divides further into the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic systems.
The diagram features a human outline with the nervous system illustrated as a network throughout the body. The central nervous system is highlighted in pink. The peripheral nervous system is highlighted in yellow.
The brain is highlighted in pink. The spinal cord is also highlighted in pink and stretches down the length of the back.
The nerves of the peripheral nervous system create an interconnected network throughout the body.
Back to Figure
The steps in the withdrawal reflex are:
1. A hand touches a hot object (an iron box);
2. The pain receptor in the skin directs the information through the dendrite of the afferent neuron to the cell body of the afferent neuron to the axon of the afferent neuron.
3. Within the spinal cord, the information passes from the axon of the efferent neuron to the cell body of the interneuron, and to the cell body of the efferent neuron.
4. The information then passes through the axon of the efferent neuron that exits the spinal cord, and is relayed to the muscle of the affected hand.
5. The muscle contracts and the stimulated body part is withdrawn.
The steps in the knee jerk reflex are:
1. A knee is hit by a reflex hammer.
2. The golgi tendon organ, which is a nerve ending within the tendon that passes over the knee directs the information to a sensory neuron, to the cell body, to the spinal cord, and to a motor neuron.
3. The information from the motor neuron is then relayed to the muscle of the leg which facilitates muscle contraction.
4. The muscle contracts and a knee jerk reaction ensues.
Back to Figure
The steps in the communication of the action potential are:
1. The action potential passes through the axon to a presynaptic terminal.
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2. The presynaptic terminal is a bulb shaped organ containing Ca2+ions.
3. In the terminal, there are numerous sacs called “vesicles”, which are filled with neurotransmitters.
4. At the level of the synaptic cleft, some vesicles of the axon that are fused with the membrane release the neurotransmitters into the synapse.
5. The neurotransmitters bind on to the numerous post synaptic channel receptors that are present on the surface of the cell body of the receiving neuron.
6. The action potential enters the cell body, and passes downwards.
7. The electrical charge at the synaptic level is negative outside the cells, and positive inside the cells.
8. Below the synapse, the charges get interchanged.
Back to Figure
The various waves of the EEG are described as follows:
1. Awake; Fast, random, low voltage: A series of very short, closely packed waves at 50μV per second.
2. Drowsy, relaxed; Alpha waves: A series of very short, densely packed waves, denser than the waves while awake.
3. Stage 1 sleep; Theta waves: A series of short, closely packed waves, slightly far apart than the waves while awake, with occasional dense waves.
4. Stage 2 sleep; Sleep spindles, K complexes: A series of slightly longer loosely packed waves, longer than the theta waves.
1. Sleep spindle: Occurrences of densely packed waves that resemble a spindle in between the loosely packed series.
2. K complex: A long, wide wave amidst other short waves.
5. Stage 3/Stage 4 sleep; Slow-wave sleep: A series of long, slow, loosely packed waves.
6. REM sleep; Fast, random: A series of very short, closely packed waves, slightly slower than the waves of Stage 1 sleep.
Back to Figure
The different parts of the brain labelled in the clockwise direction are:
1. Cerebral cortex,
2. Thalamus,
3. Parietal lobe,
4. Pineal gland,
5. Superior and inferior colliculus,
6. Occipital lobe,
7. Midbrain,
8. Cerebellum,
9. Spinal cord,
10. Medulla,
11. Pons,
12. Pituitary gland,
13. Hypothalamus,
14. Nucleus accumbens,
15. Lateral ventricle,
16. Corpus callosum,
17. Frontal lobe,
18. Cingulate gyrus.
Back to Figure
The different parts of the brain labelled are:
1. The lateral fissure: which separates the frontal and temporal lobes.
2. The central sulcus: which separates the frontal and parietal lobes.
3. The frontal lobe: which lies to the front of the skull.
4. The parietal lobe, which lies to the back of the skull.
5. The temporal lobe: which lies to the sides of the skull.
6. The occipital lobe, which lies to the base of the skull. The different areas of the brain labelled are:
1. The motor cortex in the frontal lobe just in front of the central sulcus.
2. The prefrontal cortex and Broca’s area in the frontal lobe just above the
lateral fissure.
