Biological Psychology -- Issues and Debates

Question 1

Ethics – Brengden et al.

Answer 1

issues of consent – children are unable to give consent due to their young age
instead its often parents or guardians who give consent (children don’t get a say)

teacher and peer ratings –
also has ethical issues, this could influence the confidence/ esteem of these children as they may be influenced by these comments

Question 2

Ethics – tests on animals

Answer 2

testing on animals basically implies that humans are superior to animals
animals can’t give consent
these studies can be distressing to animals
findings may not be generalisable to humans

Question 3

implementation of research into recreational drugs to society

Answer 3

clearer understanding of how recreational drugs affect CNS functioning may lead to better treatments for addiction
can help discover more effective methods to prevent addiction

Question 4

practical issues – correlation research

Answer 4

(e.g. positive correlation between levels of testosterone and aggression)
this is just a correlation, doesn’t actually show any cause and effect between the two factors

Question 5

practical issues – brengden et al.

Answer 5

MZ and DZ twins were only compared through how identical they looked
an issue – DZ twins can still look similar, they should’ve used DNA to test what kind of twins they are

Question 6

practical issues – evolution theory

Answer 6

it is difficult to test, trace, compare, etc. you can’t really have a study to compare those before and after evolution

Question 7

reductionism – narrow focus of biological factors on aggression

Answer 7

• amygdala dysfunction isn’t an inevitable cause of aggression
• there are many other factors which can cause aggression through interacting (social, psychological, environment)
• interact with genetic predisposition
• doesn’t reflect the true complexity of the factors of aggression

Question 8

reductionism – role of hormones in human behaviour

Answer 8

• explaining human behaviour by using basic biological units (e.g. hormones)

Question 9

reductionism – Raine et al.

Answer 9

• used brain scanning technology to identify brain impairments in those charged with murder (NGRI)
• only looked at the brain
• neglected social factors

Question 10

Freud’s theory and biological explanations in explaining behaviour

Answer 10

• shares the view that aggression is instinctive and therefore innate
• Freud – unconscious impulse originating in the id causes aggression
• bio – linked to biological structures and functions and hormones
• two different approaches share similar assumptions in explaining behaviour

Question 11

‘psychology is a science’

Answer 11

use of fossils as evidence:

• Ladevèze et al.
• used fossils to explain behaviour
• found males are bigger than females
• showed male-male competition
• objective scientific approach

biological approach:

• generally more scientific
• most have more standardised procedures, biological/scientific links, fasifiable hypothesis, etc.

Question 12

‘psychology is not a science’

Answer 12

Freud’s explanation of aggression

• based on psychodynamics
• explains through the id, ego and superego
• explains catharsis and aggression
• not a scientific approach
• theory based, not objective

Question 13

Culture and gender – role of evolution

Answer 13

ignores culture

• doesn’t take into account how culture may influence evolution
• difference in aggression is not universal
• suggests that innately determined behaviour can be outweighed by cultural norms

Question 14

culture and gender – hormones and evolution

Answer 14

• males are typically more aggressive than women
• female aggression may be different to male aggression – Eisenegger et al. gave women a dose of testosterone, they behaved more generously and sociably in a negotiating game, suggests their aggression might be more complex
• testosterone having similar effects on women – Dabbs and Hargrove. measured testosterone from 87 female inmates in a max security prison, found criminal violence positively correlated with testosterone level, similar to male criminals

Question 15

nature vs. nurture – Brengden et al.

Answer 15

• shows that nature and nurture are powerful influences
• a criticism to this study is that it doesnt consider the interactions between genes and environment
• statistical analysis treated the two influences as independent

Question 16

how has psychological understanding developed over time

Answer 16

• brain scanning technique have developed over time, this makes it more reliable and safe for studies
• Raine et al. – used PET scanning technique, new brain scanning technique
• drug treatments and aggression control – shows how increased psychological understanding can help implications in society

Question 17

social control – Freud’s psychodynamic theory of aggression

Answer 17

• suggests that aggression could be kept under control if catharsis was performed
• this could be used to control individuals through their catharsis

Question 18

social control – knowledge of brain function

Answer 18

• knowledge of neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine) and brain structures (prefrontal cortex and limbic system) may cause issues of social control if in the wrong hands
• could be used to modify aggression/ behaviour

Question 19

dealing with aggression by using psychological knowledge

Answer 19

application for drug treatments

Freud’s psychoanalysis can be used to help those control their aggression

Question 20

use of psychological knowledge – legal decisions in court trials

Answer 20

• if a criminal claims not guilty by reason of insanity, bio psych knowledge can be used to prove if it was a good reason or not
• studies found that there is a positive correlation between criminal violence and testosterone

Question 21

socially sensitive research – raine et al.

Answer 21

• serious implications for how society responds to aggressive criminal behaviour
• provokes deep concerns about the nature of criminal responsibility and free will
• raises possibility that murderers may not be entirely responsible for their crimes because of a brain function
• may generalise those with a brain function to more aggressive behaviour/ murder tendencies

Question 22

socially sensitive research – gender

Answer 22

suggests men are aggressive

• testosterone positively correlates with aggressive behaviour
• may create stereotypes that men are more aggressive
• evolution also suggests that men are more aggressive