2.1 Biological Psychology

Question 1

Cognitive Psychologists

Answer 1

Rely on functionalist insights in discussing how affect, or emotion, and environment or events interact and result in specific perceptions.

Question 2

Biological Psychologists

Answer 2

Study human brain in terms of specialized parts, or systems, and their exquisitely complex relationships.

Emerged in 18th and 19th centuries.

Interested in measuring biological, physiological, or genetic variables in an attempt to relate them to psychological or behavioural variables.

Question 3

Subfields of biological psychology

Answer 3

• Behavioral Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• neuropsychology

Question 4

Visual Attention

Answer 4

Brain’s ability to selectively filter unattended or unwanted information from reaching awareness.

Question 5

Somatic nervous system

Answer 5

Controls actions of skeletal muscles.

Part of peripheral nervous system.

Question 6

Autonomic Nervous system

Answer 6

Regulates automatic processes such as heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.

Has two parts:

• Sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight)
• parasympathetic nervous system (bring body back to normal state fr fight/flight response.

Question 7

4 lobes of Brain

Answer 7

• Frontal; motor cortex, motor skills, higher level cognition, expressive landuage
• occipital; visual cortex, interprets visual stimuli
• Parietal; somatosensory cortex, processes pressure, touch & pain
• Temporal; auditory cortex, interprets sounds we hear

Question 8

Functionalism

Answer 8

Brain is believed to be evolved for purpose of better survival by acting as an information processor (complex adaptive system)

Studying the PURPOSE of conscious thoughts, the FUNCTIONS of behaviour.

Question 9

Structuralism- to Functionalism- to Behaviourism

Answer 9

Structuralism relied on introspection and the study of conscious experience. As it couldn’t be studied with controlled experimentation, Functionalism led to greater concern about functions of the mind, and later to behaviourism.

Question 10

Biological Psychology is…

Answer 10

Reductionist

• to explain complex behaviour you need to reduce to simplest components (ie: anatomy or activity of neural circuits, neurochemicals)
• allows study of cause n effect
• often use non-human or neuroimaging

Question 11

Pros of bio psychological approach

Answer 11

Communication fr human

• studying human brain n behaviour
• low maintenance
• cost effective

Question 12

Cons of bio psychological approach

Answer 12

Ethics

• non invasive (less information, informed consent)
• attrition
• uncontrolled lifestyle
• disease transmission (covid)

Question 13

Multiple regression

Answer 13

Statistical technique based on correlation coefficients among variables, that allow predicting a single outcome variable from more than one predictor variable.

Question 14

Analogous traits

Answer 14

Result from convergent evolution. Similar solutions to same environmental problems (ie-social behaviour)

Question 15

Homologous traits

Answer 15

From same origin. Shared similarities between different but related species.

Question 16

Brain size vs intelligence

Answer 16

Cerebrum size to brain stem is best prediction of intelligence.

Gyrification is more brain folds to increase capacity.