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Psychology unit 2 > Biological approach > Flashcards

Biological approach Flashcards

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1
Q

Define the biological approach

A
  • Concerned with how our physiology is involved in the control of our behaviour.
  • A combination on biology and psychology
  • D.O.Hebb - The Organisation of Behaviour
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2
Q

Key assumption 1

A

Functioning of neurotransmitters

  • neurotransmitters are chemicals that pass from one neuron to another neuron
  • messages are passed through neurotransmitters
  • Synapses is the gap between the neurons
  • For message to continue the receptors of one neuron must be set to receive the neurotransmitters from other
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3
Q

Key assumption 2

A

Hormonal transmission

  • messages are passed through hormones
  • send more slowly and used for different purposes
  • play big part in development as male/female
  • male: androgen - testosterone
  • female: oestrogen + progesterone
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4
Q

Key assumption 3

A

Genetic influence

  • how genes are passed on from parents to child
  • how they govern our behaviour
  • 23 (diploid) chromosomes from mum and dad = 46 total
  • human genome recently been decoded meaning that all genes are identified
  • doesn’t mean that the function is known for each gene
  • as the positron of genes that leads to certain characteristics rather than one specific gene
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5
Q

Brain lateralisation

A 
Left: linguistic
 - socialising/talking/forming social groups
females
Right: visuo-spatial
- mazes/hunting/maps/direction/driving
males
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6
Q

Female brain

A

Hemisphere: Left
Lateralised: Less
Bilateral: More
Corpus callosum: thicker

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7
Q

Male brain

A

Hemisphere: Right
Lateralised: More
Bilateral: less
Corpus callosum: thinner

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8
Q

CNS

A
  • brain + spinal cord
  • nerves send messages via spinal cord to brain
  • brain processes info/ send message to body via spinal cord
  • different areas of brain have different functions + e.g.
  • Neurons in brain pass along electrical impulses
  • Neurotransmitters are released+cross synaptic gaps to be picked by receptor sites
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9
Q

Neurotransmitters

A

Play a significant role in mental health

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10
Q

Neurotransmitter - acetylcholine

A

Acetylcholine: voluntary movement, learning, moving, sleep,
Much: depression
Little: in hippo-campus dementia

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11
Q

Neurotransmitter - dopamine

A

Dopamine: movement, attention,learning
Much: schizophrenia
Little: depression/muscular rigidity/tremors -Parkisons

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12
Q

Neurotransmitter - norepinephrine

A

Norepinephrine: eating, alertness
Much: schizophrenia
Little: depression

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13
Q

Neurotransmitter - epinephrine

A

Epinephrine: energy, glucose, metabolism
Little: depression

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14
Q

Neurotransmitter - serotin

A

Serotonin: mood,sleep,appetite,impulsive/aggressive behaviour
Little: depression + anxiety disorder OCD

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15
Q

Neurotransmitter - glutamate

A

Glutamate: active in areas of brain involved in learning,thought,emotion

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16
Q

Neurotransmitter - GABA

A

Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid: inhibits excitation + anxiety

Little: depression

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17
Q

Neurotransmitter - endorphins

A

Endorphins: pain, relief, pleasure

18
Q

Twin studies

A
  • MZ/DZ
  • Similar environments
  • differences = genes (nature)
  • MZ twins -separated at birth/traced for behavioural similarities - genes - rare
  • Natural experiment - nurture constant/ nature different
  • volunteer sampling - weakness
  • MZ twins - treated the same/look the same
  • MZ twins + same environment - weakness
19
Q

Adoption studies

A
  • similarities - child+ biological/adoptive parents
  • nature - bio parents
  • nurture- adoptive parents
  • ethical
  • adoptive agencies - similar to birth family
  • overestimate role of nature
  • longitudinal
20
Q

MRI scans

A
  • structural - damage/tumours
  • living brain
  • contrast medium (dye) shows body organs
  • scanner - strong magnetic field through head
  • concentrations of hydrogen vary in different areas of the brain
  • colours - dark colours(more activity - red/orange) light colours (less activity - blue green)
21
Q

PET scans

A
  • functional scan
  • injected with H2O or glucose
  • labelled with radioactive tracer substance
  • substance travels- picked by brain
  • energy
  • tracer decays - positrons
  • more energy used = more positrons emitted
  • positrons collide - gamma rays - amount of energy used in different brain areas
  • colours - more energy (darker/warmer - red/orange) less activity (lighter/ colder - blue/green)
22
Q

Gender deveopment

A
  • role of genes
  • role of hormones
  • brain lateralised
  • evaluate
23
Q

Gender development - females

A

Genes: XX
Hormones: oestrogen + progesterone
Lateralisation: less lateralised - more bilateralised/ left/linguistic/ thicker corpus callosum

