Biological Approach Flashcards
what is synaptic pruning?
when unused connections between neurons are naturally removed to refine brain function
what is parasympathetic division?
activates the rest & digest response to bring the body back to its normal resting state
what are the biological influences on introversion & extroversion?
genes inherited from parents determine the degree
what is the fight, flight and freeze response?
psychological response to a percieved threat, involving increased arousal & readiness for action
what is plasticity of the brain?
the brains ability to change and adapt throughout life as a result of experience
what is the biological approach?
genetics, hormones, evolution & brain structure
what is functional recovery?
healthy brain areas take over functions of damaged areas
what are genes?
strands of DNA that influence physical and phsychological influences
what are stress hormones?
- regulate the body’s response to stress
- adrenaline & cortisol
what is neurochemistry?
- the activity of chemical substances in the nervous system that affect brain function
- the messages sent around he brain & body via neurons & nurotransmitters
what is a genotype?
genetic make-up (DNA) inherited from parents
what is the visual area?
recieves information from the eyes and processes visual stimuli
what is the neuroanatomy?
the structure of the nervous system, including the brain & its different parts
what is sexual selection?
the process where certain characteristics increase an individual’s chances of reproducing
what are traits?
characteristics that make up personality
what is evolution?
gradual process of change in species driven by natural selection of adaptive traits
what is evolutionary psychology?
the study of how human behaiour and mental processes have changed over time
what is a phenotype?
how genes are expressed in their observable characteristics
what is serotonin?
the neurotransmitter linked to behaviours like sleep & depression
what is survival of the fittest?
organisms with characteristics that help them survive & reproduce pass on their genes
what is the autonomic nervous system?
collection of nerves that control survival functions and operate involuntarily
what is the mtor area?
controls voluntary movements of the opposite side of the body
what is the central nervous system?
- brain & spinal cord
- responsible for conscious awareness & coordinating the body’s functions
what are neurotransmitters?
- chemicals that cross the synapse to allow communication between neurons
- serotonin & dopamine
what is lateralisation of brain function?
specialization of certain functions in one hemisphere of the brain
what is the SRY gene?
- gene on the Y chromosome
- determines biological sex in typical development
what is introversion?
- withdrawn
- shy
- dislike new sensations
what are hormones?
chemical messangers produced withn glands that affect cells with homone receptors
what is the nervous system?
complex network of cells that collect, process & respond to information in the environment
what is the somatosensory area?
processes information recieved from the opposite side of the body
what is the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA)?
the environment in which human evolution mostly took place
what is introversion?
withdrawn, shy, dislikes new experiences
what is extroversion?
outgoing, sociable, seeks new experiences
what is localisation of brain function?
the idea that different brain areas perform speciic functions
what is sympathetic division?
activates physiological arousal & prepares the body for fight or flight
how is survival of the fittest implicated in aggression?
aggressive behaviours demonstrate dominance, increases survival, more likely to mate & pass genes down
how is the limbic system implicated in aggression?
problems with functioning of amygdala, meaning incoming information is misinterpreted, leading to increaed aggression
how are seretonin levels implicated in aggression?
produces emotional instability & reduced self-control, leading to reduced control of impulsive behaviour like aggression
how are dopamine levels implicated in aggression?
motivates the use of aggression to gain victory, which is rewarding
how are testosterone levels implicated in aggression?
aggressive people have higher testosterone levels, leading to greater amygdala activity which leads to aggression
how are cortisol levels implicated in aggression?
cotrisol lowers aggressive responses, meaning that aggressive people have less cortisol
what is a strength of biological factors to aggression?
- real world benefitd
- factors put into place for predisposed aggressive individuals
- lead to lower levels of aggression in society
what is a weakness of biological factors to aggression?
- many causes of aggression
- complex emotion influenced by others around you or via learning
- biological approach doesnt fully explain aggression
what is neuromarketing?
measures brain activity to measure people’s responses to brand products, brands and adverts
How is fMRI used?
- measures the flow of oxygen to areas of the brain
- see what areas of the brain are active at different times of the study
How is facial coding used?
- electrodes attached to people’s faces to detect slight muscle movement
- correlated with emotional expressions and feelings
How is eye tracking used?
- uses technology to track eye movement
- helps identify features of the advert that are most appealing to viewers
what is a strength of neuromarketing?
- can be used instead of self reports like questionnaires
- people are not aware of their responses and so could be seen as more honest
- reveal useful information about consumer behaviour
what is an accuracy weakness of neuromarketing?
- doesn’t predict consumer behaviour well
- focus groups were more accurate in predicting an adverts success
- methods that do not rely on technology may be better
what is an ethical weakness of neuromarketing?
- raise ethical concern
- neuromarketing can be used to manipulate people and they are not aware of this
- neuromarketing needs to be regulated by law
