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biological psychology Flashcards

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1
Q

name three assumptions of the biological approach

A
  • behaviour is determined by genes
  • behaviour is determined by the brain
  • behaviour is determined by hormones
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2
Q

explain (using example) how behaviour is determined by the brain

A

the PFC is responsible for decision making and personality. damage to this area of the brain can lead to aggression - as shown by phineas gage

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3
Q

explain (using example) how behaviour is determined by genes

A

for example female (XX) have more feminine behaviours and men (XY) have more masculine behaviours like aggression

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4
Q

explain (using example) how behaviour is determined by hormones

A

oestrogen makes women more nurturing and testosterone makes men more aggressive for example in sports.

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5
Q

what does nature conclude

A

behaviour is determined by biology

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6
Q

what does nurture conclude

A

behaviour is determined by our environment

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7
Q

genotype + environment

A

phenotype (behaviour)

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8
Q

what are epigenetics

A

certain genes can be turned off and on by the environment

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9
Q

what are MZ and DZ twins

A

MZ (identical) have 100% shared genetics where one egg has split
DZ (fraternal) have 50% shared genetics where there is 2 eggs.

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10
Q

what is a concordance rate

A

degree of similarity between people

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11
Q

concordance rate 1

A

complete same

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12
Q

concordance rate 0

A

completely different

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13
Q

if MZ twins have higher concordance rates than DZ twins would we conclude nature or nurture

A

nature

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14
Q

2 strengths of twin studies

A
  • generates large volumes of data (eg kendler et al used 1588 twins)
  • suggests genetic components may be involved in a wide range of psychological phenomena (eg hettema et al found that MZ twins are more similar than DZ twins in their tendency to be classically conditioned to fearful stimuli)
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15
Q

3 weaknesses of twin studies

A
  • MZ twins are often treated more similarly than DZ twins (t/f harder to distinguish if characteristics are due to nature or nurture)
  • seperated twins are often brought up in similar environments (same t/f as above)
  • lacks pop v (not everyone is a twin)
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16
Q

what is my twin study

A

brengden et al

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17
Q

what is my contempary study for biological psych

A

brengden et al

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18
Q

aim of brengden et al

A

investigate if social aggression could be caused by genes or the environement. see if social and physical aggression had the same cause and if one type of aggression led to another.

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19
Q

participants of brengden et al

A

234 twin pairs from the Quebec Twin Study - data gathered between ages 5 months to 6 years

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20
Q

brengden et al procedure

A
  • teacher rankings
  • peer rankings
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21
Q

in brengden et al what did teacher rankings consist of

A

agreement with statements based on social (eg to what extent does this child try to make other children dislike a child) and physical (eg to what extent does this child get into fights) aggression using 3 point agreement scales taken from the PSBS and direct and indirect aggression scales.

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22
Q

in brengden et al what did peer rankings consist of

A

giving children a booklet with pictures of children from the class, then asked to circle three children in the class who matched each description the best. eg “tells others not to play with another child” (social) or “gets into fights” (physical)

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23
Q

brengden et al finsings

A
  • teachers found boys more physically aggressive and girls more socially
  • peers found boys more aggressive for both
  • MZ correlation almost twice as high as same sex DZ for physical aggression
  • MZ and same sex DZ rankings for social were similar
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24
Q

brengden et al conclusion

A

strong genetic component to physical aggression but not social, more likely due to environmental effects. children who were physically aggressive were more likely to be socially aggressive (interaction between genes and the environment) . as children grow they become more socially aggressive as they learn to express themselves.

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25
Q

4 strengths of brengden et al

A
  • eco v (in school)
  • inter rate relaibility (peer and teacher)
  • practical apps (phys aggression could be an early indicator of later life aggression)
  • standardised procedure (same statements)
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26
Q

4 weaknesses of brengden et al

A
  • pop v (quebec and 6 y/o)
  • cause and effect (no genetic testing to check if MZ are MZ)
  • mundane realism
  • protection from harm (ranking of aggression)
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27
Q

if birth parents have higher concordance rates than adoptive parent what do we conclude

A

nature

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28
Q

what is my adoption study

A

leve et al

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29
Q

aim of leve et al

A

to look at specific environmental issues related to parenting and family processes that interact with genetic factors on a child. to look at the adoptive parent and adopted child to see when and why genes and environment interactions occur between them.

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30
Q

participants of leve et al

A

360 adoptive triads (adopted within three moths of birth), recruitment by means of opt out.

