Biological approach Flashcards
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
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
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
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
5
Q
Brain lateralisation
A
Left: linguistic - socialising/talking/forming social groups females Right: visuo-spatial - mazes/hunting/maps/direction/driving males
6
Q
Female brain
A
Hemisphere: Left
Lateralised: Less
Bilateral: More
Corpus callosum: thicker
7
Q
Male brain
A
Hemisphere: Right
Lateralised: More
Bilateral: less
Corpus callosum: thinner
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
9
Q
Neurotransmitters
A
Play a significant role in mental health
10
Q
Neurotransmitter - acetylcholine
A
Acetylcholine: voluntary movement, learning, moving, sleep,
Much: depression
Little: in hippo-campus dementia
11
Q
Neurotransmitter - dopamine
A
Dopamine: movement, attention,learning
Much: schizophrenia
Little: depression/muscular rigidity/tremors -Parkisons
12
Q
Neurotransmitter - norepinephrine
A
Norepinephrine: eating, alertness
Much: schizophrenia
Little: depression
13
Q
Neurotransmitter - epinephrine
A
Epinephrine: energy, glucose, metabolism
Little: depression
14
Q
Neurotransmitter - serotin
A
Serotonin: mood,sleep,appetite,impulsive/aggressive behaviour
Little: depression + anxiety disorder OCD
15
Q
Neurotransmitter - glutamate
A
Glutamate: active in areas of brain involved in learning,thought,emotion
16
Q
Neurotransmitter - GABA
A
Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid: inhibits excitation + anxiety
Little: depression
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
Gender devlopment - strengths
- understanding of atypical profiles
- GID- trapped in wrong body
- scientific = credible
- David Reimer
- Pfeiffer (1936) - Rats
- hormones are linked to gendered behaviour
- reductionist
26
Gender development- weaknesses
- 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
Raine et al: AIM
Aim:
- murders who pleaded NGRI showed evidence of brain abnormalities.
- did brain dysfunction predispose people to violent behaviour
28
Raine et al: PROCEDURE
- 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
Raine et al: RESULTS
- 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
Raine et al: CONCLUSION
- 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
Raine et al: STRENGTHS
- Control
- PET (living brain/objective/scientific/reliable)
- Generalisable - largest sample size for PET scans
32
Raine et al: WEAKNESSES
- 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
Dr Money
- 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
Dr Money - evaluation
high ecological validity - no manipulation of IV / tests effects of nature Vs nurture on gender devlopment
35
Dr Money - evaluatoin
Generalisability - low - case study / ethics - sexual positions
36
Animal experiments
- 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
Animal exp - practical issues
```
Strengths:
- demand characteristics
- developmental issues
- control
- do things to animals
Weaknesses:
- specieism
- complexity (generalisability)
- Anthropomorphism
- expensive + difficult - code of ethics
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38
Animal expt - ethics + animals
- cost benefit analysis
- legislation - animal act 1986/ endangered species
- procedures - special license
- choice of species
- number of animals
- housing and animal care
39
Key issue
| - Is autism an 'extreme male brain' condition?
- 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
Key issue
| - Explaination
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
Key issue
| - male hormones affect development
- 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
Key issue
| - Autism may be genetic
- Twins and concordance rates
- MZ - 60 -> 90%
- DZ - 5%
