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A2 Biopsychology Summary
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Complete summary of the A2 biopsychology content for AQA psychology A level. From a student who received 90% overall in their A level psychology exam.
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Psychology BiopsychologyLocalisation of Function in the Brain
Before the research of Broca and Wernicke, and the case study of Phineas Gage, scientists
believed that the brain was holistic, and that all parts of the brain were involved in thought
and action
Localisation of function: the theory that different areas of the brain are
responsible for different behaviours, processes or activities
o Broca and Wernicke discovered that particular areas of the brain were
associated with particular physical and psychological functions
o Phineas Gage was involved in an explosive accident, in which a tamping
iron was impaled through his left frontal lobe. His temperament following
the accident changed from being calm to quick-tempered and rude,
suggesting that the left frontal lobe may be responsible for regulating
mood
o Hetherington and Ranson damaged the ventromedial hypothalamus of
rats and found that they overate. They concluded that this area has a role
in satiety
Different parts of the brain must be specialised to control different tasks and different parts
of the body. Damage to parts of the brain will impair the function that the region was
responsible for
The brain is divided into two hemispheres (left and right), each of which is associated with its
own particular functions (this is lateralisation). For example, the left hemisphere controls the
right side of the body, and the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body
The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of both hemispheres. It is around 3mm thick, and
covers the inner parts of the brain
The cortex of both hemispheres is separated into four lobes – the frontal lobes, the parietal
lobes, the occipital lobes and the temporal lobes – each of which is associated with a
particular function
Motor Cortex
Located at the back of the frontal lobes
Controls voluntary muscle movement in the opposite side of the body
o E.g. the left motor cortex controls the right side of the body, and the right motor
cortex controls the left side of the body
Damage to this area may cause loss of control over movement
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