The Brain as the Seat of the Mind
Biological Psychology investigates the physiological and neural mechanisms of behavior. One foundational debate concerns how bodily states and feelings interact.
| Theory | Order of Events | Key Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| James-Lange theory | Arousal first, then subjective emotion | Feel afraid because we tremble |
| Cannon-Bard theory | Arousal and emotion simultaneously | Triggered together by thalamus |
William James and Carl Lange argued the body reacts first. Walter Cannon and Philip Bard countered that emotional experience and bodily arousal happen at the same time.
Searching for the Engram
Karl Lashley searched for the engram—the physical trace of memory—by removing rat cortical tissue. Memory loss depended on amount removed, not location.
This led to two principles:
- Mass action: cortex functions as an integrated whole.
- Equipotentiality: areas can substitute for damaged parts.
Hebbian learning solved Lashley's puzzle: "cells that fire together, wire together." Memory is distributed across many synapses, not localized.
Common pitfall: Assuming Lashley's failure means memory lacks a physical basis. It is just distributed.