3. The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe just behind the central sulcus.
4. The auditory cortex and Wernicke’s area in the temporal lobe just below the
lateral fissure.
5. The visual cortex in the occipital lobe.
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Back to Figure
The different parts of the brain labelled are:
1. The lateral fissure: which separates the frontal and temporal lobes.
2. The central sulcus: which separates the frontal and parietal lobes.
3. The primary motor cortex in the frontal lobe just in front of the central sulcus.
4. The primary somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe just behind the central
sulcus.
5. The secondary somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe just behind the
primary somatosensory cortex and just above the lateral fissure.
The cerebral hemispheres are represented to be split, with the cortex curving
downwards towards the center.
The primary motor cortex is zoomed into a motor homunculus, which is described
in the clockwise direction as follows:
1. The toes, ankle, knee, hip, trunk and shoulder are represented at the upper
end of the cerebral hemisphere.
2. The elbow, wrist, hand, little, ring, middle, and index fingers are represented
at the upper end to middle of the cerebral hemisphere.
3. The thumb, neck, brow, eyelid and eyeball, face, lips, jaw, tongue, and
actions such as swallowing, mastication, salivation, and vocalization are represented at the middle to lower end of the cerebral hemisphere.
The primary sensory cortex is zoomed into a motor homunculus, which is
described in the anticlockwise direction as follows:
1. The toes, foot, leg, hip, trunk, neck, shoulder, arm, elbow, forearm, wrist,
hand, little, ring, middle, index fingers, and the thumb are represented at the upper end to the middle of the cerebral hemisphere.
2. The eye, nose, face, upper and lower lip, teeth, gums, jaw, tongue, pharynx,
and the intra-abdominal organs are represented at the middle to lower end of the cerebral hemisphere.
3. The genitalia are represented in an area of the cerebral hemisphere beyond
the toes.
Back to Figure
The process is described as follows:
1. There are two sources of information, A and B, which are positioned over the left and right eye respectively.
2. Information enters both eyes from both sources and passes through the respective optic nerve of each eye.
3. The optic nerve meets at a point called optic chiasm, wherein the information from source A is directed towards the right side, and the information from source B is directed towards the left side.
4. The redirected information goes to the respective lateral geniculate nucleus of each side.
5. From the nucleus, the information from source A is relayed to the right visual cortex, and information from source B is relayed to the left visual cortex.
Back to Figure
The experiment is described as follows:
1. A woman sits at the table with a partition blocking the contents of the other side. The objects placed on the other side are a pair of scissors, a spoon, a pencil, an apple, and a cup.
2. In the first image, the spoon is placed on her left side from across the barrier.
3. In the second image, a callout near the woman says “I saw nothing.”
4. In the third image, the woman is shown to put out her left hand across the barrier and pick the spoon.
Back to Figure
The experiment is described as follows:
1. In part A, a woman faces a composite image of a face that comprises of two halves: the left half is a sketch of a child’s face and the right half is a sketch of an adult woman’s face. There is a dot in between the two faces which the woman is shown to be looking at.
2. In part B, the woman faces four sketches: a young man and an elderly man at the top row, the full face of the child and the adult woman whose half face was shown earlier, at the left and right sides of the bottom row respectively. A callout near the woman says “I see a child.”
3. In part C, the same four sketches are displayed, and the woman points out to the face of the adult woman whose right half of the face was shown earlier.
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Back to Figure
A photo shows a football player getting pushed to the ground upon contact with
another player.
The next two illustrations show the process of injury at the level of the brain:
1. The player’s head is shown to have not hit the ground yet, and the direction of impact to the head is downwards.
2. The player’s head is shown to have hit the ground, and the brain is shown to have moved a little in the upward direction away from the region of impact.
