Slide 1:Understanding What Biopsychologists Do Chapter 5 The Research Methods of Biopsychology


Behavioral Research Methods of Biopsychology :Behavioral Research Methods of Biopsychology Neuropsychological Testing Time-consuming – only conducted on a small portion of those with brain damage Assists in diagnosing neural disorders Serves as a basis for counseling/caring Provides information on effectiveness and side effects of treatment


Approaches to Neuropsychological Testing :Approaches to Neuropsychological Testing Single-test Used to differentiate brain damage from functional (psychological) causes Standardized-test-battery Same goal as single-test approach Halstead-Reitan, for example Customized-test-battery Now predominant Characterizes nature of psychological deficits


Customized-Test-Battery Approach :Customized-Test-Battery Approach Began to be used in the 1960s Goal is to characterize the nature of the deficits seen in the brain-damaged patient Begin with a general test and then follow with tests designed to explore the nature of the observed problems


Potential Components of the Initial Common Test Battery :Potential Components of the Initial Common Test Battery Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale WAIS, an IQ test Often fails to detect memory deficits Token test Can detect language-related deficits Language lateralization – used to identify language-dominant hemisphere Sodium amytal – anesthetize one hemisphere Dichotic listening – ear contralateral to dominant hemisphere shows superior hearing ability


Tests of Specific Neuro-psychological Function :Tests of Specific Neuro-psychological Function Memory – exploring nature of deficits Short-term, long-term, or both? Anterograde or retrograde? Semantic or episodic? Explicit or implicit? (repetition priming tests) Language – problems of phonology, syntax, or semantics


Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) :Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) A test sensitive to frontal lobe damage Figure 5.21, p. 121


Cognitive Neuroscience – Assumptions :Cognitive Neuroscience – Assumptions Each complex cognitive process results from the combined activity of simple cognitive processes (constituent cognitive processes) Each complex cognitive process is mediated by neural activity in a particular area of the brain


Cognitive Neuroscience :Cognitive Neuroscience Goal is to identify the parts of the brain that mediate various constituent cognitive processes Paired-image subtraction technique – compare PET or fMRI images during several different cognitive tasks


Behavioral Paradigms :Behavioral Paradigms Procedures developed for the investigation of a particular behavioral phenomenon Assessment of species-common behaviors Traditional conditioning paradigms Seminatural animal learning paradigms


Assessment of Species-Common Behaviors :Assessment of Species-Common Behaviors Assessment of behaviors displayed by all members of a species Open-field test – general activity Colony-intruder paradigm – aggression and defensive behavior Elevated plus maze – anxiety Tests of sexual behavior


Rat Sexual Behavior Measures :Rat Sexual Behavior Measures Receptive female lordosis Lordosis quotient = lordosis/mounts Measures of male sexual behavior # mounts to intromission # intromissions to ejaculation Interval between ejaculation and next mount


Traditional Conditioning Paradigms :Traditional Conditioning Paradigms Pavlovian conditioning Pairing an unconditioned stimulus with a conditioned stimulus Pavlov’s dogs Operant conditioning Reinforcement and punishment Self-stimulation Animal works for electrical stimulation


Seminatural Learning Paradigms :Seminatural Learning Paradigms Mimic situations that an animal might encounter in its natural environment Conditioned taste aversion Pairing something that makes an animal ill (emetic) with a taste Challenged existing assumptions about conditioning Animals appear prepared to associate tastes and illness


Seminatural Learning Paradigms (continued) :Seminatural Learning Paradigms (continued) Radial arm maze – tests spatial abilities


Seminatural Learning Paradigms (continued) :Seminatural Learning Paradigms (continued) Morris water maze – tests spatial abilities Rat must find hidden platform in an opaque pool Conditioned defensive burying Following a single aversive stimulus delivered from an object, rats will spray bedding at the object Antianxiety drugs decrease the amount of burying behavior


Daily Quiz 5 :Daily Quiz 5 Your text describes three categories of paradigms for studying the behavior of laboratory animals. Name and describe the three categories, and describe one example of each.


Daily Quiz 5 :Daily Quiz 5 25% for naming and describing "paradigms for the assessment of species common behaviors" 25% for naming and describing "traditional conditioning paradigms" 25% for naming and describing "seminatural animal learning paradigms" 25% for naming and describing one test from each category