Biological

Question 1

explain the process of synaptic transmission

Answer 1

action potential reaches the terminal button

vesicles release neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft

neurotransmitter binds to the receptors on the post synaptic neuron

neurotransmitters that don’t attach enter the presynaptic neuron via reuptake channels

Question 2

evaluate evolution as an explanation of human behaviour

Answer 2

S. gender differences. males who are aggressive are more likely to be naturally selected because they make better hunters. supported by mason + wrangham

O. correlation. impossible to directly test evolution. can’t draw cause and effect conclusions because variables just measured not manipulated

D. hormones

A. Buss- males preferred younger, more attractive, chaste women. females preferred ambitious, wealthier men

Question 3

explain Freuds psychodynamic theory

Answer 3

id- driven by the pleasure principle. primitive demand immediate gratification

ego- reality check that balances the conflicting demands of the id and super ego. logical and rational. Satisfies urges of id indirectly (fantasising about violence)

super ego- moralistic part of personality that represents the ideal self/ how we ought to be. guilt and shame

Question 4

evaluate Freuds psychodynamic theory as an explanation of aggression

Answer 4

S. hot blooded and cold blooded aggression. hot- impulsive and angry caused by id, failure of egos normal function of reducing id’s agressive impulses. cold- deliberate and rational- outcome of egos successful control of id impulses

O. bushman- made college students angry by getting a confederate to criticise an essay each had written. one group was allowed to vent anger. these students blasted the confederate with the loudest and longest noises compared to control group

D. evolutionary theory

A. catharsis used in therapy- bringing unconscious and forgotten memories into the conscious mind

Question 5

evaluate hormones as an explanation for aggression

Answer 5

S. dabbs- measured testosterone levels in female inmates. degree of violence was positively corrlelated with testosterone level. seen as ‘tough’ by other inmates

O. testosterone fluctuates from one encounter to another. baseline measure is used in many studies but everyone has a different baseline. lacks validity

D. evolutionary explination of aggression

A. development of drugs. depo-provera (testosterone lowering drug) reduced levels of sexually aggressive behaviour in some offenders

Question 6

Raine’s findings

Answer 6

lower levels in left side of amygdala

higher in right side of amygdala

lower activity in prefrontal cortex

Question 7

Raine’s procedure

Answer 7

41 NGRI’s, 41 controls matched for age, sex and ethnicity

ppts injected with radioactive tracer

completed tasks- identifying targets on a screen and pressing a button

Pet scan conducted immediately after 32 minute period

scan took 10 images at 10 millimetre intervals

Question 8

raine evaluation

Answer 8

+ validity- matched on age, gender, ethnicity

+ reliability- standardised procedure

• validity- canthomeatal line
• ethics- uneccesary medical procedure for controls- exposed to radiation

Question 9

brendegen procedure

Answer 9

• 234 pairs of twins from the quebec newborn twin study at age 6
• teacher ratings- rated children’s aggression on a 3 point scale (never, sometimes, often) in response to statements such as ‘hits, kicks or bites others’
• peer ratings- children circled 3 classmates faces in a booklet that best matched the description’s e.g.’ tells mean secrets about another child’

Question 10

brendegen findings

Answer 10

20-23% of social agression was explained by genetic factors

physical agression was mostly explained by heritable factors

statistical tests showed high physical agression led to high social agression

Question 11

evaluate brendegens study

Answer 11

+ interventions to reduce aggression. future studies could identify the factors that block the path from physical to social agression

+ standadised procedure- peer ratings- children all given same booket of classmates faces, all given the same point to mark againsed, all told to circle 3

• ethics- getting children to vote which child in their class most likely to tell mean secrets may break up friendships/ lead to bullying and cause the children to be treated differently after the study.
• validity- teachers used their memories of the twins in order to rate them on a scale. This makes the results susceptible to error because memory is unreliable.

Question 12

how does cocain affect the synapses

Answer 12

blocks the reuptake of dopamine by binding to dopamine transporter moelcules on the pre synaptic neuron

the synaps is flooded with surplus quantaties of dopamine all available for binding with post synaptic receptors

this causes a euphoric high

Question 13

what are the effects of repeated cocain use

Answer 13

dopamine receptors become downgraded so fewer receptors are activated (some are damaged and some shut down)

quantities of dopamine produced declines
causing higher doses needed to get the same effect

Question 14

the effect of heroin on synapses

Answer 14

injected and converted into morphine

morphine binds with a specific oplid receptor at the synaps

endorphins are produced as natural pain killers

Question 15

what are the long term effects of heroin

Answer 15

Downregulation

Overtime oploid receptors are constantly binding with morphine which desensitizes them to the effect of the drug

Question 16

what does the temporal lobe do

Answer 16

auditory processing

encodes memory

Question 17

what does the frontal lobe do

Answer 17

High level cognitive functioning

problem solving

Question 18

parietal lobe

Answer 18

• touch

- body position

Question 19

occipital lobe

Answer 19

visual processing

Question 20

what does the cerebellum do

Answer 20

Coordinate balance and coordination

Question 21

what does the hypothalamus do

Answer 21

controls motivational behavior e.g. sex and hunger

maintains body temp

Question 22

what is the hippocampus responsible for

Answer 22

memory and learning

Question 23

2 positives and 2 negative adoption studies

Answer 23

+ Establishes that twin studies over-estimate the
influence of genetic factors

+ minimizes confounding variables as control the environment

• generalisability- use adopted children, usually separated from parents due to traumatic events so not representative of other children
• selective placement- children placed into familys similar to biological parent, similarities to biological parents may be due to environment

Question 24

heston ao3

Answer 24

matched design- minimised participant variables that could have affected the internal validity of the results.

Secondary data such as the hospital records, were collected which could be more subjective than primary data.

inter-rater reliability- used multiple data sources in his study.

The psychiatric status of each participant’s father was not checked which may have been a contributing factor to schizophrenia

Question 25

heston ao1

Answer 25

58 participants matched with a control group on sex, type of eventual placement and length of time in care.

Data on each participant’s psychiatric status was gathered via psychiatric hospital records, school records and police records.

Three psychiatrists, including Heston evaluated the data collected on each participant in order to confirm a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

The psychiatric status of each participant’s father’s was not checked but none were known to be hospital patients