Biological Approach

Question 1

What is the first main assumption of the biological approach?

Answer 1

Behaviour is influenced by the CNS, genes and neurochemistry.

Question 2

What is the second main assumption of the biological approach?

Answer 2

Behaviour is a product of evolution.

Question 3

Name a weakness of the biological approach.

Answer 3

The approach only focuses on the nature side and not how interactions with the environment/others affects us. This means the approach is reductionist.

Question 4

How can you compare the biological approach to other approaches?

Answer 4

Cognitive - they are both reductionist yet cognitive focuses on thoughts and biological focuses on what’s physical. They also both consider the idea that we are born a certain way.
Behaviourist - they both study scientifically. The behaviourist approach is nurture based (like the social approach).

Question 5

What can the nervous system be split into?

Answer 5

The Central Nervous System and the Peripheral Nervous System (CNS&PNS).

Question 6

What is the CNS made up of?

Answer 6

The brain and the spinal cord.

Question 7

What is the nervous systems two main functions?

Answer 7

It collects, processes and responds to information in the environment.
It coordinates the working of different organs and cells in the body.

Question 8

What is the spinal cord responsible for?

Answer 8

Reflex actions.

Question 9

What does the PNS break down to?

Answer 9

Autonomic nervous system (communicates with internal organs and glands).
Somatic nervous system (communicates with sense organs and voluntary muscles).

Question 10

What does the autonomic nervous system break down to?

Answer 10

The sympathetic division (arousing).
The parasympathetic division (calming).

Question 11

What does the somatic nervous system break down to?

Answer 11

Sensory nervous system (sensory input).
Motor nervous system (motor output).

Question 12

What does the term ‘neuroanatomy’ mean?

Answer 12

Brain structure.

Question 13

In what way do the two brain hemispheres differ?

Answer 13

By their functions. Their structure is almost identical.

Question 14

Note three differences between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Answer 14

The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and vice versa.
The left is more logical whereas the right is more creative.
The left is good for speech and vocabulary yet the right focuses on how things sound/are said.

Question 15

What part of the brain houses the limbic system?

Answer 15

The temporal lobe.

Question 16

What is the amygdala?

Answer 16

There are two in our brain (one on each side). These almond shaped parts of the brain can be linked to our automatic fear and anxiety responses and also aggression. It regulates behavioural and emotional responses. It activates the FFF response (without initiative).

Question 17

What happens if the amygdala is interfered with?

Answer 17

If the amygdala is interfered with, it can result to violent/aggressive behaviours. Yet, aggression can be reduced if the amygdala is small or non-existent due to destruction. The destruction can also lead to things from a lack of concern such is hyperorality, hypersexuality or disinhibited behaviour.

Question 18

What is the limbic system?

Answer 18

The set of structures in the brain that play a role in emotion.

Question 19

What is the thalamus?

Answer 19

We have two. This is the sensory relay station and it processes all sensory information, except for smell.

Question 20

What does the hippocampus do?

Answer 20

It helps convert short term memory into long term memory - important as memories trigger emotions and vice versa.

Question 21

What happens if the hippocampus gets destroyed?

Answer 21

You can’t gain new memories.

Question 22

What is the hypothalamus?

Answer 22

This makes up less than 1% of your brain. It regulates many functions and also regulates the autonomic nervous system and triggers the release of hormones into the bloodstream.

Question 23

What’s the difference between structural and functional plasticity?

Answer 23

Structural plasticity is when experiences or memories change a brain’s physical structure.
Functional plasticity is when brain functions move from a damaged area to an undamaged area.

Question 24

Describe the brain of an introvert.

Answer 24

Introverts tend to have a thicker prefrontal cortex. This is due to their deeper thought and planning. This means that they are more susceptible to anxiety and depression as well. In pre-historic times, introverts would’ve likely been safer due to staying where they’re safe.

Question 25

Describe the brain of an extrovert.

Answer 25

Extroverts are more impulsive and respond more strongly to rewards as the dopamine release is higher and is released when interacting with others. Extroverts’ brains react more strongly when looking at pictures of people rather than nature. In pre-historic times, extroverts would have been more likely to go out to search for food.

Question 26

What is fMRI?

Answer 26

FMRI works by detecting the changes in blood oxygenation and flow which occurs as a response to brain activity. This shows the areas of a brain that are involved in a certain mental process.

Question 27

What happens when a brain increases in activity?

Answer 27

When a brain increases in activity, it increases in oxygen.

Question 28

What is eye tracking?

Answer 28

Eye tracking measures where someone is looking, the time they’ve looked at that point, the movement of the eyes, pupil dilation and the frequency of blinks. Eye tracking can help provide information on what’s more relevant to gain attention as it’s related to patterns of visual fixations. Yet, it can be harder for some things to tell what someone likes as there’s a lot of information happening quickly.

Question 29

What’s facial coding?

Answer 29

Facial coding captures facial emotions through a webcam or smartphone camera. It relies on opt-in viewers to enable their device cameras to detect their facial expressions and capture second by second and frame by frame response which occurs anonymously. It analyses those emotions and associates those expressions with emotions which allows for a clear understanding of likes and dislikes.

Question 30

What are the strengths of neuromarketing techniques?

Answer 30

They can give a more accurate insight to consumer thoughts/behaviours than asking.
They can give a bigger picture of how and why people are interested in stimuli presented in ads.

Question 31

What are the weaknesses of neuromarketing techniques?

