Neurophysiology and Learning
Neurophysiology and Learning
September , 2010
For the survival and progression of life as we know it, humans and non humans must rely on the fundamental aspects of learning. Learning is all around us, we experience it in our everyday lives, sometimes without even being aware of it. Theories of learning were introduced centuries ago, and being so important and of much significance in Psychology, they are continuously studied, revised and improved. A popular branch of the study of learning, Neurophysiology, encompasses how body and brain activities are synchronized and complement each other in order to bring about learning.
In a great attempt to uncover the many dimensions of learning, psychologists studied profusely what the mind might be capable of. Their main desire was to separate mind and body, with the hopes of understanding how these two elements complemented each other (Hergenhahn, Olson, 2005). Rene Descartes, a theorist, performed a study in the areas of physiology and neuroscience. He wanted to understand why it was that despite having two separate eyes, organisms are only able to see one object in their field of vision. Descartes believed it was the “physiological unification of the binocular stimulation in the optic chiasma” (Harftfield, 1998, p 389). It was in this study the he concluded that the stimuli found in this optic chiasma yielded to the different sides of the brain. Descartes’ research led to the study of the physiological nature of the mind and body.
Focusing all exercises on the body’s nervous system, Sir Charles Sherrington became a great contributor to Neurophysiology in its early stages of study. His work on the brain’s neuron processes unveiled how certain areas of the brain relate and work with each other to endorse the process of learning, the unearthing of “the anatomical concepts of the neuron and synapse” (Eccles, J., 1957, p 218). Sherrington’s achievements led to new advances in the field of neurophysiology.
Without the
September , 2010
For the survival and progression of life as we know it, humans and non humans must rely on the fundamental aspects of learning. Learning is all around us, we experience it in our everyday lives, sometimes without even being aware of it. Theories of learning were introduced centuries ago, and being so important and of much significance in Psychology, they are continuously studied, revised and improved. A popular branch of the study of learning, Neurophysiology, encompasses how body and brain activities are synchronized and complement each other in order to bring about learning.
In a great attempt to uncover the many dimensions of learning, psychologists studied profusely what the mind might be capable of. Their main desire was to separate mind and body, with the hopes of understanding how these two elements complemented each other (Hergenhahn, Olson, 2005). Rene Descartes, a theorist, performed a study in the areas of physiology and neuroscience. He wanted to understand why it was that despite having two separate eyes, organisms are only able to see one object in their field of vision. Descartes believed it was the “physiological unification of the binocular stimulation in the optic chiasma” (Harftfield, 1998, p 389). It was in this study the he concluded that the stimuli found in this optic chiasma yielded to the different sides of the brain. Descartes’ research led to the study of the physiological nature of the mind and body.
Focusing all exercises on the body’s nervous system, Sir Charles Sherrington became a great contributor to Neurophysiology in its early stages of study. His work on the brain’s neuron processes unveiled how certain areas of the brain relate and work with each other to endorse the process of learning, the unearthing of “the anatomical concepts of the neuron and synapse” (Eccles, J., 1957, p 218). Sherrington’s achievements led to new advances in the field of neurophysiology.
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References: Carlson, N. (5005). Foundations of Physiology Psychology (6th ed.) Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education. Eccles, J Hartfield, G. (1998). The brain 's "new" science: psychology, neurophysiology, and constraint Hergenhahn, B.R., Olson, M. (2005). An introduction to theories of learning (7th ed) McCormick, D., Connors, B., Lighthall, J., & Prince, D. (1985). Comparative electrophysiology of pyramidal and sparsely spiny stellate neurons of the neocortex Prerau, M, Smith, A, Eden, U, Kubota, Y, & Yanike, M (2009). Characterizing learning by simultaneous analysis of continuous and binary measures of performance Zucker, I. (2008). Through the looking glass: The future of physiology. passion, responsibility and morality in science . The Physiologist, 51(2), Retrieved from http://www.the-aps.org/publications/tphys/2008html/April/81president.htm.