What is the science of psychology? - Chapter 1

What is psychological science?

Psychological science is the study of mind, brain and behaviour. Mind stands for mental activity, such as thoughts, feelings and perceptions. Mental activity is the result of biological (chemical) processes within the brain. Behaviour describes the totality of observable human (or animal) actions.

One of the aims of this textbook is to learn to think more critically. A critical attitude is required towards all kinds of information, especially information that seems logical. Scientists have to learn to be sceptical. Critical thinking involves systematic questioning and evaluation of the information at hand. It is important to ask critical questions and not to take information for granted. Critical thinkers have to look for alternative explanations of behaviour. Critical thinking involves looking for alternative explanations, detecting weak use of evidence and the use of logic. In addition, it is important to be open to new information and to examine whether a study might be influenced by personal or political interests. Also, think whether the used research designs are appropriate.

What are different types of inaccurate thinking?

• Confirmation bias: people evaluate information that is similar to the beliefs they already had as more positive. At the same time, they underestimate the value of information that is different from their own ideas.
• Seeing relationships that do not exist: it is often assumed that if two things happen at the same time, they should be related to each other; which is not the case. Often it is just a coincidence.
• After-the-fact explanations (hindsight bias): people often come up with explanations for why events happen, also when they have incomplete information. Evidence is reinterpreted in a way that fits better to the outcomes. As a result, existing evidence becomes biased.
• Mental heuristics: heuristics are decision rules that are followed to decrease the effort that it takes to

How have neurosciences evolved over the years? - Chapter 1

Cognitive neuroscience got its name in the late seventies. Cognition means the process of understanding and neuroscience studies the organization and function of the nervous system. The major limitation that was present in the past was that there was no method to systematically and experimentally examine the psyche. Willis was the first to relate specific brain damage to behavioral disruptions. He developed a theory that described how information is transported through the brain (neuronal conduction). Thus, Willis stands at the beginning of the discipline of cognitive neuroscience.

What was formerly thought about the function of the brain?

Phrenology

Modern science is essentially concerned with the question of whether the brain works as a whole or in independent parts. In the nineteenth century, Gall and Spurzheim developed phrenology, based on Willis' proposition that isolated brain damage could affect behavior. Proponents of phrenology state that every part of the brain is involved in a specific function, such as language and personality traits. A total of 35 specific functions were distinguished. The fundamental idea of ​​phrenology is that if a function is used more often, the corresponding part of the brain will grow, creating a bump. The personality could then also be determined by externally examining these bumps. Gall called this anatomical personology. He did not test his ideas, but his idea of ​​specific functions and specific brain parts is in line with Willis' idea.

Aggregate field theory

Flourens investigated the work of Gall. Based on animal research, he believed that the entire brain plays a role in behavior. He damaged the brains of animals and discovered that some parts of the brain were indeed responsible for specific functions, but that other functions, such as memory or cognition, were scattered throughout the brain. He concluded from this that the brain functioned as a whole. He called this idea the aggregate field theory.

Hughlings Jackson observed patients with brain damage and arrived at a topographical organization of the cerebral cortex; every physical function in the body was

What is the science of psychology? - ExamTests 1

MC questions

Question 1

"Behavior is the only objective measure of the psyche"

This statement is:

1. True
2. False

Question 2

What is the name of the issue of whether properties are genetically or environmentally determined?

1. Body-mind problem
2. Evolutionary or adaptive perspective
3. Nature-nurture debate
4. Conscious or unconscious influence

Question 3

What is the question of whether the mind and body coexist, or whether the mind is an experience of the brain, called?

1. Functionalism
2. Body-mind problem
3. Nature-nurture debate
4. Dualism

Question 4

Indicate which of these statements is / are correct or incorrect.
I. Da Vinci thought that all sensory information arrived in one part of the brain.
II. Descartes thought that the body and the mind influenced each other.

1. I is correct, II is incorrect
2. I is incorrect, II is correct
3. I and II are both correct
4. I and II are both incorrect

Question 5

Which answer is incorrect?

1. Wundt created the first psychology laboratory and is considered the father of experimental psychology.
2. The Gestalt theory of Wertheimer and Köhler states that the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
3. Structuralism states that the whole can be understood by studying the separate parts.
4. Titchener was a student of Wundt and came up with functionalism.

Question 6

The belief that behavior is caused by unconscious mental processes that we are not aware of is called:

1. Psychoanalysis
2. Behaviorism
3. Cognitive psychology
4. Humanistic approach

Question 7

Indicate which of these statements is / are correct or incorrect.
I. According to Darwin, species change through targeted, specific gene mutations.
II. Darwin called the idea that species with favorable hereditary traits have an advantage over species that do not have these traits.

1. I is correct, II

How have neurosciences evolved over the years? - ExamTests 1

Questions

Question 1

What does phrenology mean?

Question 2

Explain what rationalism and empiricism entails.

Question 3

What are the things cognitive neuroscience is a combination of?

Question 4

Why is there a major progress in cognitive neuroscience in the second half of the twentieth century?

Answers

Question 1

Phrenologists believed that specific brain areas were specialized for special functions. If a function were to be used more often, the related brain area would grow and cause a lump on the skull. By reading the lumps on the skull, phrenologists believed they could investigate someone's skills and personality traits.

Question 2

Rationalism states that knowledge comes from reasoning. From empirism came the idea of ​​associationism: the opinion that all knowledge comes from sensory experience.

Question 3

The term cognitive neuroscience was introduced in the 1970s when ideas of neurology and psychology were brought together. Cognition means the process of understanding and neuroscience studies the organization and function of the nervous system.

Question 4

Through the emergence of non-invasive methods to investigate brain structure, metabolism and brain function, such as ECG, CAT, PET, MRI and fMRI.

What is the structure and function of the nervous system? - ExamTests 2

Questions

Question 1

What is the difference between dendrites and axons?

Question 2

What is myelin and what does it take care of?

Question 3

What is the difference between depolarization and hyperpolarization?

Question 4

There are four criteria that a substance must meet to get the name neurotransmitter. Name these criteria.

Question 5

When neurotransmitters have done their job, they must be removed from the synaptic cleft. In what ways does this happen?

Question 6

What is the role