...teenagers have started to use alcohol as early as the tenth grade, which means that they are more likely to encounter a lot of the issues that come along with drinking alcohol at an even earlier age. Teenagers are not ready and mentally prepared to face a lot of the issues that come along with drinking alcohol, such as being more aggressive and violent. There are multiple negative effects that come along with underage drinking such as, legal problems (tickets/arrests) education and job problems (missing days/performance) and then the medical issues that come along with drinking. Drinking alcohol can lead to liver problems, and even worse injuries that come from drunk driving, not to include death. Medical research has proven that the prefrontal cortex, the front portion of the brain, continues to develop into the...
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...The frontal lobe is responsible for functions including organization, creating, problem-solving skills, planning, and evaluating, therefore damage to this section of the brain may result in behavioral problems. The four functional areas the frontal lobe contains are the primary motor cortex, the premotor area, Broca’s area, and the prefrontal cortex (Perry, 2002). Concern over any behavioral changes are more focused in the prefrontal cortex function which is involved with personality, insight and foresight, as well as the control of cognitive mechanisms (Perry, 2002). An example of that cognitive control is when we are able to overcome our habitually tendencies, such as sitting in our chair behind the desk in our own office, so we can coordinate our behavior to the abstract social rule where if we were to walk into someone else’s office, the chair in front of the desk would be the more appropriate choice (Badre, Hoffman, Cooney, & D’Esposito, 2009). Along with the behavioral changes, the brain injury could possibly affect the ability to work. Since the frontal lobe focuses on executive functions such as problem-solving and so on, it could hinder our ability to perform the job correctly. However, mild cases of traumatic brain injuries are frequent and usually diminish over time with side effects ranging from headaches to post-traumatic amnesia, therefore depending on the severity of the injury will help in determining the possible outcomes of the side effects from any brain...
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...The brain of an adolescent is between stages of life. It is neither on the level of a child nor on the level of an adult (Feldman, 2012, page 258). The brain of an adolescent is nowhere near the level of a well-functioning brain of an adult. The brain changes dramatically through adolescence. It is said that “the ability to regulate emotions is therefore impaired and this can result in quite severe acts with little regard for the consequence” (The International Justice Project, Juveniles). Jordan Graffman who is a neuro-scientist, has an explanation about the abilities of a person prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex gives one the ability to infer the mental states of others. It also gives one the insight and the ability to reflect on their behavior. A person going through adolescence does not carry this ability. Only the brain of a mature adult would be able to make sound decisions with the thought of the consequences thereafter. Therefore, an adolescent is not in the right mindset to make mature, moral, and legal decisions like an adult. During adolescence one goes through physical maturation. Most know that girls tend to mature faster than boys both mentally and physically. A girl’s spurt begins at around the age of 10 and boys around the age of 12. This is usually the time girls tend to pick on boys because they are sometimes bigger than they are. By the time boys reach the age of 13, sometimes, they become taller than the average girl and that’s how they will remain...
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...Anatomy of Violence Paper December 2013 The Anatomy of Violence is a non-fiction book, written by Adrian Raine, which investigates and presents facts to prove a neurocriminology hypothesis. Adrian Raine conducted experiments, researched and studied the biological roots of violence. He inaugurated neurocriminology, a newer field that incorporates neuroscience methods with the intention of examining the causes of violent criminal acts. Raine analyzes criminal minds. He pieces together research, data, and experiments of psychology, neurology, and criminology in order to inform the public of this new notion which sheds a new light on why people are or become violent criminals. This book was very interesting, well-explained, an easy read and the author incorporated many scientific examples to back up his theories. Adrian Raine takes us on a scientific expedition and exposes brain malfunction to be the cause of violent criminal acts. Raine’s theories are interesting and definitely bring forth many important questions however, while reading, I found some of his concepts are difficult to fully envision for logical reasons. A number of his concepts give an overreaching impression and are a bit too broad. While Raine brings up many valid points, I found myself asking important questions while reading Anatomy of Violence. Does this new research and belief give criminals a “Get out of jail free” card? While reading this book, I asked myself, Will this new theory allow...