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31
Q

leve et al procedure

A
  • questionairres (in person or via telephone)
  • observations of adoptive family
  • salivary DNA collected
  • children given tempermant tasks and parent child interaction tasks
  • teachers completed questionairres.
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32
Q

what did the questionairres ask in leve et al

A

intelligence testing, anti-social personality, conduct disorder

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33
Q

what did the interviews ask in leve et al

A

well being and childs daily behaviour

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34
Q

leve et al findings

A

if bio parent had high anxiety or depression child became frustrated easily, but if adoptive parent didn’t the child was able to let it go however if the adoptive parent did have high anxiety or depression the child was unable to let it go

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35
Q

leve et al conclusion

A

genetic factors in adoptive child can interact with environmental factors from adoptive family to produce behviour, and if such things are known about intervention can be used to alleviate this issue.

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36
Q

4 strengths of leve et al

A
  • right to withdraw ( opt out )
  • practical apps ( prevent long term depression )
    -mundane realism
  • standardised procedure
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37
Q

4 weaknesses of leve et al

A
  • pop v (usa)
  • protection from harm (frustrating task)
    -resarcher bias (in person observations)
  • rapport (telephone questionairres)
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38
Q

what are dominant genes

A

genes that always lead to a certain characteristic (eg brown hair)

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39
Q

what are recessive genes

A

genes that need more than one copy to produce a characteristic (eg blonde hair)

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40
Q

what does the CNS consist of

A

brain and spinal cord

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41
Q

describe synaptic transimission

A
  • nerve impulse travels down axon (builds up energy)
  • if it builds up enough energy it will depolarize the presynaptic neuron
  • vessicles are stimulated releasing neurotransmitters
  • neurotransmitters find the right receptors and once another are filled up the message is passed on
  • left over neurotransmitters are take up via the reuptake pump
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42
Q

how can drugs blocking the reuptake pump effect the CNS

A

drugs (eg cocaine) block the reuptake pumps on the presynaptic neuron so reuptake of the neurotransmitter will not occur, this causes build up of the neurotransmitter in the synapse, this causes the post synaptic neuron to fire more quickly passing on the message more frequently.

43
Q

how can drugs mimicking neurotransmitters effect the CNS

A

drugs (eg cannabis) mimic neurotransimtters so they fit into the post synaptic neuron receptors leaving less receptor sites free for actual neurotransmitters to excite. as the receptor sites get stimulated the pre synaptic neuron will reduce the amount of neurotransmitters produced, so the message will not be passed on.

44
Q

how do people become addicted to recreational drugs

A

the brain has a reward pathway which causes a pleasurable feeling - recreational drugs hack into this reward pathway. recreational drugs increase the amount of dopamine in the body causing euphoria, the brain reacts to this sudden increase with a reduction in its natural production so when the drug wares off the person has less dopamine causing dysphoria and motivates the person to take more until they become physically dependent on it.

45
Q

describe how an fMRI scan works

A
  • ppants lie down in scanner and a strong magnetic field is used which affect some atoms in the brain
  • protons in hydrogen atoms in water act like needles in a compass
  • the scanners electromagnet causes the protons to point in the same direction, when radio waves are passed through the head the protons return to their original position (this is detected by the scanner)
  • the part of the brain with more hydrogen atoms appear paler
  • as neural activity increases blood flow increases, the haemoglobin repels magnetic field
46
Q

4 strengths of fMRI scans

A
  • high quality images of the brain
  • compares structures of brains that are functioning normally and abnormally
  • scientific
  • non invasive (compare to PET scans)
47
Q

3 weaknesses of fMRI scans

A
  • expensive
  • lack ecological validity
  • not suitable for all patients (eg cardiac pacemaker or metal surgical implant)
48
Q

describe how a PET scan works

A
  • a tracer (small amount of harmless radioactive material) is injected into the blood which bonds to glucose
  • as the brain uses glucose for energy, ppants will be asked to complete a task and the areas of the brain which are most active will absorb the glucose
  • the glucose is broken down and the radioactive material remains with gamma rays being produced by the breakdown
  • by measuring radiation levels in the brain we can determine where the most activity is (appears red)
49
Q

4 strengths of a PET scan

A
  • data on function and structure of the brain
  • practical apps (compare brain structures)
  • Raine et al
  • scientific
50
Q

4 weaknesses of a PET scan

A
  • low resolution images
  • most expensive (due to radioactive material)
  • ecological validity
  • invasive (due to radioactive substances)
51
Q

describe how a CAT scan works

A
  • multiple x ray beams passed through head at different angles
  • ppants lie down on a moving platform and passed through scanner
  • multiple images are taken by taking images of multiple slices of the brain to produce a 3d image
  • knowing the x ray has been blocked can mean there is something in the area like a tumour
  • this info is interpreted by a computer to create a detailed image of the brain
52
Q

2 strengths of a CAT scan

A
  • detailed images of the brains structure
  • non invasive (compare to PET scan)
53
Q

2 weaknesses of a CAT scan

A
  • only produces images of structure
  • exposure to radiation (from x-rays)
54
Q

what is my classic study for biological psychology

A

raine et al

55
Q

raine et al aim

A

whether there was a difference in brain structure between violent murderers who’d pleaded guilty by reasons of insanity compared to a matched group of normal people. particularly to investigate if murderers had brain dysfunction in the pre frontal cortex thought to be involved with violent behaviour.

