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A-Level Pyschology (Edexcel) > Biological Psychology > Flashcards

Biological Psychology Flashcards

1
Q

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

A

It is a complex network of cells in the human body.

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2
Q

What is the CNS divided into?

A

Two main subsystems, the brain and the spinal cord.

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3
Q

What is the spinal cord?

A

The tube-line extension to the brain, connected via the brainstem.
Responsible for reflex actions, like pulling your hand away from fire.
It passes messages to and from the brain, linking it to the PNS.

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4
Q

What is the brain?

A

It is the source of our conscious awareness and where decision making takes place.
Divided into two hemispheres; the right controls the left side of the body, left controls right side.

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5
Q

What does subcortical mean?

A

It means below the cortex; the subcortex is where we process our more primitive factors.

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6
Q

What is the thalamus?

A

Relays information between the cortex. Receives information from the senses (hearing,sight,smell,touch); it acts like a filter of information.

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7
Q

What is the hypothalamus?

A

Regulates body functions and has a key role in the body’s stress response.

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8
Q

What is the limbic system?

A

Involved in motivation, emotion, learning and memory. Consists of several structures like the amygdala; plays a large role in regulating emotions like aggression. It also includes the hypothalamus, hippocampus and thalamus.

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9
Q

What is the cerebellum?

A

It coordinates balance, posture and movement.

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10
Q

What is the corpus callosum?

A

It physically connects the two hemispheres; allows for communication between them by relaying info and signals between them.

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11
Q

What is lateralisation?

A

The idea that the two hemispheres of the brain are functionally different.

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12
Q

What is localisation?

A

Certain areas are responsible for specific functions and behaviours.

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13
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A

The outer surface of the brain.
It is associated with consciousness, thought, reasoning, language, and memory.

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14
Q

What is the frontal lobe?

A

Controls thinking, planning, problem solving and decision-making.

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15
Q

What is the parietal lobe?

A

Responsible for processing sensory information, thanks to the somatosensory cortex.

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16
Q

What is the temporal lobe?

A

It deals with sound information coming from the opposite side of the brain (if the right ear is listening to something, the left lobe processes it)

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17
Q

What is the occipital lobe?

A

The major visual processing centre in the brain.

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18
Q

What is Broca’s area?

A

It is responsible for speech production.

If damaged, it can lead to aphasia (speech lacking in fluency)

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19
Q

What is Wernicke’s area?

A

The area for speech.

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20
Q

What is a neuron?

A

A nerve cell that process and transmit messages through electrical and chemical signals

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21
Q

What is a neurotransmitter?

A

Brain chemicals that are released from synaptic vesciles. They relay signals from one neuron to another across a synapse.

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22
Q

What is a sensory neuron?

A

The neurons that carry messages from sensory receptors along nerves in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) to the central nervous system.

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23
Q

What is a motor neuron?

A

The neurons that carry messages from the CNS to control voluntary and involuntary movements.

24
Q

What is a relay neuron?

A

The neurons that connect sensory and motor neurons together and connect to other relay neurons.

25
Q

What is synaptic transmission?

A

The process by which one neuron communicates with another.

An electrical impulse down the axon triggers the release of neurotransmitters from axon terminals.
It is released into synaptic gap to be picked up by the receptors on dendrites or to be taken up again for re-use.

26
Q

What do recreational drugs include?

A

Stimulants, sedatives, hallucinogens and opiods

27
Q

What are the 3 ways that drugs could interfere with the processes of the synapses?

A

They can block receptors so that neurotransmitters cannot fit (antagonist - cannabis)

They can attach to receptors and mimic the effect of neurotransmitters (agonist - nicotine)

They can prevent recycling of neurotransmitters so that they stay in the synapse and reattach to receptor cells (agonist - cocaine)

28
Q

What do agonists do to the synapses?

A

They bind to the receptors and stimulate them to increase the messages.

29
Q

What do antagonists do to the synapses?

A

They bind to the receptors but don’t stimulate them and instead reverse or deactivate the effect of agonists.

30
Q

What does nicotine do to the synapses?

A

It binds to ACTH receptors which excites neurons to cause a release of dopamine which causes a decrease in dopamine receptors which leads to more dopamine being released (addiction)

31
Q

What does cocaine do to the synapses?

