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Biological Approach Flashcards

1
Q

what is synaptic pruning?

A

when unused connections between neurons are naturally removed to refine brain function

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2
Q

what is parasympathetic division?

A

activates the rest & digest response to bring the body back to its normal resting state

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3
Q

what are the biological influences on introversion & extroversion?

A

genes inherited from parents determine the degree

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4
Q

what is the fight, flight and freeze response?

A

psychological response to a percieved threat, involving increased arousal & readiness for action

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5
Q

what is plasticity of the brain?

A

the brains ability to change and adapt throughout life as a result of experience

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6
Q

what is the biological approach?

A

genetics, hormones, evolution & brain structure

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7
Q

what is functional recovery?

A

healthy brain areas take over functions of damaged areas

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8
Q

what are genes?

A

strands of DNA that influence physical and phsychological influences

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9
Q

what are stress hormones?

A
  • regulate the body’s response to stress
  • adrenaline & cortisol
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10
Q

what is neurochemistry?

A
  • the activity of chemical substances in the nervous system that affect brain function
  • the messages sent around he brain & body via neurons & nurotransmitters
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11
Q

what is a genotype?

A

genetic make-up (DNA) inherited from parents

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12
Q

what is the visual area?

A

recieves information from the eyes and processes visual stimuli

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13
Q

what is the neuroanatomy?

A

the structure of the nervous system, including the brain & its different parts

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14
Q

what is sexual selection?

A

the process where certain characteristics increase an individual’s chances of reproducing

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15
Q

what are traits?

A

characteristics that make up personality

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16
Q

what is evolution?

A

gradual process of change in species driven by natural selection of adaptive traits

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17
Q

what is evolutionary psychology?

A

the study of how human behaiour and mental processes have changed over time

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18
Q

what is a phenotype?

A

how genes are expressed in their observable characteristics

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19
Q

what is serotonin?

A

the neurotransmitter linked to behaviours like sleep & depression

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20
Q

what is survival of the fittest?

A

organisms with characteristics that help them survive & reproduce pass on their genes

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21
Q

what is the autonomic nervous system?

A

collection of nerves that control survival functions and operate involuntarily

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22
Q

what is the mtor area?

A

controls voluntary movements of the opposite side of the body

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23
Q

what is the central nervous system?

A
  • brain & spinal cord
  • responsible for conscious awareness & coordinating the body’s functions
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24
Q

what are neurotransmitters?

A
  • chemicals that cross the synapse to allow communication between neurons
  • serotonin & dopamine
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25
what is lateralisation of brain function?
specialization of certain functions in one hemisphere of the brain
26
what is the SRY gene?
- gene on the Y chromosome - determines biological sex in typical development
27
what is introversion?
1. withdrawn 2. shy 3. dislike new sensations
28
what are hormones?
chemical messangers produced withn glands that affect cells with homone receptors
29
what is the nervous system?
complex network of cells that collect, process & respond to information in the environment
30
what is the somatosensory area?
processes information recieved from the opposite side of the body
31
what is the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA)?
the environment in which human evolution mostly took place
32
what is introversion?
withdrawn, shy, dislikes new experiences
33
what is extroversion?
outgoing, sociable, seeks new experiences
34
what is localisation of brain function?
the idea that different brain areas perform speciic functions
35
what is sympathetic division?
activates physiological arousal & prepares the body for fight or flight
36
how is survival of the fittest implicated in aggression?
aggressive behaviours demonstrate dominance, increases survival, more likely to mate & pass genes down
37
how is the limbic system implicated in aggression?
problems with functioning of amygdala, meaning incoming information is misinterpreted, leading to increaed aggression
38
how are seretonin levels implicated in aggression?
produces emotional instability & reduced self-control, leading to reduced control of impulsive behaviour like aggression
39
how are dopamine levels implicated in aggression?
motivates the use of aggression to gain victory, which is rewarding
40
how are testosterone levels implicated in aggression?
aggressive people have higher testosterone levels, leading to greater amygdala activity which leads to aggression
41
how are cortisol levels implicated in aggression?
cotrisol lowers aggressive responses, meaning that aggressive people have less cortisol
42
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
43
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
44
what is neuromarketing?
measures brain activity to measure people’s responses to brand products, brands and adverts
45
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
46
How is facial coding used?
- electrodes attached to people's faces to detect slight muscle movement - correlated with emotional expressions and feelings
47
How is eye tracking used?
- uses technology to track eye movement - helps identify features of the advert that are most appealing to viewers
48
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
49
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
50
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
51
what is the definition of gender?
- psychological, social and cultural differences between men and women - distinct from a person’s biological sex
52
what is the definition of sex?
- biological differences between men and women - eg. chromosomes, hormones, anatomy
53
what is gender fluidity?
having different gender identities at different times
54
what is gender dysphoria?
distress arising from a mismatch between a person’s sex assigned at birth and their gender identity
55
what is androgyny?
possessing both masculine and feminine traits
56
How does the biological approach view sex vs gender?
satate that sex and gender are the same thing
57
what is the role of testosterone in explaining gender?
- released during pregnancy and causes “maleness” - production of testes, secondary sexual characteristics, like voice deepening
58
what is the role of oestrogen in explaining gender?
- causes development of secondary sexual characteristics during puberty - causing the emotional effects associated with a female’s menstrual cycle
59
what is the role of oxytocin in explaining gender?
- found in both males and females but higher quantities in females - produced in large concentrations in a female during childbirth and breastfeeding, aids bonding
60
What is the chromosomal pattern for females?
XX
61
What is the chromosomal pattern for males?
XY
62
What gene is located on the Y chromosome?
SRY gene
63
what is the role of the SRY gene?
responsible for the production of testes and testosterone
64
what is the dominant male theory?
- most dominant males mated the most often - masculine-typical traits were useful in competition with other males for mating partnerships
65
what is the division of labour theory?
ancestor men and women adopted roles to ensure reproductive success -men = hunters - women = care-givers
66
What research support is there for the role of hormones in gender?
- 84 undergraduate females answered quesions to test femininity levels - femininity correlated with low testosterone levels - validity of biological approachincreases
67
Why can the biological approach not account for the differences across cultures?
- Ashcraft and Belgrave (2005) African American girls identify with masculine typical roles - points towards social context which social learning theory better explains - gender better explained by both biological and cultural factor
68
Why is it an issue that the biological approach has a binary perspective of gender?
- third gender seen in some cultures- Fa'afafine, biologically male but adopt femalegender roles - biological approach cannot explain approch to gender nor any form of gender fluidity

AP Approaches (4 decks)

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