biological psychology 1 Flashcards

Question

What is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia?

Answer 1

It is a deficit in the release of cortisol. A genetic female (XX) has an excessive release of androgens (hyperandrogenism) which has major and uncertain effects on sexual development.

Answer 2

When a genetic male (XY) has 5α-Reductase 2 they convert T into DHT, which drives primary male sexual development. The body develops as a female but male secondary sexual characteristics emerge during puberty.

Answer 3

- Various differences in size (overall and structures). - Most differences are small, varying, and overlap across males and females. - Sexual differentiation is different across structures.

Answer 4

- Many differences are due to pre-natal testosterone. - Females with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (who were exposed to pre-natal T) exhibit typical male behaviour. - There are large differences in neurological and psychiatric diseases (multiple sclerosis affects more females than males, and vice versa are dyslexia, according to a study).

Answer 5

- Females experience higher rates of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases than males. - Males experience higher levels of cancer and infections. - Evidence suggests that females have a stronger and more responsive immune system, and therefore have less infections; this can lead to hyperactivity and cause autoimmune diseases.

Answer 6

- Females tend to score higher on personality scores than males. - Women have higher neuroticism which is strongly related to anxiety. - Men are more likely to chase statuses, while women are more interested in relationships. - Men experience risk taking behaviours more. - Females are more interested in people, while males are more interested in things.

Answer 7

The release of oxytocin (approach), dopamine (anticipation of reward), and opioid/β-endorphin (the “wow” factor).

Answer 8

Blocking oxytocin receptors the nucleus accumben and pre-frontal cortex interferes with mate preference formation.

Answer 9

In prairie voles, pair bonding is blocked when vasopressin is blocked, and mate preference is induces with the infusion of vasopressin. This is done as the hormone speeds up the processing of sex-related stimuli, as well as improving memory for facial emotion in men.

Answer 10

Cognition is more cortical, white emotion has greater sub-cortical involvement. Brain damage that significantly impairs cognition will not affect emotion.

Answer 11

Happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, surprise.

Answer 12

- Emotion expression evolves from behaviours that indicate what an animal is likely to do next. - If emotional signals are beneficial, they will evolve to more effectively communicate. - Opposite messages are often signalled by opposite movements - this is the principle of antithesis.

Answer 13

**Event perceived** > We experience emotion > Physiological reactions.

Answer 14

**Event perceived** > Physiological reactions > We experience emotion.

Answer 15

Physiological reactions < **Event perceived** > We experience emotion.

Answer 16

- + : The loss of peripheral feedback due to spinal injuries reduces the levels of felt emotional intensity. - - : Experiences arousal can outlast physiological changes, feelings can have a faster time-course than the associated physiological changes, physiological changes tin emotion (like fight or flight) are too undifferentiated to be the sole basis of experienced diversity of feelings.

Answer 17

The experience of emotion is independent of physiological responses, which was found when a cat’s sympathetic nervous system was removed - physiological arousal was eliminated, yet the cat still showed emotion.

Answer 18

When injecting 2 groups of participants with epinephrine, group B reported that some individuals experienced feelings when their body responded to the injection. The specific emotion could be manipulated by a confederate’s behaviour.

Answer 19

- Papez circuit: anterior thalamus nucleus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus. - Maclean’s additions to the limbic system: amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex.

Answer 20

- Sympathetic: increases arousal and includes “fight or flight”. - Parasympathetic: decreases arousal and includes “rest and digest”.

Answer 21

The hypothalamus releases CRH, the pituitary gland releases ACTH, the adrenal gland es hormones, and there is an increase in energy release, as well as suppressions in inflammatory responses and immune responses.

Answer 22

A maintenance in physiological stability.

Answer 23

The ability to achieve stability through change.

Answer 24

An increased heart rate increases stress levels due to the fluctuation and variability of heart rate, which therefore increases the demand for calories.

Answer 25

- Cardiovascular/metabolic: atherosclerosis, higher blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack. - Brain functioning: stress-induced hippocampal dysfunction. - Society: morbidity associated with lower status jobs.

Answer 26

- Recuperation hypothesis: restoration of energy, clears toxins, maintains homeostasis, consolidates memories. - Adaptation hypothesis: a way to avoid and improve predation.