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...small thinking. Alleydog.com defines top-down process as: “large chink” processing and states that we form perceptions (or focus attention) by starting with the larger concept or idea (it can even be the concept or idea of an object) and then working our way down to the finer details or that concept or idea (n.d.). This definition leads to the question of where this processing could be taking place. Reasoning leads us to believe that top-down processing occurs in the prefrontal cortex. Prefrontal Cortex According to Miller and Cohen, the prefrontal cortex, “is a collection of interconnected neocortical areas that sends and receives projections from virtually all the cortical sensory systems, motor systems and many subcortical structures” (p. 168, 2001). The prefrontal cortex is responsible processing large amounts of information. This area of the brain is used without instruction from subjects and processes information at speeds that we cannot comprehend. Miller and Cohen (2001) state that: The prefrontal cortex serves a specific function in cognitive control: the active maintenance of patterns of activity that represent goals and the means to...
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...tracks for the railroad but everyone who knew him saw he was a changed man (Wagar, 2004). Cognition Functions with Phineas Gage Antonio Damaiso showed research based on somatic-marker hypothesis in Phineas Gage that allowed people to understand that patients with frontal lobe damage was evidence that brain’s regions for making decisions are strongly connected to emotional centers (Barnes & Thagard). Somatic markers can help pinpoint where the cognition in decision rolls can be biased from looking at characteristics that lead to predictions and responses. Gage had to understand that it would get better but for now it was what it was. Helping the somatic markers to be able to pass emotional responses was due to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, the Amygdala. All these regions of the brains are connected...
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...care he received from colleagues at the scene and through medical care received from doctors (Grieve, 2010). Gage remained conscious on the way to the local physician. Upon arrival, Dr. Harlow, the attending physician, bandaged his wounds, which continued to bleed for another 2 days. Gage showed no obvious, immediate mental discrepancies, but an aggressive viral infection set in at the damaged area which led to a month of semiconscious recovery. Once infection finally subsided, Gage made a complete recovery, except for blindness in his left eye and weakness in the left side of his face. Upon his returning to work it became quite evident that Mr. Gage was not entirely himself. The damage to Gage’s brain was located in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex; but, in order to understand the personality changes that Gage underwent after his recovery it is necessary to first examine the underlying neurological and cognitive interplay thereof. “The higher cognitive functions, working memory, mental imagery, and willed action, are all intimately associated with consciousness” (Frith & R, 1996, ). Perception, attention, emotion, planning and action, learning and memory, thinking, language and all other aspects of cognition all take place in the brain. If thinking is the process, using information to make decisions- then the frontal lobe is crucial for thinking, and without the frontal lobes we are at the mercy of our environment. Where we respond to events without reflection...
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...theory that the investigators came up with was that the deeper and more elobrative encoding leads to better memory. ( Encoding refers to the process of forming a memory code, putting information into memory.) the theory suggest the more elaborative the encoding the better the memory. Examples listed: if given a list of words to memorize, one way to try to encode would be structural ie (the font , phonemic characteristics, how the sound) The meaning of the words (semantic encoding) and self-referent encoding (which researchers have found to be the best) Objectives: One main objective of the experimenter was to see or determine what areas of the brain were activated when the processing task involved the self According to reading the left prefrontal cortex is the area associated with process of meaning. Right brain might be the area in the brain where the self is represented. Method of research: laboratory : pet scan Correlation: experimental: more elaborative encoding causes better memory, Method: Paricipants were eight-right handed participants( 4 males and 4 females) Procedure: research participants were presented with eight lists of personality traits that they were asked to encode using four encoding tasks( two lists for each tak) Self-task- judged how well the word described them, other task; how well it described a famous Canadian general task:...
