Scooby-Doo Brain Psychology Project

Thalamus

Thalamus

Relays sensory and motor signals. As well as regulates consciousness and alertness. Scooby can be somewhat slow at times and not always have the best memory. This might mean his Thalamus is impaired when it comes to needing full attention and speaking.

Hypothalamus

Hypothalamus

Keeps your body stable-regulation of body temperature, food intake, control of stress, emotional expression/aggression, sleep/waking, sexual arousal and memory. Scooby has an excessive need for his scooby snacks. This shows his needs for hunger and thirst. As well as his way of being extremely alert.

Amygdala

Amygdala

Regulates emotions such as fear and aggression. So it processes fearful and threatening stimuli. Scooby has a strong flight-or-fight response. As he always runs away from the slightest noise or something scary. His amygdala processes his fears and threatening stimuli.

Hippocampus

Hippocampus

Major role of learning and memory. Scooby has a close connection with Shaggy. As the both of them always resort to the same plans and get the same unwanted results. As Scooby doesn’t seem to store the memory of their plans, his hippocampus may be underdeveloped.

Cerebellum

Cerebellum

Helps coordinate and regulate a wide range of functions throughout your brain and body. Controls movement and balance-enables speech, judgment, thinking/reasoning, learning and some senses. Since Scooby is a dog but has more human-like characteristics. As he occasionally walks upright and has balance this can be due to his cerebellum.

Pituitary Gland

Pituitary Gland

Regulates growth, metabolism and reproduction through the hormones that it produces. Scooby’s Pituitary Gland made him grow to be a full size dog and his metabolism works to metabolize the scooby snacks he eats into the certain nutrients he needs.

Corpus Callosum

Corpus Callosum

Two hemispheres in the brain connected by nerve fibers. Ensuring both sides of the brain can communicate and send signals to each other. Scooby’s Corpus Callosum seems to be in good condition. As he doesn’t show any signs of memory impairments or a split brain.

Pons

Pons

Part of the brainstem (links brain to spinal cord). Handles unconscious processes and jobs such as sleep-wake cycle and breathing. Nerves control muscles and carry information from senses in your head and face. Part of the Brainstem (links brain to spinal cord). Handles unconscious processes and jobs such as sleep-wake cycle and breathing. Nerves control muscles and carry information from senses in your head and face. Scooby can unconsciously breathe without having to tell his body to. His Pons allows for this to happen for him.

Werkicke's Area

Wernicke's

Area

Make sure the language makes sense. Scooby has Wernicke's Area in perfect condition. He can’t always say understandable words, but he can understand what is said to him. Especially when it comes to his favorite treats--Scooby snacks.

Reticular Formation

Reticular Formation

Connects the Spinal Cord and Encephalon. Part of autonomic, motor, sensory, behavioral, cognitive and mood-related functions. Wakefulness/ability to focus and fight/flight response as well. Scooby involuntarily is able to have certain moods and behaviors happen while frightened. He also automatically knows when the body should and shouldn't be awake.

Medulla

Medulla

Key for nerve signals to and from your body. Helps control processes like your heartbeat, breathing and blood pressure. Scooby seems to be good with breathing and his heartbeat as his body always seems to regulate that for him to not force it. For example, when Scooby gets frightened his heartbeat and breathing may increase rapidly without him telling it to.

Frontal Lobe

Frontal

Lobe

Important for voluntary movement, expressive language and for managing levels of executive functions (cognitive skills). Scooby is 7 years old which makes him 41 years old in human life. So his Frontal Lobe should be developed as a human but as a dog it isn’t necessarily. This causes him to not always make the wisest decisions, not the best problem solving skills or thinking.

Parietal Lobe

Parietal

Lobe

Vital for sensory perceptions, including the management of taste, hearing, sight, touch and smell. Basically receives information from the outside world. Scooby always knows exactly where to run when he gets frightened. This is induced by his hearing, sight and smell.

Motor Cortex

Motor Cortex

Generates signals to direct the movement of the body (voluntary movements). Once Scooby got scared the first few times from a frightening sound then that ensured a direct movement to run every time. He learned to be scared quickly over time.

Sensory Cortex

Sensory Cortex

Responsible for receiving and processing sensory information from across the body (touch, temperature and pain). Gathered by the 5 senses. Scooby can sense many problems through his nose, sound and even touch from outside sources which will connect through his body to his Sensory Cortex in his brain. As well as his Sensory Cortex could help process any pain or high/low temperatures that happen for him.

Spinal Cord

Spinal Cord

Sends motor commands from the brain to the body, sends sensory information from the body to the brain and coordinates reflexes. Scooby’s spinal cord is able to send information from the brain to the body to tell him when and how to move. Such as if he senses fear then that goes to his brain and back through his body to make him run quickly or grab onto Shaggy.

Broca's Area

Broca's

Area

Key component of the speech network. Interacts with the sensory information from the Temporal Cortex for you to be able to speak and passes along the Motor Cortex allowing your mouth to move. As Scooby tends to try to speak from time to time by showing a lot of body language. The Broca’s Area involves the production of his speech and allows his mouth to actually move to show expression.

Occipital Lobe

Occipital

Lobe

Responsible for visual perception, including colors, forms and motions. Scooby has a way developed Occipital Lobe that allows him to see better than his partners, even in the dark.

Temporal Lobe

Temporal Lobe

Processing auditory information and the encoding of memory. Plays an important role in processing emotions and language. Scooby effortlessly has great hearing and recognizing of sounds around him. Having such a good Temporal Lobe allows him to be aware of who potentially bad guys are and remember certain parts of their presence.