BLOA: STUDIES - NAME/EXPLANATION Flashcards
NEWCOMER ET AL 1999
The role of stress hormone cortisol in three groups: 1 lots of cortisol, 2 little cortisol, 3 placebo. Groups heard a poem and had to recall it: group 1 did much worse than 2 &and 3.
ROSENZWEIG ET AL
Environmental factors on brain plasticity in rats: 1 many toys in rich environment, 2 no toys, poor environment. The rats were then killed and their brains scanned: group 1 had more neurons in the brain than 2.
BOUCHARD ET AL 1990
Minnesota twin study: the role of heritage on IQ: MZ twins that grew up together and those that grew apart. Results showed MZT had the same IQ rate of 85% while MZThad 75%.
Case study of HM
HM was a person who suffered from epilepsy, and had a surgery to correct it. A part of the hippocampus was removed. After, HM started suffering from amnesia, couldn’t create new memories. This shows that the hippocampus is closely related to memory.
Martinez and Kesner 1991
Acetylcholine and memory: rats trained to run a maze, three groups: 1. ACh blocked 2. enhanced ACh 3. control group. Results showed 2 was very fast, 1 was very slow, meaning that ACh makes for better memory.
Baumgartner et al 2008
Oxytocin and trust: participants received money and decided whether or not to share it. When shared, money is tripled. Then the trustee decides whether or not to share it again. Two groups: oxytocin and placebo. Oxytocin group shared even after being betrayed, placebo showed less trust.
Macguire et al
Taxi drivers and volume of hippocampus: London taxi drivers have to undergo a training of two years, where they memorise the streets of London to be able to drive without a map. Their brains were scanned and compared to normal male pre existing scans. Results show the driver’s hippocampi were much larger in volume.
Davidson et al 2004
Meditation and brain activity: two groups: 1 monks of many years of meditation 2 students no experience. Participants asked to meditate and focus on compassion. Recordings of their brains showed that monks’ brain waves were more organised.
Poulsen et al
Meditation and brain structure: 1 non meditative 2 meditative, MRI scans. Structural changes were found in areas connected to respiration control.
Ashtari et al
MRI SCANS: Marijuana on brain development. Scanned the brains of young men with a history of mariajuana usage and those without. Results showed abnormalities in the brains of the users and developmental issues.
Fiske et al 2006
fMRI: students were shown pictures of extreme outgroups while being scanned. The brain area related to disgust was activated when shown pictures of these extreme outgroups.
BOUCHARD ET AL 1990
Minnesota twin study: the role of heritage on IQ: MZ twins that grew up together and those that grew apart. Results showed MZT had the same IQ rate of 85% while MZT had 75%.
Caspi et al 2003
Gene and depression: compared those with the normal gene and mutated gene. Found that the mutated gene group was more likely to get depressed after a stressful event.
Fessler et at 2005
Disgust in pregnant women: a web survey by some 700 women, who graded their nausea and tested the disgust sensitivy in different areas (e.g. food, animals). Findings show disgust was higher in the first trimester, particularly in food. The disgust makes sure women don’t eat dangerous things and stay away from things that are not good for survival.