Answer 27

- Recuperation hypothesis: sleep serves an important physiological function, and large between-species differences suggest that it may not be needed in large quantities. - Adaptation hypothesis: there is an association between vulnerability to predation and sleep duration; sleep is not a higher-order human function. It is analogous to hibernation

Answer 28

In REM sleep, our eyes move rapidly, but do not send visual information to the brain. Dreams are thought to occur during this phase. None of this happens in NRE sleep.

Answer 29

- REM: emergent stage 1 (quick eye movement, increased brain activity). - NREM: initial stage 1 (slowed heartbeat and eye movements), stage 2 (sleep spindles, K complex), stage 3 (high amplitude delta waves).

Answer 30

They are external/environmental cues that synchronise an organism’s biological rhythm. They are mainly naturally occurring to stick to the Earth’s (light/dark) cycles. Blind people report sleeping problems frequently, probably due to the light/dark cycles.

Answer 31

It is part of the hypothalamus which controls activity in other brain regions. Its role is trained by optical detection of the light/dark cycle, and can be affected by lesions in the area; they can disrupt circadian cycles of eating, sleeping (not sleep duration), and other activities.

Answer 32

Adolescent sleep behaviour is a result of increased sex hormones, and can increase the time of the middle of sleep on days (i’m really not sure what this means at all).

Answer 33

Our most awake and most sleepy times in the day.

Answer 34

Secretion of this hormone promotes sleep and is regulated by the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). The rhythm of melatonin shifts according to the current environment. Artificial administration may help with sleep, but higher doses will eventually be needed

Answer 35

The anterior hypothalamus promotes sleep, while the posterior hypothalamus promotes wakefulness.

Answer 36

Caffeine in coffee, and in other drinks, blocks adenosine receptors; adenosine is a chemical that reduces wakefulness and increases sleepiness. When it wears off, all the blocked adenosine that builds up rushes to the receptors which causes a “crash” afterwards.

Answer 37

Alcohol is a sedative which promotes serotonin and GABA. This can then disrupt REM sleep, as overall sleep is not balanced evenly, which is typically followed by REM rebound.

Answer 38

Modest deprivation includes increases in sleepiness, negative self-reported mood, and poor performance on attention tests; at the same time, performance on complex cognitive tasks is less consistent.

Answer 39

Attention, performance, and psychomotor speed is reduced, working memory is affected, more dependence on the pre-frontal cortex, and decreased performance and increased stress on lateral thinking (for example, brainstorming).

Answer 40

Reduced body temperature, increased blood pressure, decreased immune function, hormonal fluctuations.

Answer 41

Weight loss happens when energy output exceeds energy intake, regardless of the diet’s nutrient mixture or time of consumption. - Reducing caloric intake below energy requirements. - Maintain caloric intake and increase energy requirements. - Reduce caloric intake and increase energy requirements.

Answer 42

Bad (LDL) which stores cholesterol in the bloodstream, and good (HDL), which regulates LDL storage and promotes excretion.

Answer 43

They are a main source of energy, they protect internal organs, they act as thermal insulation, and they are vitamin carriers and hunger suppressors.

Answer 44

- Saturated fats: usually solid at room temperature and found in meats and dairy products. - Unsaturated fats: usually liquid at room temperature and found in vegetable oils, nuts, and fish.

Answer 45

It is a hormone produced by fat cells during digestion that monitors the body’s fat supplies by suppressing appetite via neural signalling.

Answer 46

A hormone that is released by the stomach during food deprivation, which signals the PVN to increase appetite (nicotine also signals this area). Damage to the PVN leads to overeating.

Answer 47

High levels of insulin is a cause of an increase in blood glucose, and more is released by the pancreas to reduce blood glucose. Less of this leads to hunger.

Answer 48

Soft drinks contain fructose which although it does not affect eating or insulin, it can only be metabolised by the liver and any excess is stored as fat. Specifically, diet drinks are associated the most with weight gain.

Answer 49

Physical activity can reduce stress, allostatic load and HPA axis dysfunction, while traditional therapies like medication and talking cures can reduce anxiety and depression, with some side effects and limitations.