BIO120H1 Lecture : Psynotes.pdf
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BIO120H1 Full Course Notes
Verified Note
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Document Summary
Developments over the past few years have opened new doors for studying mental life that will deepen our understanding of the human mind and behaviour. Brain imaging: assesses changes in metabolic activity in the brain. E. g. where blood flows as people process information indicating which parts of the brain are involved in certain behaviours and mental activities. Study: showed white college students pictures of familiar and unfamiliar black and white faces while using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri) to scan the brain. Unfamiliar black faces activated the amygdale which is involved in detecting threat. Response did not occur in all participants, occurred only in participants holding negative attitudes about blacks. Increasing familiarity reduces the fear response, which may indicate a reduction in the likelihood of prejudice and discrimination. Three developments have set the state for a new biological revolution contributing to our understanding psychological phenomena.