24
Q

Gender development - males

A

Genes: XY
Hormones: androgens
Lateralisation: more lateralised - less bilateralised/ right/visuo-spatial/ thinner corpus callosum

25
Q

Gender devlopment - strengths

A
  • understanding of atypical profiles
  • GID- trapped in wrong body
  • scientific = credible
  • David Reimer
  • Pfeiffer (1936) - Rats
  • hormones are linked to gendered behaviour
  • reductionist
26
Q

Gender development- weaknesses

A
  • conflict with learning approach - nurture debate
  • Daphne Went - born males lives as female - nurture
  • Case studies - population validity
  • Animal research is NOT applicable to humans
27
Q

Raine et al: AIM

A

Aim:

  • murders who pleaded NGRI showed evidence of brain abnormalities.
  • did brain dysfunction predispose people to violent behaviour
28
Q

Raine et al: PROCEDURE

A
  • participants
  • control group
  • custody/ medication free
  • PET scan
  • NGRI compared with control in left/right hemisphere 14 areas in the brain
  • activity looked for in 6 cortical/ 8 sub cortical areas
29
Q

Raine et al: RESULTS

A
  • Less activity in pre-frontal + parietal lobes
  • More activity in occipital lobe
  • no difference in temporal lobe
  • less activity in corpus callosum
  • imbalance of activity between 2 hemispheres
  • amygdala + hippo-campus: NGRI less activity on left /more activity right
  • thalamus - more activity right / none in left
30
Q

Raine et al: CONCLUSION

A
  • difference in activity in amygadala - supports theories of violence suggesting unusual emotional response such as lack of fear
  • less activity in CC match those with severed CC - shown inappropriate emotional responses + inability to grasp LT implications of their actions
31
Q

Raine et al: STRENGTHS

A
  • Control
  • PET (living brain/objective/scientific/reliable)
  • Generalisable - largest sample size for PET scans
32
Q

Raine et al: WEAKNESSES

A
  • methodological - PET still be developed - caution
  • Validity of the task
  • Generalisability - can’t beyond murders pleading NGRI as no violent criminals in control group
33
Q

Dr Money

A
  • Bruce + Brian - 10 months - Bruce - nature male
  • TV programme - Dr J Money
  • Advice- Brenda - Nurture female
  • Money theory - nurture - gender neutral -
  • socialised - 2 years
  • 12 years - oestrogen given
  • Money’s finding
  • 15 years old - emotional + behavioural problems
  • truth told - Brenda -> David - nature male
  • 16 years / 22 years / mid 20’s
  • Brian - schizophrenia - 2002 overdose of drugs
  • David - depression / broken marriage - financial problems /committed suicide
34
Q

Dr Money - evaluation

A

high ecological validity - no manipulation of IV / tests effects of nature Vs nurture on gender devlopment

35
Q

Dr Money - evaluatoin

A

Generalisability - low - case study / ethics - sexual positions

36
Q

Animal experiments

A
  • Lab experiments - why used?
  • Quasi experiments
  • IV/DV
  • Control/experiment group
  • Hypotheses - H0 + H1
  • Directional (1 tailed) non directional (2 tailed)
  • Lab experiments - same as human ppts - cause+effect
  • Animals used when: IV invasive/unethical-maxim control/controlled/breed animals
37
Q

Animal exp - practical issues

A 
Strengths:
- demand characteristics 
- developmental issues
- control
- do things to animals 
Weaknesses:
- specieism
- complexity (generalisability)
- Anthropomorphism
- expensive + difficult - code of ethics
38
Q

Animal expt - ethics + animals

A
  • cost benefit analysis
  • legislation - animal act 1986/ endangered species
  • procedures - special license
  • choice of species
  • number of animals
  • housing and animal care
39
Q

Key issue

- Is autism an ‘extreme male brain’ condition?

A
  • developmental disorder
  • interact/build relationships
  • 3 to 4 years
  • present at birth
  • symptoms
  • 3/4 are males
  • Baron Cohen et al
  • Similarities: brain structure - extreme male brain
  • Mathematicians + scientists more likely on the ASD
  • Autistic spectrum
  • Asperger’s syndrome
40
Q

Key issue

- Explaination

A

Male brain: heavier / grows quicker/ smaller CC/ amygdala is larger
Female brain: lighter/ grow slower/thicker CC/ smaller amygdala
Autistic brain: even heavier/ rapid early growth/ even smaller CC/ larger amygdala

41
Q

Key issue

- male hormones affect development

A
  • x 3 more males than females
  • males - more exposure to male hormones produced by the testes/ low level of male hormone produced by adrenal glands in females - possibilities of male brain structure which would account for autistic females
42
Q

Key issue

- Autism may be genetic

A
  • Twins and concordance rates
  • MZ - 60 -> 90%
  • DZ - 5%

Psychology unit 2 (3 decks)

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