Biological Level Of Analysis

Question 1

What are the three underlying principles that define the biological level of analysis?

Answer 1

1. Emotions and behaviors are products of the anatomy and physiology of the nervous and endocrine systems. (There are biological correlates of behavior).
2. Animal research may inform our understanding of human behavior. (Based on Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution).
3. Patterns of behavior can be inherited; behavior is innate (natural) because it is genetically based.

Question 2

What is the Adrian Raine (1997) study and how does it support the BLA principle: there are biological correlates of behavior?

Answer 2

Adrian Raine (1997) is a study on criminals pleading Not Guilty under Reason of Insanity (NGRI). The study, using PET scans, revealed that these criminals had less activity in prefrontal cortex which is linked to self-control and emotion. This ultimately showed that biological factors affect behavior. The criminals were aggressive because of biological factors/damage (correlation between aggressive behavior and biological factors – biological damage = impairment of function associated).

Question 3

What are the 6 main research methods used in psychology?

Answer 3

Experiments
Case studies
Observational studies
Interviews
Surveys/Questionnaires
Correlational Studies

Question 4

What is the Localization of Function theory?

Answer 4

A theory that certain areas of the brain correspond to certain functions; in that specific areas of the brain control different functions carried out by the brain.

Question 5

Describe the two main hemispheres of the brain.

Answer 5

Left – logic, problem solving, maths, and language, controls Right-hand-side of body.
Right – creativity, emotion, beliefs, controls Left-hand-side of the body.

Question 6

Describe the four main lobes of the brain.

Answer 6

Occipital - vision
Parietal - higher senses and language functions
Frontal - reasoning, problem solving, judgement and creativity
Temporal - perception, hearing (sound recognition), memory and meaning

Question 7

What is Broca’s Area?

Answer 7

inability to produce language, but could understand/comprehend

Question 8

What is Wernicke’s Area?

Answer 8

inability to understand language, but could communicate/speak