Biological Approach-introduction

Question 1

State the 2 main assumptions of this approach

Answer 1

-All behaviour, cognitions and emotions are controlled by biological systems and processes such as evolution, genes, the nervous system and hormones

-similarités and differences between people can be understood in terms of biological factors and their interaction with other factors. This can be measured through brain activity (scans), eye movements and pulse rate

Question 2

What is grey matter, and what is inside it

Answer 2

Where information is processed and interpreted, and contains cell bodies

Question 3

What is white matter and what is inside it

Answer 3

Transmits information to other areas of the nervous system, and is made up of axons

Question 4

Name and label the six parts of the brain

Answer 4

-Frontal lobe
Parietal lobe
Temporal lobe
Occipital lobe
Cerebellum
Brain stem

Question 5

What is the role of the lymbic system

Answer 5

It processes and regulates emotion, memory and behavior

Question 6

Name the four parts of the lymbic system and their roles

Answer 6

Frontal cortex- motor skills, abstract thinking
Amygdala- fear and agressive response
Thalamus-regulates alertness, stores memories
Hippocampus-consolidates short term into long term memories

Question 7

How does FMRI work

Answer 7

Used to study brain
-When a certain part of the brain is more activated, more blood and oxygen goes there,
-so it can use magnetic fields to measure these changes in blood and oxygen

Question 8

How does EEG and ERP work

Answer 8

Attaches electrodes to the scalp, so can detect changes in electrical activity in brain cells

Question 9

Difference between EEG and ERP

Answer 9

EEG is used for general brain activity such as sleep, but ERP is used for specific activity, green when a stimulus is presented

Question 10

Give 2 strengths of using FMRI

Answer 10

-Dynamic, can measure changes as soon as they happen, eg when a person switches from thinking abt math equation to a childhood memory can quickly pick up the change in activity
-High spatial resolution,as it can discriminate between diff brain regions with great detail and accuracy

Question 11

2 limitations of using FMRI

Answer 11

-expensive, to buy and maintain compared to EEG, so often has to also use small sample sizes
-has low temporal resolution, so records less images per second compared to EEG

Question 12

3 strengths of using EEG/ERP

Answer 12

-dynamic, so can measures changes in brain activity as soon as they happen
-low cost, less expensive to buy and maintain than FMRI
-high temporal resolution,can take more images per second than FMRI

Question 13

1 limitations of using EEG/ERP

Answer 13

-low spatial resolution, can’t discriminate between diff regions of the brain with great detail and accuracy

Question 14

Give the 6 stages of synaptic transmission

Answer 14

-at rest it is negatively charged
-but when activated, becomes positively charged
-so an electrical impulse is sent to the axon terminal
-when is reaches the terminal, neurotransmitters which are chemical are released from vesicles
-these are taken up by receptors on the dendrite of the other neuron
-and it is now converted back into an electrical signal

Question 15

Name the two types of neurotransmitters and what this means

Answer 15

Excitatory, so they increase the likelihood of a neuron firing
Inhibitory eg serotonin, so they decrease the likelihood of a neuron firing

Question 16

Explain why in depression indivuals have less serotonin, and how this can be tackled

Answer 16

Because there are less neurotransmitters available to bind to receptors,
However SSRI can increase the number of these neurotransmitters, therefore more can bind to receptors

Question 17

Describe the general structure of the nervous system

Answer 17

The CNS, (brain and spinal chord) and the peripheral nervous system
Then in the peripheral nervous system there is the autonomic(controls unconscious activities), and the somatic (controls conscious activités)
Then in the autonomic, there is the parasympathetic(calming) and the sympathetic (arousing)

Question 18

Name the two types of systems in the autonomic nervous system and give a few symptoms of each

Answer 18

Parasympathetic (calming)
-increased digestion
_decreased heart rate
-low blood pressure

Sympathetic (arousing)
-decreased digestion
-increased heart rate
-increased blood pressure

Question 19

Name four glands in the endocrine system and their roles

Answer 19

-hypothalamus;
Produces and releases hormones which stimulate the release of pituary gland hormones
-pituatary gland;
Secretes hormones that contorl the functioning of other endocrine glands
-pineal gland;
Produces melatonin hormone which modulates sleep patterns
-adrenal gland
-regulates blood pressure and métabolisation of glucose

Question 20

Describe what type of study is used to explain the extent to which genetics influence behaviour

Answer 20

Twin studies which compare monozygotic and dizygotic twins together.
because concordance rates between monozygotic twins who share 100% of genetics and between dizygotic twins who share 50% of behvaiour can be examined to show effect of nature and nurture.

Question 21

Give a statistic for the concordance rate of schizophrenia in mozygtoic and in dyzgogic twins

Answer 21

Monozygotic have 48% concordance rate, but dizygotic have 17% concordance rate
(Which makes sense because mono share 100% of genetics but dizygotic share 50% of genetics)

Question 22

Give and explain the name of a study that shows the effect of genetics on depression

Answer 22

-Mcguffin Al (1996) found that there was a 46% chnace that if one twin had depression, so would the other, therefore there is a genetic component to illness

Question 23

Give and explain two points that argue for evolution being a cause of our behaviour

Answer 23

-Seligman (1971) argues, the need to survive has lead to certain behavioural adaptions such as phobias. Eg that the reason we are already prepared to fear certain things such as snakes or spiders is because in the past they would have harmed us.
-Darwins theory of natural selection suggest that our behaviour has adapted in order to survive. Eg that those with advantageous biological traits survive and pass their genes on whereas the ones without these die.

Question 24

2 strengths of the biological approach

Answer 24

-there is physiological evidence, eg brain scans can show evidence of human bevahiour such as agression, or how depression is linked to having low serotonin levels
-there has been success in treatments, eg effective drugs have been formed based from this approach such as how SSRI can reduce effects of depression by increasing serotonin levels

Question 25

Give 2 limitations of the biological approach

Answer 25

-deterministic, because it views behaviour as being entirely predetermined by genetics and the physical body and so ignores the concept of free will and the environment whilst doing so
-it is incomplete, because concordance rates are never 100%m and even if a trait is inherited, it is usually only expressed if exposed to a certain environment, as explained by the diathetis stress model which explain how although some indovulas are more prone to a genetic predisposition, it is the environment that will stimulate this