Biological (core) Flashcards
Maguire 2000
Aim: To test spatial memory in London taxi drivers in comparison to regular individuals
Procedure:
- 16 Taxi drivers, 50 male participants with same characteristics but not taxi drivers.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
Results: Increase in grey matter from anterior to posterior hippocampus (related to spatial memory)
Conclusion: Grey matter redistribution occurs due to neuroplasticity depending on the adaptation required by the person.
Fisher, Aron and Brown
Aim: To see if dopamine (excitatory neurotransmitter) has any relation with romantic love.
Procedure:
- 10 men and 7 women participants. In love aprox 7 months.
- fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) –> measures blood flow in the brain.
- showed pic of loved one, filler activity (count backwards), showed pic of aquintance, filler activity. Repeated 6 times.
Results: Dopamine path lights up when pic of loved one appears. Similar to addiction use.
Conclusion: Dopamine plays a role on romantic relationships.
Kuhn et al
Aim: To test changes in the brain due to videogaming.
Procedure:
- 150 participants.
- One experimental group, one controlled group.
- Experimental group: Played super mario 64 for 2 months 30 mins every week.
- MRI before and after playing videogames.
Results: Increased grey matter in hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and cerebellum.
Conclusion: Video games changes spatial memory (increases it).
Giedd et al
Aim: To test child and teenage brain development.
Procedure: 161 participants
- MRI every 2 years from 6-20 years old (longitudinal study).
- Also tested neuropsychological tests.
Results: White matter neurons develop linearly, meaning they develop at the same time in every brain region. Grey matter neurons however develop at different times. They grow exponentially at first and decrease due to neural pruning.
In the frontal cortex, they peak at 11.5 years old
In the temporal cortex they peak at 16.5 years.
Conclusion: Brain regions develop at different times and zones.
Crockett et al
Aim: To see if serotonin has a role in prosocial behavior.
Procedure: 30 participants.
- Experimental group given citalopram (serotonin)
- Controlled group given placebo.
- Exposed to different moral dilemmas “would you push 1 person to save 5?”
Results:
- People in experimental group were less likely to push the person, didn’t want to get involved/do any danger.
Conclusion: Serotonin increase prosocial behavior.
Lashley
Aim: To test brain localization in rats brains.
Procedure: Rats as participants
- Teached rats how to get through a maze.
- Removed parts of the rats brain (25%, 50%) to pinpoint where spatial memory is located.
Results: The rats were able to adapt and run through the maze despite having taken a brain region out.
Conclusion: Disproves localization and proves neuroplasticity.
De Dreu et al
Aim: To see if oxytocin promotes ethnocentrism (thinking ingroup is superior)
Oxytocin: Hormone.
Procedure: Indigenous dutch males.
- Experimental group given oxytocin, controlled given placebo.
- trolley problem with traditional dutch names and foreign names “Would you run over Daphne to save Ahmed?”
Results:
- Oxytocin promoted ethnocentrism as dutch males were less likely to push the dutch person name than the foreigner.
Conclusion: Oxytocin could promote ethnocentrism or outgroup derogation.
Cutler, Friedman and McCoy
Aim: To see if pheromones increase male sexual behavior.
Procedure:
- 38 male participants, shaved regularly, neither handsome nor ugly.
- Had to fill behavioral calendar before and after their aftershave lotion was filled with pheromones.
Behavioral calendar:
1. Formal dates
2. Informal dates
3. Sex
4. Sleeping next to a romantic partner
5. Kissing/petting.
6. Masturbation.
Results: Everything increased in pheromone group but informal dates and masturbation.
Conclusion: Pheromones might have an impact in perceived attraction to men.
McCoy and Pitino
Aim: To test if pheromones play a role in female sexual behavior.
Procedure: 36 female participants.
- had to fill behavioral calendar after and before their perfumes were filled with either pheromones or a placebo.
behavioral calendar:
1. Petting/kissing
2. Sex
3. Sleeping next to a romantic partner
4. Informal dates
5. Formal dates
6. Masturbation
7. Male approaches.
Results: Everything increases except for formal dates and masturbation.
Conclusion: Pheromones increase sexual attractiveness in women.
Kaminsky et al
Aim: To explore behavioral epigenetics related to personality traits in monozygotic twins.
Procedure: One set of twins.
- Law vs War twin. Law twin settled down, two children but had anxiety. War twin no anxiety but was a war journalist.
- Blood test and personality reports.
Results: Law twin had the DLX1 gene more present than war twin, related to stress.
Conclusion: Genes play a role in differences in monozygotic twins epigenetically.
Weaver et al
Aim: to test behavioral epigenetics related to responses to stress in rats.
Procedure: rats had either been nurtured by mother (licked and pet) or not.
- Placed rats in a narrow tube to test their stress levels.
Results: rats that had been nurtured responded good to stress, made it out of the tube. Rats that hadn’t been nurtured, adrenal gland lit up, gland related to stress.
Conclusion: Environment affects genetics.
Gottesman and Goldsmith
Aim: To test concordance rates in juvenile delinquency in adult criminal conviction in monozygotic twins compared to dizygotic twins.
Procedure: 85 sets of twins studied. –> seen concordance rates.
Results: 91% monozygotic twins would go to jail if their twin had gone to jail
73% dizygotic twins would go to jail if their twin had gone to jail.
Conclusion: genetics might be a factor affecting behavior. Environmental factors wouldn’t be considered as both twins had the same environmental nurturing
Curtis, Auger and Rabbie
Aim: To see if disgust is a product of evolution from mothers to protect their offspring.
Procedure: 77000 responses from BBC science website.
- 165 different countries.
- Shown photos. 7 had disease salient stimuli, 14 had normal liquids.
- Had to rate them from most to least disgusting.
- Had to rate them from 1-7 how disgusting they thought they were.
Results: Disease salient was more disgusting to everyone but women rated the disease salient liquids more disgusting than men –> this is due to them having to protect their unborn offsprings (evolution).
Conclusion: Disgust is a product of evolution.
Fessler et al
Aim: To see if disgust helps to compensate weak immune system during pregnancy.
Procedure: 496 healthy pregnant women between ages 18-50 tested.
- Rank 32 disgusting situations related to food.
Results: 1st trimester women ranked situations higher in disgust. –> first trimester more vulnerable = protect offsprings