56
Q

raine et al participants

A

41 participants who had pleaded not guilt by reasons of insanity but were charged with murder or manslaughter from California were matched with 41 non murderers (control group)

57
Q

raine et al procedure

A
  • murderers had been referred from a brain scan in order to help with their plea of not guilty
  • following a practice task, the murderers were injected with a radioactive glucose tracer
  • they then did a performance task which increased activity in their frontal lobes (for normal people) for 32 minutes
  • they then had a PET scan
58
Q

raine et al findings

A
  • murderers had LESS activity in PFC than control
  • murderers had MORE activity in RIGHT of THALAMUS than control
  • murderers had LESS activity in LEFT of AMYGDALA than control
  • murderers had MORE activity in RIGHT of AMYGDALA than control
59
Q

raine et al conclusion

A

there may be a link between abnormal brain activity and a predisposition towards violence and that violence can be linked to parts of the brain which are associated with lack of fear, lowered self control, impulsiveness and aggression.

60
Q

4 strengths of raine et al

A
  • standardised procedure
  • matched pair control group
  • PET scans
  • practical apps (used in charges in sentencing)
61
Q

4 weaknesses of raine et al

A
  • pop v (california and murderers)
  • eco v
  • mundane realism
  • post hoc
62
Q

what is the frontal lobe responsible for

A

decision making, personality, mental processes

63
Q

what is the parietal lobe responsible for

A

processing sensory information

64
Q

what is the temporal lobe responsible for

A

processes sensory input

65
Q

what is the occupical lobe responsible for

A

processes visual information

66
Q

who is phineas gage and what happened to him

A

he had an iron rod through is head in a rail accident - damage to his frontal lobe
he became disrespectful rude and wouldn’t take advice

67
Q

what is the midbrain and what does it do

A

the midbrain contains PAG which links the amygdala and hypothalamus with the PFC.
It coordinates and integrates behavioural responses to stressors such as pain.
supported by longstein and stern

68
Q

what did longstein and stern find

A

when rats whod recently given birth had lesions on the PAG they showed increased aggression when confronted with potential threat (unfamiliar male rat)

69
Q

what is the limbic system and what does it do

A

includes the hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus. it controls temperature and automatically reacts to danger.

70
Q

what does the hypothalamus do

A

maintains homeostasis through the regulation of hormones (eg testosterone- links to aggression)

71
Q

what is the amygdala and what does it do

A

the amygdala is the centre of emotionsand gives an instinctive feeling (eg aggression)
Supported by downer

72
Q

what did Downer find

A

downer used monkeys and cut their optic nerve and removed one amygdala. if monkeys had visual input that went to their intact amygdala they reacted aggressively, if their visual input had no amygdala to reach they were much calmer. t/f amygdala is involved in aggressive response to perceived threat.

73
Q

what is the pre frontal cortex and what does it do

A

the PFC governs social interactions, regulates emotions (left positive and right negative). damage to PFC leads to problems with anger management, irritability and impulse control. supported by bevhara and van der linden

74
Q

what did Bechara and Van Der Linden find

A

reviewed studies and found that the PFC seems to regulate behaviour. Damage to the PFC means someone may focus on the present rather than the long term. t/f people may not be able to control aggressive reactions.

75
Q

2 strengths of the brain as an explanation of aggression

A
  • supported by phineas gage (damage to frontal lobe and became aggressive)
  • supported by raine et al (raine found murderers had less activity in PFC)
76
Q

2 weaknesses if the brain as an explanation of aggression

A
  • biological determinism (suggests individuals have no control over aggressive behaviour)
  • reductionlist (ignores other explanations such as learning)
77
Q

name the 4 ways the evolution can explain aggression

A
  • genetics (MAOA warrior gene)
  • males
  • females
  • epigenetics
78
Q

explain the MAOA warrior gene

A

the MAOA warrior gene helps the metabolisation of noradrenaline, serotonin or dopamine. so low activity in this gene can lead to these neurotransmitters not being broken down leading to aggression.

79
Q

explain survival of the fittest in males

A

aggression provides an adaptive advantage. this is for hunting and gathering food, protecting there mate and offspring and attracting females

80
Q

explain survival of the fittest in females

A

women are verbally aggressive and physical aggression would be an evolutionary disadvantage. Buss said women degrade other women to increase their social status.

