Biological Psychology Part 2

Question 1

What is the endocrine system

Answer 1

System of glands and hormones that controls secretion of blood born chemical messengers

Question 2

What are hormones?

Answer 2

Chemicals released into blood stream that influence certain organs and glands
Carried through blood vessels (rather than nerves), so much slower in action

Question 3

What is the pituitary gland?

Answer 3

The master gland. Controlled by hypothalamus, directs other glands in body
Located just below hypothalamus in brain
Oxytocin hormone (love)

Question 4

Adrenal glands

Answer 4

‘Emergency glands’
Release adrenaline and cortisol at times of arousal
Located near kidneys

Question 5

Adrenaline role

Answer 5

Boosts energy production in muscle cells but restricts it in others

Question 6

Cortisol role

Answer 6

Regulates blood pressure and cardiovascular function, as well as use of body’s proteins, carbs and fats

Question 7

Sexual reproductive glands

Answer 7

Testes in males, ovaries in females
Testosterone and oestrogen

Question 8

What is phrenology

Answer 8

1800s theory attributing bumps on the head to different personality traits. E.g bump on skull related to larger part of brain which links to psychological capacities
Discredited by neuropsychological studies of brain damage

Question 9

What is the electroencephalograph?

Answer 9

Measures electrical activity via electrodes places on skull
Can tell where regions of the brain are active during tasks
Allows researchers to see when neural activity is occurring in real time

Question 10

What is neuroimaging

Answer 10

Brain scans that allow the brains structure (appearance) and function (activity) to be seen

Question 11

What is Computed tomography CT

Answer 11

A scanning technique using multiple X-rays to construct 3D image

Question 12

What is Magnetic resonance imaging MRI

Answer 12

Uses magnetic fields to indirectly visualise brain structure
MRI is better than ct in detecting soft tissue e.g. brain tumour

Question 13

What is positron emission tomography PET scan

Answer 13

Measures consumption of glucose like molecules to give a picture of neural activity
Measures structure and function

Question 14

What is FMRI

Answer 14

Uses magnetic field to visualise brain activity
Measures structure and function

Question 15

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Answer 15

Applies strong and quickly changing magnetic fields to the surface of the skull that can either enhance or interrupt brain function
Allows us to infer causation of functioning

Question 16

Magnetoencephalogtaphy MEG

Answer 16

Measures tiny magnetic fields generated by brain

Question 17

What is lateralisation?

Answer 17

A cognitive function that relies more on one side of the brain than the other

Question 18

What does localisation of function mean?

Answer 18

Certain brain areas that ‘light up’ or are active during a particular tasks e.g. evil spot in brain that is active during feelings of jealousy
Have to be careful - can’t link an action to only 1 specific area of brain as each brain region participates in many functions

Question 19

What are chromosomes? How many do humans have?

Answer 19

Slender threads inside a cells nucleus that carrys genes
Humans have 46 - 23 from each parent

Question 20

Genotype vs phenotype

Answer 20

Genotype is the set of genes we have, phenotype is our observable traits.
Phenotypes are shaped by environmental factors

Question 21

Dominant vs recessive genes

Answer 21

D - masks other genes effects
R - expressed only in the absence of dominant genes

Question 22

What is behavioural adaptation?

Answer 22

Some organisms have adaptations to make them better suited to the environment
Fitness - survive and reproduce at higher rates than other organisms
Natural selection - the adaptations have a higher frequency in the population

Question 23

Brain evolution

Answer 23

Humans and apes shared a common ancestor 6-7 million years ago
Since, human brains have tripled in size, biggest increase in cerebral cortex
Relative brain size is associated with intelligence

Question 24

What is behavioural genetics?

Answer 24

Studies impact of nature and nurture on psychological traits
Estimates heritability, e.g. height is highly inheritable where religious affiliation is not

Question 25

What is heritability

Answer 25

The extent to which genes contribute to differences in a trait among individuals

Question 26

Misconceptions around heritability

Answer 26

It applies to a single individual - no, causes of differences to groups of people, not within 1 person
Tells us whether a trait can be changed - even if something has heritability rate of 100%, environment can still effect it
It’s a fixed number - depends on environmental influences