Daniel Et Al

Question 1

Hypothesis

Answer 1

If dysfunctions in the prefrontal cortex is related to dopamine problems in the brain then a substance that stimulates dopamine should increase activity in the prefrontal cortex during a cognitive task

Question 2

Method: design

Answer 2

Iv: whether patients were given amphetamine or not

Dv: performance on the WCST

Question 3

Sample

Answer 3

10 in patient
USA

Patients were stabilised for 6 weeks on a fixed dose of anti psychotics (haloperidol)

Question 4

procedure

Answer 4

5 people did the bar test first
5 did the WCST first
This in known as counterbalancing

Each participant either received a placebo or amphetamine

Question 5

Conclusion

Answer 5

Amphetamine significantly increased prefrontal cortex activity during the performance of the cognitive task

Overall the study showed the link between brain functions and key symptoms of schizophrenia in support of the biological theory

Question 6

Criticism

Answer 6

Sample size to small to draw a reliable conclusion. Difficult to generalise the results to others with schizophrenia

Culturally biased. Sample was from USA

Brain activity may have been affected by the haloperidol. It made it an extraneous variable that makes it harder to establish cause and effect