Answer 31

It can be considered unethical due to manipulating people unknowingly.
The equipment can be expensive and so can training people to use the equipment (as well as hard).

Question 32

What are genes?

Answer 32

These are characteristics that are passed down from parents. They can be physical, or not.

Question 33

What does the term ‘genotype’ mean?

Answer 33

Genotype refers to an individual’s genetic make-up. It’s what you inherit from your parents. This doesn’t determine your physical and non-physical characteristics directly because the genes we have are affected by our environment.

Question 34

What does the term ‘phenotype’ mean?

Answer 34

This is how a person’s genes are expressed. It’s an interaction of genotype and environmental influences.

Question 35

What started the correlation between the MAOA gene and aggression?

Answer 35

In 1978, a woman walked into a hospital in Netherlands. All the men in the family had a history of violent crimes. All the men with this history had the same genetic change in MAOA which knocked out the function of the gene.

Question 36

What study contributed further to the research of the MAOA gene?

Answer 36

Study in New Zealand - Dunedin study. Followed looking for connections in childhood to violence later in life. Lowers this activity also increases violence. Typically also had issues in childhood. Researches in Finland were intrigued working with prisoners. ⅔ had committed at least one violent crime. approx 15% committed at least 10. Those with 2 or more violent crimes typically had significantly low activity MAOA.

However, 6/10 people have low activity MAOA so we can’t say that everyone with low activity does commit these crimes.

Question 37

Who are more likely to commit crimes such as murder, assault and battery? Why?

Answer 37

Men. Testosterone can be related to aggression. Those with higher amounts of testosterone are linked with the tendency towards aggression and violence. Males are also more likely to be physically aggressive.

Question 38

What is oxytocin?

Answer 38

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide, short-chain polypeptide that’s a neurotransmitter. It’s released by the pituitary gland and binds to oxytocin receptors which can be found by cells in the brain and the rest of the body.

Question 39

What does oxytocin do?

Answer 39

It promotes generosity and trust, decreases fear and helps recover after bad social interactions. It’s also important in pair bonding. It increases mood and feelings of attachment and sexual arousal. It promotes bonding between people with shared characteristics. It’s also good in platonic relationships.

Question 40

What does adrenaline do?

Answer 40

Adrenaline is released when you experience stress. It’s released by the adrenal glands to prepare for FFF. It increases blood flow to muscles to increase strength, expand airways to receive and use more oxygen, increase blood sugar to provide immediate energy and dilate pupils to improve vision for faster responses. This hormone can lead to inappropriate/irrational behaviour.

Question 41

What does FFF mean?

Answer 41

Fight, flight, freeze response.

Question 42

What does cortisol do?

Answer 42

Cortisol increases glucose in the bloodstream and increases the availability of substances in the body that repair tissues. This also slows nonessential functions that wouldn’t be useful in a FFF situation. It suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes.

Question 43

What is natural selection?

Answer 43

Natural selection is the process where characteristics that make an individual more likely to reproduce, to pass on genes, become more prevalent in the population.

Question 44

What are the main assumptions that Darwin’s theory is based off?

Answer 44

Only a small proportion of each generation survive to reproduce.
Offspring are not identical to their parents and so each generation has a degree of variation and at least some of this is heritable.
Some characteristics give the animal an advantage over others in the ability to survive and reproduce.

Question 45

What is sexual selection?

Answer 45

Sexual selection is when some characteristics are maintained due to being what makes an individual attractive. This can be dangerous though.

Question 46

What does the SRY gene allow for, if there’s a fault?

Answer 46

A woman with XY chromosomes or a man with XX chromosomes.

Question 47

How may a woman have XY chromosomes?

Answer 47

If the SRY gene becomes ‘misplaced’ on an X chromosome.

Question 48

How may a man have XX chromosomes?

Answer 48

If the SRY gene has a fault with it.

Question 49

What does EEA stand for?

Answer 49

Environment of evolutionary adaptedness.

Question 50

What does Adaptive & EEA refer to?

Answer 50

The natural habitat or environment in which humans were originally adapted.

Question 51

What does evolutionary psychology argue?

Answer 51

That to properly understand the functions of the brain, we must understand the environment in which the brain evolved.

Question 52

What is meant by the term ‘genome lag’

Answer 52

The idea that it takes thousands of years for our evolutionary pressures to change the human genome and we therefore still have a ‘small group’ mentality because of it.

Question 53

What can ‘genome lag’ mean (regarding gender)?

Answer 53

That this is why some people still believe in the older gender roles.

Question 54

What is the main function of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 54

It helps with homeostasis?

Question 55

What is the difference between parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems?

Answer 55

Sympathetic - Prepares the body for FFF
Parasympathetic - Relaxes the body and returns it to it’s normal state.

Question 56

What does oestrogen do?

Answer 56

It contributes to cognitive health, bone health, the function of the cardiovascular system and other essential bodily processes. It’s also important in female sexual and reproductive health.

Question 57

What makes functional recovery more/less likely?

Answer 57

Age (younger is quicker).
Gender (Women are more likely).
Severity of incident.
Rehabilitative therapy (whether efforts are focused).

Question 58

What are the functions of the temporal lobe?

Answer 58

Processing hearing, language and emotion.

Question 59

What is Wernicke’s area in charge of?

Answer 59

Understanding speech and language. If people have damage to this area, they may struggle to comprehend what’s being said and following a conversation.

Question 60

What are the four areas of the brain?

Answer 60

Frontal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe and parietal lobe.