Post-Mortem examinations

• Comparing the abnormalities compared to a control brain
• Used to understand neurological explanations for behaviour
• Broca’s area

  • Broca’s patient, Tan, could only say the word tan
  • found to have a lesion on area that’s responsible for speech production
• Strength - detailed examination of anatomical and neurochemical differences that are not possible with other methods
• Strength - deeper investigation into internal structures (hypothalamus and hippocampus)
• Strength - have played a central role in understanding the origins of schizophrenia through structural abnormalities and changes in neurotransmitter systems (Harrison et al 2000)
• Weakness - Problems with causality, as an abnormality on the brain may be from death, or another disease, and, how long the person has been dead for
• Weakness - unable to be followed up or replicated