Focus Areas For Exam

Question 1

Strengths of GAS model

Answer 1

• measures a predictable pattern that can be measured in individuals
• tracks a biological pattern that can be observed in different types of stress

Question 2

Limitations of GAS model

Answer 2

• research was conducted on rats, difficult to generalise

- doesn’t account for individual differences or psychological factors

Question 3

Strengths of Transactional Model

Answer 3

• emphasises active role individuals have in stress
• emphasises persona, and individual nature of cognitive appraisal, helping explain different responses by individuals to same stressor

Question 4

Limitations of Transactional model

Answer 4

• subjective, variability and complexity of individual responses means less reliable
• primary and secondary appraisal can occur simultaneously.

Question 5

Problem Focused Coping

Answer 5

Looks at the causes of the stressor from a practical perspective and works ways to manage or change the stressful situation

• used when we perceive some control over the stressor
• examples: seeking information, pros vs cons

Question 6

Emotion Focused Coping

Answer 6

Trying to reduce the negative emotional feelings associated with the stressor

• used when we perceive little or no control over stressor
• examples: meditation, physical exercise, relaxation

Question 7

Brain Surgery - Henry Molaison

Answer 7

• Suffered from severe epilepsy and traditional treatment failed
• underwent brain surgery, removing amygdala, hippocampus and cortical tissue
• now suffered from anterograde amnesia

Question 8

What is Alzeihmers

Answer 8

• neurodegenerative disease characterised by gradual widespread degeneration of brain neurons
• causes decline in memory of cognitive and social skills
• often starts at the hippocampus

Question 9

Causes of Alzeihmers

Answer 9

• Amyloid Plaques: proteins that form among the axon terminals and interfere with neural communication
• Neurofibrillary Tangles: abnormal build up of protein inside neurons
• Reduced Acetylcholine: in areas of the brain associated with learning, memory and intellectual functioning
• Cortical Shrinkage: Damages areas involved, in thinking, planning and memory

Question 10

Effect of glutamate in synaptic plasticity

Answer 10

• promotes growth and strengthening of synaptic connections
• more often glutamate can excite and adjacent Neuron, more LTP
• LTP is an enduring form of synaptic plasticity

Question 11

Effect of adrenaline in the consolidation of emotionally arousing memories

Answer 11

• adrenaline helps stimulate the amygdala
• amygdala regulates emotions such as fear and aggression
• amygdala signals the hippocampus that long term storage of event should be strengthened

Question 12

Explicit Memories

Answer 12

Require conscious effort
- information can be consciously or unintentionally retrieved and stated

• Declarative Memories: store for factual information
• > semantic: knowledge of facts and concepts
• > episodic: information about specific events or personal experience

Question 13

Implicit Memories

Answer 13

Form unconsciously

• remembering involves unconscious/unintentional retrieval without awareness
• > procedural: knowing how to do something
• > classically conditioned: learned memory in which stimuli is associated with outcome

Question 14

Cerebral Cortex

Answer 14

• Processing STM
• Memories are linked to other memories
• Storage of memories

Question 15

Amygdala

Answer 15

• processing emotional memories

- retrieval of explicit (declarative) memories

Question 16

Hippocampus

Answer 16

Encodes explicit (declarative) memories

Question 17

Cerebellum

Answer 17

Encodes implicit (procedural) memories

Question 18

Characteristics of REM

Answer 18

• eyeballs move rapidly under closed eyelids
• brain is highly active (beta waves)
• often referred to as paradoxical sleep

Question 19

Characteristics of nREM 1

Answer 19

• some slow eye movements
• Hypnic jerks
• very light sleep and very brief

Question 20

Characteristics of nREM 2

Answer 20

• Decreased HR/BP/body movement
• breathing becomes more regular
• rolling eye movements stop

Question 21

Characteristics of nREM 3

Answer 21

• Moderately deep sleep
• continued decrease in bodily functions and relaxing of muscles
• difficult to wake and likely to be disorientated when woken

Question 22

Characteristics of nREM 4

Answer 22

• deepest sleep stage and very difficult to wake

- sleep inertia experienced when woken

Question 23

Partial Sleep Deprivation: Affective Function

Answer 23

• amplified emotional response
• confusion and irritability
• feelings of sadness and fatigue
• mood disturbances

Question 24

Partial sleep dep: behavioural

Answer 24

• slowed performance
• clumsiness
• difficulty performing simple monotonous tasks

Question 25

Partial sleep dep: cognitive

Answer 25

- difficulty paying attention and concentrating | - difficulty thinking, reasoning and decision making

Question 26

Partial sleep dep: physiological

Answer 26

- droopy eyelids - slower reflexes - lower energy levels - headaches - heightened sensitivity to pain

Question 27

Predisposing factors for mental disorders

Answer 27

Genetic vulnerability Low self efficacy Disorganised attachment

Question 28

Precipitating factors for mental disorders

Answer 28

Poor sleep and substance misuse Stress Loss of significant relationship

Question 29

Perpetuating factors for mental disorders

Answer 29

Poor response to medication Rumination and impaired reasoning and memory Stigma

Question 30

Biological factors in phobias

Answer 30

GABA dysfunction Role of stress response LTP

Question 31

Biological interventions

Answer 31

Benzodiazepines Physical exercise Breathing retraining

Question 32

Psychological factors for phobias

Answer 32

``` Classical and Operant Conditioning Cognitive bias (memory bias and catastrophic thinking) ```

Question 33

Psychological interventions

Answer 33

CBT | Systematic desensitisation

Question 34

Social factors for phobias

Answer 34

Specific environmental triggers | Stigma

Question 35

Social interventions

Answer 35

Psychoeducation