PS200 Unit 9 Brain and Cognition Paper Example

Reviewed by Romilly Dunmore, MEd Introduction to Cognitive Psychology Purdue University Global Free custom sample in 24 to 48h

The brain regions behind a composite 911 call-taker's working memory, new learning and early-morning lapses are explained in this PS200 Unit 9 brain and cognition paper. Miller and Cohen's account of the prefrontal cortex keeping goals active links back to the Unit 3 exercise, Scoville and Milner's patient H.M. shows the hippocampus is needed to form lasting memories, and Lim and Dinges's sleep deprivation meta-analysis shows simple sustained attention suffers most, matching errors clustered before dawn. Breaks, paired quiet shifts and training timing follow. Purdue Global PS 200, Introduction to Cognitive Psychology, assigns this paper in the BS in Psychology course.

CoursePS200 Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
UnitUnit 9
Paper typeBrain and cognition paper
LengthAbout 540 words, 4 pages double-spaced
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolPurdue University Global
ProgramBS in Psychology
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for PS200 Unit 9

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Prefrontal Cortex, Hippocampus and the Four A.M. Slump: A PS200 Unit 9 Brain and Cognition Paper

[Student Name]

Purdue University Global

PS200: Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Unit 9 Brain and Cognition Paper

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

The call-taker and the shift details are composite; the studies cited are real.

What this part is doingLinking each region to a task and to a time of night in the lead shows the paper connects biology to work.
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The Prefrontal Cortex and Executive Control

Holding an address while typing a name, ignoring a flashing line while a caller speaks, and switching from a medical protocol to a fire protocol all depend on executive control: the ability to keep a goal in mind and direct attention toward it. Miller and Cohen (2001) proposed that the prefrontal cortex supports this by maintaining patterns of activity that represent goals and the rules for achieving them, and by sending signals that bias processing in other brain regions toward what the goal requires. In this view the prefrontal cortex does not do the hearing or the typing itself; it keeps the rest of the brain working on the right task.

That account fits the Unit 3 exercise. The central executive in Baddeley's model, which was overloaded when typing and remembering at once, corresponds closely to the functions Miller and Cohen attribute to prefrontal networks.

The Hippocampus and New Learning

Scoville and Milner (1957) reported on a patient, known for decades as H.M., whose hippocampus and surrounding structures were removed on both sides to treat severe epilepsy. From then on, new facts and events slipped away within minutes, although his memory for much of his earlier life, his intelligence and his ability to hold information briefly remained. The case showed that the hippocampus is essential for turning new experiences into lasting memories, and that short-term and long-term memory depend on different systems.

H.M. could hold a number for a minute but could not remember the person who had given it to him.

For call-taker training, the lesson is that learning a protocol depends on a system that consolidates memories over time, partly during sleep, which is one reason spaced practice works better than cramming.

What this part is doingConnecting the hippocampus to the spacing plan in Unit 5 shows the biology explains the earlier strategy.
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Networks, Not Switches

Neither region works alone. Attention, memory and language each depend on networks that link several regions, and damage to one node changes how the whole network functions. Goldstein (2019) cautions against describing a region as the center of a single function, and the evidence supports thinking about systems rather than spots.

Sleep Loss and the Night Shift

Call-takers on night shifts work against their biology. Lim and Dinges (2010) combined dozens of studies of short-term sleep deprivation and found that simple sustained attention, the ability to keep responding to a monotonous task, was the most strongly affected ability, while some complex reasoning was affected less. That pattern matches what supervisors report: errors in the early morning hours are rarely failures of judgment on complex calls and more often missed alerts and slow responses during quiet stretches.

Implications

Three practical steps follow. Schedule breaks during the hours when sustained attention is lowest, roughly three to five in the morning. Pair call-takers on quiet overnight stretches so alerts are less likely to go unseen. And avoid scheduling protocol training or exams immediately after night shifts, when both attention and memory consolidation are compromised.

What this part is doingTurning the sleep findings into scheduling steps shows the biology has a use at the console.
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References

Goldstein, E. B. (2019). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research, and everyday experience (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Lim, J., & Dinges, D. F. (2010). A meta-analysis of the impact of short-term sleep deprivation on cognitive variables. Psychological Bulletin, 136(3), 375-389. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018883

Miller, E. K., & Cohen, J. D. (2001). An integrative theory of prefrontal cortex function. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 24, 167-202. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.neuro.24.1.167

Scoville, W. B., & Milner, B. (1957). Loss of recent memory after bilateral hippocampal lesions. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 20(1), 11-21. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.20.1.11

PS200 Unit 9 instructions, in plain terms

In PS200's ninth unit, the paper commonly asks which brain regions support specific cognitive processes and what happens when they are impaired. Choose processes that matter in a real setting, so the biology has something to explain. For each, describe the region or network involved and the evidence for its role, such as a classic case or a review. Avoid treating regions as single-purpose switches; explain how networks work together. Include a factor that impairs the processes, such as fatigue, injury or stress, with research on its effects. Connect the biology to earlier units where you can. Close with practical implications. Cite primary sources and reviews in APA style, describing each case or study accurately and with appropriate caution.

Inside the PS200 Unit 9 example

The paper links the prefrontal cortex to holding an address and resisting a flashing line, explaining Miller and Cohen's idea of goal patterns that bias other regions, and ties it to the central executive from Unit 3. The hippocampus section describes H.M.'s surgery, lost ability to form new memories and preserved short-term memory, under a highlighted line about holding a number but not remembering its source, and connects consolidation to spaced practice. A short section on networks cites Goldstein's caution. Lim and Dinges's finding that simple sustained attention suffers most is matched to early-morning errors. Implications cover breaks between three and five, paired quiet shifts and avoiding training after night shifts.

PS200 Unit 9 rubric: what earns full points

Credit depends on accurate neuroscience applied to real cognition. Instructors look for regions described with the evidence for their roles, such as H.M. for the hippocampus, reported accurately and without exaggeration. Papers that describe networks rather than single centers show current understanding. Linking the biology to processes studied earlier in the course earns credit for integration. Including an impairing factor with research on its effects makes the paper applied rather than anatomical. Implications should follow from the evidence. Caution about what a single case can show is valued. Primary sources and reviews cited in APA style, with clear explanations a nonspecialist could follow, meet the standard for PS200.

PS200 Unit 9 help: mistakes that cost points

The most common slip assigns one function to one region, saying the hippocampus is memory or the frontal lobe is thinking. Another is an anatomy tour with no connection to cognition or to a setting. Students sometimes misreport H.M., claiming he lost all memory, when his older memories and short-term memory were largely spared. Sleep research is often cited loosely as tiredness makes people worse at everything, missing that some abilities suffer more than others. Implications tend to be generic advice about rest. Before submitting, check that each region is tied to a specific task, that each case or study is described accurately, and that your recommendations follow from which abilities the research says are most affected.

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Share the cognitive processes and the instructions with the rubric. A custom paper explains the regions and networks involved with research examples. It comes back within 24-48h, and the first is free. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.

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PS200 Unit 9 questions, answered

Which region supports working memory?

The prefrontal cortex plays a central role, working with other regions in networks.

What does the hippocampus do?

It is essential for forming new long-term memories.

Does one region do one thing?

No; most functions depend on networks of regions.

Where can I find a free PS200 Unit 9 sample paper?

This page holds the complete PS200 Unit 9 paper linking the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and sleep loss to a composite 911 call-taker's work.

Which ability does sleep loss hurt most in the PS200 Unit 9 sample?

Simple sustained attention, according to Lim and Dinges's meta-analysis, which fits errors clustered in the early morning hours.