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...psychosocial reasoning behind this legal decision. Biosocial factors include the inability for a child of this age to control emotional impulse; cognitively, children are unable to view the world outside of their own perspective, and psychosocial factors include emotional regulation and media influences. The Age of Criminal Responsibility Case Study Can a child commit a crime with criminal intent? It is said that a 6 year old cannot form criminal intent, because the brain has not yet completely developed. The prefrontal cortex, also known as the frontal lobe, will continue to mature over the years. This development occurs through early experience. “Brains grow rapidly before birth and throughout infancy” (Berger, 2014). By the age of 6, most of the brain is functioning and present, however the maturation of the prefrontal cortex is important. Games like “Simon Says” or the “Shape Game” can be played to observe if the prefrontal cortex is working, “but might personal experience rather than brain maturation be the reason?” (Berger, 2014) The Limbic system aids the expression and regulation of emotions which lodges three major areas of the brain; the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the hypothalamus (Berger, 2014). Negative stress in high amounts, such as abuse, can cause damage to the brain which in return affects learning. Children at the age of 6 years are not able to comprehend the difference between reality and the beliefs of the child. Piaget calls...
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...Are you a Coke or Pepsi drinker? Do you pull into McDonald's golden arches or prefer to "have it your way" at Burger King? When it comes to toothpaste, which flavor gets you brushing, Colgate or Crest? If you think it's just your taste buds that guide these preferences, you may be surprised by what neuroscientists are discovering when they peer inside the brain as it makes everyday choices like these. DEFINITION: Neuromarketing is the application of neuroscience to marketing, how a person’s brain responds to advertising and other brand-related messages. Neuromarketing includes the direct use of brain imaging, scanning, eye tracking, skin response or other brain activity measurement technology to measure a subject’s response to specific products, packaging, advertising, or other marketing elements. Neuromarketing will tell the marketer what the consumer reacts to, whether it was the color of the packaging, the sound the box makes when shaken, or the idea that they will have something their co-consumers do not to help in development of products and communications (4ps) as indicated by our brain's reactions to brand stimuli, marketers can design products and communications to better meet "unmet" market needs, connect and drive "the buy". "We can use brain imaging to gain insight into the mechanisms behind people's decisions in a way that is often difficult to get at simply by asking a person or watching their behavior," says Dr. Gregory Berns, a psychiatrist at Emory...
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...Ans 6. “Prejudice always complicated the truth.” The movie 12 Angry Men, by means of several situational examples, reaffirms the fact. The first case in point is of the boy on trial who is born and brought up in slums. Many of the jury members, especially jurors 10, 7, 4 and 3 are heavily influenced by the prejudices they hold against children from the slums. In one of the scenes, juror 10, goes into a rage and explains why people from the slums cannot be trusted and calls them little better than animals who gleefully kill each other off for fun. Juror 4 had earlier pointed out that slums are breeding grounds for criminals and that these slum children are a threat to our society to which 10 adds that they are “real trash”. This is where juror 5 who himself has been born and brought up in slums interrupts and reveals about himself to which others try and convince him that it isn’t about him and that he should not be taking it personally. Juror 11 makes a point at this juncture and empathizes with juror 5 saying that he can understand his sensitivity about the slum issue. It is to be noticed hear that this juror 11 is Hispanic origin and himself had been a victim of such treatment out of held prejudices. One such instance comes in one of the movie scenes as well when juror 7 makes a remark on juror 11 and says “they” are all alike who come running for a life and before you can take a deep breath they get on your head and calls him arrogant. Towards the end juror 10 again makes...