3. The impact on the brain is shown to be on the frontal and temporal lobes.
The three illustrations show the process of the injury at the level of the neuron:
1. An axon of a normal neuron is shown, with the myelin sheath intact.
2. The myelin sheath is shown to bend and twist across the axon.
3. The axon is shown to be swollen, with pieces of myelin sheath disintegrated.
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3 SENSATION AND PERCEPTION
Lucas Vallecillos / Alamy Stock Photo
Learning Objectives
Distinguish between a stimulus and a sensation; recognize the interplay between the two that inspired some of the first psychologists to measure them.
Imagine what life would be like for one day without sensation.
Summarize the steps we take to perceive our world as adults.
WHAT'S YOUR PREDICTION: DOES CULTURE INFLUENCE PERCEPTION?
The Situation
You have always assumed that when it comes to vision, hearing, and other biological senses, people are basically the same. But you also suspect that the way each of us perceives the world is influenced by our life experiences and cultural backgrounds. So, which is it? Thinking about the problem, you realize that one possible way to tease apart biological and cultural influences is to select an important aspect of perception, create a task to measure it, and then compare people from different parts of the world.
In reading up on the visual system, you learn that images projected on the eye's retina are flat and two-dimensional. So, you wonder, how do people judge depth and distance? How do people know that one object in the visual field is closer than another? Is depth perception innate among humans, or are certain types of life experience necessary? To examine these questions, you create the drawings demonstrated in Figure 3.1 and ask the following question: Which animal is closer to the hunter: the antelope or the elephant? The task seems easy. To you, the elephant looks farther away because its image is so small and because it stands either on a hill that is partly blocked (top) or at the top of a road with converging lines that form an upside-down V (bottom).
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Description
Figure 3.1 Which Animal Is Closer to the Hunter?
Monica Wierzbicki/Body Scientific Intl.
Make a Prediction
Determined to test people from very different backgrounds and cultural experiences, you show the drawings to English speakers. Then you travel to southern Africa and present the same pictures to both illiterate and educated Bantus living in a rural area. What will you find? Will everyone, as you do, see the pictures in three­dimensional terms and see the antelope as closer than the elephant? Which participant groups will see the antelope as closer than the elephant: educated Westerners, educated Bantus, or illiterate Bantus?
The Results
This study, conducted by W. Hudson (1960), was one of the first to examine perception from a cross-cultural perspective. Using drawings like those shown, Hudson found that compared to Western adults, illiterate Bantu participants saw the pictures as flat and the elephant as closer to the hunter. And what about the school­educated Bantus? It is interesting that in this group, most participants saw the antelope as closer. Apparently, seeing three-dimensional depth in two-dimensional displays is a skill that people develop—probably from exposure to books, photographs, artwork, and other flat visual representations of reality.
What Does It All Mean?
Among researchers who study vision and other senses, certain aspects of perception—such as our ability to perceive depth and distance—seem biologically “hardwired” and universal. From the two eyes to the neural pathways that carry visual signals to the brain, most humans are similarly equipped. Yet other researchers, such as those who study people from different cultures, have come to realize that in some ways our perceptions are influenced by our experiences. For example, people living in urban environments that contain many edges and right angles are more susceptible than those living in open spaces to certain line-based optical illusions (Deregowski, 1989). So, are the processes of perception biologically based or learned? As we will see in this chapter, both views are correct.
Thud. Giggle. Thud. Giggle. Thud. Splat. Giggle.
Have you ever watched a baby in a highchair? The joys of dinnertime with a 10­month-old are numerous. You may have even wondered, “When will this baby tire of throwing stuff on the ground?” One can quickly get caught up in the “go fetch” game, especially if the baby rewards you with a fantastic giggle. But have you pondered what the baby might be thinking and experiencing with every toss of the object? Might the falling object be magical? Take a moment to drop something unbreakable from about 4 feet above the ground. What happens on the object’s way down? Does the object appear to get smaller? When it stops on the ground below, what happens? Is there a noise and a wobbly movement? Now, do it again. Test for consistency. You will probably find that the movement changes. Sometimes it might wobble to the left, sometimes to the right, and sometimes, it might hit flat and not wobble at all. When
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