A

It blocks the binding site of reuptake, causing excess dopamine in the synapse leading to overstimulated receptor sites. This damages the receptor sites which means that more cocaine is needed to maintain a normal level.

32
Q

What does cannabis do to the synapses?

A

It binds to receptors and blocks activity; dopamine is still released. Cannabis removes inhibiting the effect of GABA. The damage to the receptors reduces blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

33
Q

What is the role of the limbic system, linked to aggression?

A

The limbic system is a set of structures that lies in the middle of the brain.
It is also called the ‘emotional area’ of the brain.
People with emotional disorders have been shown to have had damage to the limbic system.

34
Q

What is the role of the amygdala, linked to aggression?

A

A structure in the brain that recognises aggression and controls emotional responses like fear and aggression.

35
Q

What are PET scans?

A

They produce computer-generated pictures of the brain and a radioactive tracer is injected which emits a signal that can be formed into an image.

It is useful as it shows the brain in action but they are not always easy to interpret.

36
Q

What are MRI scans?

A

A scan that uses magnetic and radio waves that pass through the body when the person lies in the machine.

Useful as they are non-invasive and the scans are accurate but they are expensive.

37
Q

What is natural selection and how is it linked to aggression?

A

The theory of evolution proposes that random mutations in DNA produce a new trait. If that trait leads to better survival, it will be passed down. If not, it won’t be passed down.

38
Q

What is sexual selection?

A

If a particular trait increases the chance of reproduction, the trait is adaptive.

It also involves intersexual competition which means animals are choosing between members of the opposite sex - mate choice.

39
Q

What is parental investment?

A

Females invest more in males due to them having long lasting and energy rich gametes (sperm).
Females also provide for their offspring through milk production and care for their survival

Male investment is uncertain as their paternity is not confirmed; easier to leave.

40
Q

What is sperm competition?

A

Strategy for intrasexual (same sex) competition where males compete at the sperm level to fertilise an egg.

41
Q

What is parent-offspring competition?

A

Competition with parents, siblings or offspring for resources.

42
Q

What is Freud’s psychodynamic explanation of aggression?

A

Freud proposed that the mind functions across 3 levels; the conscious, the preconscious and the unconscious.

43
Q

What is the conscious mind?

A

It comprises of thoughts which are within our level of awareness.

44
Q

What is the preconscious mind?

A

It comprises of thoughts which are below our level of awareness, but can be summoned with little effort.

45
Q

What is the unconscious mind?

A

It comprises of thoughts which are cannot be readily brought into our level of awareness, but influence our conscious thoughts and behaviours.

46
Q

What is the ‘id’?

A

The primitive and instinctual part of the mind that represents our wishes and desires (pleasure principle)

47
Q

What is the ‘ego’?

A

The realistic part of the personality that makes the logical decisions based on the demands of the id and restrictions of the superego (reality principle)

48
Q

What is the ‘superego?’

A

The part driven by a sense of right and wrong (morality principle)

49
Q

What is the oral stage of Freud’s psychosexual development theory?

A

Develops between 18 months - 2 years and the child is only satisfied through sucking, chewing or feeding.

50
Q

What is the anal stage of Freud’s psychosexual development theory?

A

Develops between 18 months - 3 years and the child is satisfied through expelling or witholding faeces.

51
Q

What is the phallic stage of Freud’s psychosexual development theory

A

Develops between 3 - 5 years and the child’s genitals are their source of satisfaction.

52
Q

What is the latency stage of Freud’s psychosexual development theory

A

Develops between 5 - 11 years and the child begins to socialise with peers.

53
Q

What is the genital stage of Freud’s psychosexual development theory

A

Develops at puberty and continues through to adulthood; the genitals are a source of libidonous pleasure.

54
Q

What are the role of hormones in aggression?

A

Hormones work via the bloodstream and work on binding to receptor proteins and changing cell function.
Behaviour is also affected when hormones are released.

55
Q

What is the role of testosterone in aggression?

A

A male sex hormone and is needed to produce sperm and develop male characteristics.
Animal studies have demonstrated that experimental increases in testosterone are related to more aggressive behaviour (Giammanco et al. 2005).

56
Q

What did Dolan et al (2002) find about the link between aggression and testosterone?

A

He found a positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggressive behaviour in a sample of 60 men in max security prison - highest levels of violence were shown from men aged 15 - 25 years old.

A-Level Pyschology (Edexcel) (13 decks)

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