Psychology 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Groupthink, Group Polarization, Melatonin

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Dr.Mike

Document Summary

Rare disorder with both biological and environmental etiology. 3 categories of symptoms: cognitive (attention, organization, planning abilities), negative (blunted emotions), positive (hallucinations, delusions) Meso = vta in the midbrain, cortico = cortical cortex, they project to frontal and temporal lobe, and limbic inside of brain involved in emotions/motivations/etc. Causes: genes, physical stress during pregnancy, and psychosocial factors (negative family interaction styles affect development of brain). Feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest in activities. No consistent abnormalities in brain tissues, but scans have suggested functional abnormalities: areas with abnormal activity involve the frontal lobe and limbic structures. Decreased activity in frontal lobe and increased activity in limbic lobe: ex. Stress hormones like cortisol are controlled by the hypothalamus, which communicates with limbic and frontal lobe. One starts in the raphe nuclei of the brainstem responsible for serotonin release. Also the locus coeruleus, which sends long axons to cerebrum and releases norepinephrine.