Biological Essay Plans

Question 1

Evaluate biological theory of aggression

Frontal lobe :

Answer 1

AO1
Frontal lobe has been implicated in levels of aggression. It is involved in intellectual activities like planning and organising.

A03
Accident of Phineas Gage who had iron rod struck thru his head and became aggressive. Unrecognisable to friends /family.

Question 2

Evaluate biological theory of aggression

Amygdala:

Answer 2

AO1
Amygdala is also responsible for aggression. It is responsible for memory and decision making.

AO3
Wong(1997) went to hospital full of criminals and did MRI scans to 19 criminals. Noticed there amygdalas were smaller compared to a control.

Question 3

Evaluate biological theory of aggression

Corpus Callosum:

Answer 3

AO1
Role is to connect left and right hemispheres. Responsible for long term planning. Damage leads to aggressive behaviour

AO3
Raine(1997) mri scan on murderers and found not much activity in corpus callosum.

Question 4

Evaluate biological theory of aggression

Testosterone:

Answer 4

AO1
Released by testes and is linked with aggression. Released by endocrine gland cause response in target organ.

AO3
Wagner(1979) castrated mice which meant no testosterone could be produced. Noticed there aggression levels dropped. Injected with testosterone and aggression increased

Question 5

Evaluate hormones as a cause of aggression.

Testosterone

Answer 5

AO1
Testosterone hormone released by testes

AO3

Wagner(1979) castrated mice which meant no testosterone could be produced. Noticed there aggression levels dropped. Injected with testosterone and aggression increased

Question 6

Evaluate hormones as a cause of aggression.

Cortisol

Answer 6

AO1
Hormone produced in adrenal glands and inhibits aggression.

AO3
Virkunken found low levels of cortisol in prisoners.

Question 7

Evaluate hormones as a cause of aggression.

Pre natal exposure:

Answer 7

A01:
Pre natal linked to aggression

AO3:
Von Sal aggression was high in female rats who were next to male rats in the uterus

Question 8

Evaluate the psychodynamic theory of aggression

Intro:

Answer 8

Argues aggression is unconscious drive caused by Thanatos in our psyche which consists of ego superego and id.

Question 9

Evaluate the psychodynamic theory of aggression

Catharsis against:

Answer 9

AO1
Id expresses aggression but superego channels aggression to achieve catharsis

AO3
Bushman (2002) criticised students work. Half students channeled anger using punching bag. Other half didn’t. Both groups allowed to blast noise at confederate but punching bag group did longest.

Question 10

Evaluate the psychodynamic theory of aggression

Unquantifiable measureables

Answer 10

AO1
Theory based on unquantifiable measurable as such as unconscious mind where Id and superego is so it’s a weakness.

Ao3
Psychologists prefer to use biological theory as amygdala exists and there is evidence.

Question 11

Evaluate the psychodynamic theory of aggression

Case studies

Answer 11

Ao1
Theory is only supported by ideographic case studies eg little hans and Oedipus complex.

Ao3
Not generalisable to others as unique human experiences

Question 12

Evaluate the psychodynamic theory of aggression

Catharsis support

Answer 12

Ao1
Catharsis is channeling aggression to socially acceptable behaviour.

Ao3
Pornography is cathartic for men as it redirects aggression away from sexual violence.

Question 13

Evaluate Raines 1997 study

Intro

Answer 13

Aimed to see if difference in brain structure of people who have committed murder but ngri and non murderers.

Question 14

Evaluate Raines 1997 study

Generalisability

Answer 14

Ao3
Generalisability is a weakness

Ao1
Study used 82 pps from California consisted of 6 schizophrenia, 23 brain damage. Suffers from cultural bias.

Question 15

Evaluate Raines 1997 study

Reliability

Answer 15

Ao3
A strength of the study is reliability

Ao1
Raine made participants do a CPT for 32 mins which made sure all participants were in the same state of mind before pet scan was carried out. Therefore is scientifically credible as he has removed confounding variables

Question 16

Evaluate Raines 1997 study

Ethics

Answer 16

Ao3
A weakness is ethics

Ao1
82 participants were not allowed to take medication for 2 weeks prior to the pet scan. Unethical as 6 participants had schizophrenic and 6 with a history of drug abuse.

Question 17

Evaluate Raines 1997 study

Reliability (lab)

Answer 17

Ao3
Strength is reliability

Ao1
Preformed in a lab so a controlled environment so easily replicable. Raine noted every detsik of the study.

Question 18

Evaluate Brengden 2005 study.

Intro

Answer 18

Aimed to see if aggression is related to genetics or social situation by comparing mz and dz twins. Mz split from same egg after conception and share 100% genes. Dz twins develop from separate eggs at the same time share up to 50% genes.

Question 19

Evaluate Brengden 2005 study

Reliability

Answer 19

Ao3
Strength is reliability

Ao1
Used standardised procedure throughout . Teachers given same questionnaire and rated children using same point scale. Same statements - ‘gets into fights’ to rate physical aggression. ‘Spreads rumours’ to rate social aggression.

Question 20

Evaluate Brengden 2005 study

Ethics

Answer 20

Ao3
Ethics is a weakness

Ao1
Children had to circle photos of classmates they thought were physically aggressive. Could of angered students or damaged relationships as mean age of 72 months.

Question 21

Evaluate Brengden 2005 study

Generalisability

Answer 21

Ao3
Generalisability is weakness

Ao1
Mean age was 72 months so can’t be generalised to younger or older than 6. All twins from westernised cultures so can’t be generalised to African culture.

Question 22

Evaluate Brengden 2005 study

Validity

Answer 22

Ao3
Validity is a strength.

Ao1
Inter rater reliability as teachers and students were asked to rate aggression. Brengden then did chi square to compare ratings and found a strong concordance.

Question 23

Evaluate kety (1968) adoption study.

Intro

Answer 23

Aimed to see if there was a genetic basis for schizophrenia by comparing adoptive and biological families of schizophrenia sufferers to see if it was more common in biological or adoptive families.

Question 24

Evaluate kety (1968) adoption study

Reliability

Answer 24

Ao3
Strength is reliability

Ao1
4 psychiatrists reviewed the medical record of 463 relatives. Diagnosed relatives to 4 categories. So inter rater reliability as all 4 had to agree on diagnosis. 4 cases they couldn’t agree so was not included.

Question 25

Evaluate kety (1968) adoption study.

Ethics

Answer 25

Ao3
Weakness is ethics

Ao1
Examined medical records without consent. However this is legal in Denmark

Question 26

Evaluate kety (1968) adoption study.

Generalisability

Answer 26

Ao3
Generalisability is a weakness.

Ao1
The 34 patients were from danish adoption register. Denmark has mainly Caucasian population and hasn’t experienced migration. Can’t be compared to other cultures.

Question 27

Evaluate kety (1968) adoption study.

Validity

Answer 27

Ao3
Strength is validity.

Ao1
Blind test for the psychiatrists as they didn’t know of they were analysing biological or adoptive families. Therefore stopped bias or objective diagnosis