81
Q

explain epigenetics as an explanation of aggressiom

A

epigenetics is where genes can be switched on and off, for example the MAOA gene the interaction of the environment can help to permanently turn on the gene, for example if you’re raised in an aggressive environment.

82
Q

what are hormones

A

hormones are chemical messengers that transmit information around the body, they’re carried in the blood and excreted by glands in the endocrine system.

83
Q

what is an androgen

A

(eg testosterone) a chemical that develops and maintains male characteristics.

84
Q

what did young et al find

A

injecting pregnant monkeys with androgens have given birth to females with masculine genitalia who act in masculine ways (eg aggressively)

85
Q

what is the ID

A

0-2 years old
unconcious
pleasure principle (seeks instant gratification)
- eros (sexual insticts)
- thantos (death instincts)

86
Q

what is the superego

A

4-5 years old
uncouncious and concious
morality principle (to do what it feels is right)

87
Q

what is the ego

A

2-4 years old
concious
reality principle
keeps ID and superego happy
uses defence mechanisms ie repression

88
Q

explain what happens if thantos is dominant

A

aggressive - leads to catharsis (emotional release of thantos)
either socially unacceptable (fight) or socially acceptable (ego uses defence mechanism - sublimation, released in rugby)

89
Q

2 strengths of freud

A
  • supported by vernon and sullivan (people who reacted in an aggressive way to a frustrating task had a lower heart rate than those who didnt - aggression releases repressed ID frustration)
  • supported by megargee and mendelsohn (people who didnt let their aggression out in small amounts would have outbursts- when anger is repressed it becomes uncontrollable)
90
Q

3 weaknesses of freud

A
  • unscientific
  • subjective
  • other theories eg aggression is learnt as seen in bandurra 1961
91
Q

what is my key question for biopsych

A

what are the implications for society if aggression is found to be due to nature not nurture

92
Q

[KQA01] what does it mean if behaviour (eg aggression) is due to nature

A

its a consequence of biology such as hormones brain activity or neurotransmitters, this means the individual is not in control of this behaviour and should not be blames

93
Q

[KQA01] what does it mean if behaviour (eg aggression) is due to nurture

A

its a consequence of the environment such as learnt through parents, this means that the individual is in control of the behaviour and should be blamed

94
Q

[KQA01] how do we treat clinical disorders in society

A

in society clinical disorders such as depression are a consequence of nature -the individual is not blamed for their behaviour and instead is sympathised and treated with drugs

95
Q

[KQA01] how should we treat aggression if its due to nature

A

if aggression is due to nature it should be treated the same way as clinical disorders - with sympathy and drug therapy as they are not in control of their behaviour instead of being punished

96
Q

[KQA03] how can aggression be explained by biology

A

aggression can be explained by biology using brain activity . charles whitman killed 16 people (incl wife and mother) in a mass shooting, h/e this could be explained by a tumour pushing on his amygdala (responsible for fight or flight) . raine et al supports this because he found less activity in PFC leads to poor decision making, less activity in amygdala triggers fight or flight and more activity in thalamus releases hormones. therefore aggression is due to nature and this needs to be considered when treating

97
Q

[KQA03] how can aggression be explained by operant conditioning

A

OC suggests we learn behaviours via consequences, someone will learn to be aggressive from positive reinforcement (eg being given attention for their aggressive behaviour. if aggression is learnt it can be unlearnt via punishment - giving something unpleasent after aggressive behaviour. this is shown by luis suarez who bit a football opponent and was banned for 4 months h/e this was luis’ 3rd biting incident suggesting the banning punishments have not been effective in reducing aggression. t/f suggesting his aggression is due to biology- increased testosterone and adrenaline as he’s playing sport.

98
Q

what does a correlation measure

A

the relationship between two variables.

98
Q

key question (biopsych) conclusion

A

to conclude if aggression is due to nature rather than nurture victims of aggression should be treated with sympathy and drug therapy and should not be punished as it is ineffective

99
Q

4 strengths of correlation data

A
  • shows a relationship which otherwise may not be noticed (could lead to further research to establish cause and effect)
  • no manipulation of variables (easy)
  • reduced ppant variables (individual differences have no effect)
  • spearman rho can be conducted (t/f strength and direction can be measured)
100
Q

2 weaknesses of correlation data

A
  • cannot establish cause and effect
  • lacks validity as variables cannot be operationalised
101
Q

what are the conditions needed for a spearman rho

A
  • ordinal/interval data
  • correlation design
  • test of association
102
Q

when is a spearman rho finding significant

A

observed > critical

psychology (6 decks)

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