High quality biopsychology notes covering the entire A2 AQA Psychology specification. Includes topics such as localisation of function, split brain research, biological rhythms, functional recovery and brain plasticity and ways of studying the brain. Also features a useful comparison grid of brain ...
Localisation of function (cortical specialisation)
Localisation of function: The theory that different areas of the brain are responsible for different
behaviours, processes or activities such as language and memory. Differs from a previous
perspective which suggested the brain used a holistic approach to complete different functions
Motor area: Located in the frontal lobe. Responsible for
The human brain voluntary movements by sending signals to body
muscles. Regions in a logical manner (region for fingers
by region for hand)
Broca’s area: Named after Paul Somatosensory area: Located in the parietal lobe.
Broca. Worked with Patient Tan Separated from the motor area by a ‘valley’ called
who suffered from broca’s the central sulcus. Receives incoming sensory
aphasia. Post-mortem information such as touch. Fingers and face most
examination found damage to the receptive and therefore take up half of space in
left frontal lobe. Responsible for somatosensory area. Different parts receive
speech production different messages
Visual area: In the occipital lobe.
Receives and processes visual
information. Different parts of the
VA process different info. Each eye
sends information from the right
visual field to the left visual cortex
and from the left visual field to the
right visual cortex
Wernicke’s area: Named after Carl
Wernicke. Left temporal lobe.
Auditory area: Located in the temporal lobe. Responsible for language
Responsible for analysing and processing comprehension
acoustic information. Different parts of the
auditory area responsible for analysing and
processing different acoustic info (pitch, tempo
etc.). Primary area; simple acoustic features
The lobes of the brain
Parietal lobe → The processing of sensory information and motor movements (located in the
somatosensory area). Integrates information from different senses; spatial navigation
Temporal lobe → Auditory ability and memory (located in Wernicke’s area)
Occipital lobe → The processing of visual information (located in the visual cortex)
Frontal lobe → Awareness of what we are doing in our environment and processing of higher
order functions (e.g. logic, planning)
Evaluation of localisation of function
Strengths Weaknesses
Patient Tan (Evidence) → Paul Broca Individual differences → Herasty (1997)
studied patient Tan who suffered from found that women have much larger
Broca’s aphasia (inability to produce Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas than their
speech). Specific case study (idiographic male counterparts. Beta bias: Individual
approach) so may be difficult to extrapolate differences between men and women
findings to wider society ignored
, Brain scan evidence of LoF → Petersen et Alternative theories (Lashley’s
al (1988) used brain scans to demonstrate Equipotentiality theory) → Lashley
how Wernicke’s area was active during a proposed this as an alternative theory to
listening task and Broca’s area was active LoF. He suggested that basic motor and
during a reading task sensory functions are localised, but higher
order/executive functions are not. Intact
areas of the cortex could overtake
damaged areas. This renders LoF
biologically reductionist
Contradictory evidence → JW case study
by Turk. Patient suffered brain damage to
the left hemisphere, where language is
centred, but learned to speak from the
right hemisphere. Rejects concept of LoF
Hemispheric lateralisation and split-brain research
Hemispheric lateralisation: The concept that the two halves of the brain are functionally different
and that certain mental processes and behaviours are mainly dominated by one hemisphere rather
than the other. For example, language is a process that is lateralised to the left hemisphere
The two hemispheres of the brain are connected via the corpus callosum, which facilitates
interhemispheric communication
Lateralised functions
Science and maths
Facial recognition
Logic
Intuition
Speech Art and music
Analytical thought Visual motor tasks
Left side of body
Right side
of body
Spatial awareness
Language Holistic
thought
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