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...Running head: CAUSES OF IMPULSE BUYING Impulse Buying EN1320 ITT Technical Institute Impulse Buying Everyone does it from time to time. I’m talking about acting upon impulse. In some cases, impulsive actions can be harmless or even rewarding. This is usually not the case though when it comes to making impulsive purchases. Studies have shown that on average, between 50 and 65 percent of items purchased while shopping we’re not on their lists, and we’re bought out of impulse. The question at hand is why, and this is what I am going to try and answer. Impulse buying begins a downward spiral that, if not corrected, ends with owning up to unexpected and undesired consequences that can be very detrimental and life changing. As defined by Merriam-Webster.com (2012), impulse buying is the buying of merchandise on impulse, rather than premeditation. Not a lot is known about the causes of impulse buying, and they have seemed to change over the years with evolving technology. One factor that has always been prevalent throughout time in driving spontaneous purchases is “sales prices”. When a customer thinks they can save money on an item, whether it’s on their list or not, they will more often than not give it a look over and consider making the purchase. The Yankee Group and Ernst & Young conducted surveys where they asked people why they would make impulse purchases on the web. According to The Yankee Group (November, 2000), 75% of survey respondents indicated that a “sale...
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...Case Study: Actions speak louder than words Tanice E. Deguzman Psychology 2012 C05 Liberty university Online What Is our world coming to these days? A Tragic Incident In a small town In Michigan occurred. A six year old boy brought a gun to school and shot his first grade classmate In the school Library. Committing a criminally act under the age of seven is not considered criminally responsible. A child is like a sponge they take everything In. If they see something that catches there eye they usually have lots of questions to ask. Children are smarter than we think. A child's Brain Is always changing especially from the age of 2 to 6. By age 2, most neurons connect to other neurons and substantial Pruning has occurred. The 2-year-old's brain weighs 75 percent of what it will weigh In adulthood. (Berger,2011,P.212) This shows how much a child's Brain grows at the age of two too adulthood. Reported that one study found that The brain grows 90% from age two to six which helps in mature language and a better understanding of people and the environment. ( Berger 2011, P212). A child's brain is still growing and understanding the whole process of what's going on."Young children are much less adept than adults at social understanding and planning because functions of this part of the brain have not yet developed (Berger, 2011 P.215) This shows that children don't have the same social understanding as an adult. So when the six year old shot his classmate he didn't have...
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...Curr Opin Neurol 2006; 19:559-64. Cognitive function following stroke and vascular cognitive impairment. Top of Form [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]de Haan EH, Nys GM, Van Zandvoort MJ Bottom of Form Abstract PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review of the cognitive status following stroke and vascular cognitive impairment starts by questioning the concept of vascular dementia and related concepts. Our position is that in many cases these labels promote a superficial conceptualization of an inherently complex and heterogeneous phenomenon hampering a more detailed understanding. RECENT FINDINGS: After stroke or disease of the cerebral vasculature, the cognitive and emotional outcome is dependent on a combination of three factors with the relative importance differing between causes. First, focal damage may lead to selective impairments that are dependent on the localization of the (grey matter) lesion. Second, diffuse neuronal dysfunction produces a more uniform profile of a decrease in mental speed, memory problems, and reduced executive functioning. Third, cognitive outcome is further modulated - notably in terms of severity - by patient variables such as age, sex, premorbid level of functioning, and comorbidity (e.g. hypertension). SUMMARY: The complex character of the cognitive repercussions of stroke can be better harnessed by employing modern neuropsychological assessment procedures. This allows both a detailed categorization of the patients for the selection and effectiveness...
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...children watching television and computers daily, from the earliest years of life will influence how the brain will respond to real-world challenges and how will process information. As a result young minds come to be dependent on the state of passivity, of inattention, and denying, which was induced daily by hours through viewing. The left hemispheric brain, whose activity is inhibited when watching TV, do not develop normally which will make the young men to be deficient in terms of logical and analytical thinking, in speech, in the construction phase, in writing and reading processes carried out in areas of that hemisphere. The most serious consequences which the TV and computer games have on the functioning of the front of the brain, the prefrontal cortex,- it distinguishes man from animal-, weakened ability to concentrate, reduced memory, the appearance state of passivity and boredom, depression, anxiety and personality disorders. These are just some of the reasons it is recommended that children up to 2 years are not...
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