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psyco 275 > Intro to PSYCO 275 > Flashcards

Intro to PSYCO 275 Flashcards

1
Q

Biopsychologists

A

Measure biological, physiological, and genetic variables to relate to behavioural or psychological outcomes

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2
Q

Niko Tinbergen’s Four Questions

A

Offers categories of explanations for animal behaviour

  1. Mechanism = how does this behaviour occur in an individual?
  2. Ontogeny = how does this behaviour arise in an individual?
  3. Adaptive value = why is this behaviour adaptive for the species?
  4. Phylogeny = how does this behaviour arise in the species?
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3
Q

Reductionism

A

We study the brain using reductionist methods
We need to study the brain at its simplest components
Rely on non-human animal models or neuroimaging techniques
Allows scientists to confidently establish cause and effect, removing confounding variables

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4
Q

Advantages of Using Human Subjects

A 
Communication 
-provide feedback
-report experiences
-follow instructions 
Have human brain and behaviour
Low maintenance 
Cost-effective
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5
Q

Disadvantages of Using Human Subjects

A

Ethics limit reductionist methods
Attrition when studied repeatedly
Uncontrolled lifestyle
Disease transmission = new barrier with COVID 19

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6
Q

Comparative Approaches

A

Insight into the functional and behavioural differences of the brain using non-human subjects
There is homology in chemical and anatomical attributes
There are fundamental brain-behaviour interactions between species

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7
Q

Advantages of Using Non-Human Subjects

A 
Invasive = can study in vitro or in vivo
Direct measurements of brain and behaviour 
Can manipulate the brain 
Controlled lifestyles
Simple nervous systems
Less ethical constraints
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8
Q

Disadvantages of Using Non-Human Subjects

A

Cannot communicate
High maintenance
Ethics cost

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9
Q

How do we progress in science?

A

From converging operations
Use different approaches to focus on the same problem
Weakness in some approaches are made up by strengths of other approaches
Together can answer questions that not one approach can answer alone

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10
Q

The Goal of Descriptive Studies

A

To create a snapshot of the current state of affairs

Real-world

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11
Q

Advantages of Descriptive Studies

A

Provides a relatively complete picture of what is occurring at a given time
Allows the development of questions for further study
HIGH EXTERNAL VALIDITY

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12
Q

Disadvantages of Descriptive Studies

A

Does not assess relationships among variables
May be unethical if participants do not know they are being observed
LOW INTERNAL VALIDITY

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13
Q

The Goal of Correlational Studies

A

To assess the relationships between and among two or more variables

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14
Q

Advantages of Correlational Studies

A

Allows testing of expected relationships between and among variables and the making of predictions
Can assess these relationships in everyday life events
HIGH EXTERNAL VALIDITY

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15
Q

Disadvantages of Correlational Studies

A

Cannot be used to draw inferences about the causal relationships between and among variables
LOW INTERNAL VALIDITY

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16
Q

The Goal of Experimental Studies

A

To assess the causal impact of one or more experimental manipulations on a dependent variable

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17
Q

Advantages of Experimental Studies

A

Allows drawing of conclusions about the causal relationships among variables
HIGH INTERNAL VALIDITY

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18
Q

Disadvantages of Experimental Studies

A

Cannot experimentally manipulate many important variables
It May be expensive and time-consuming
LOW EXTERNAL VALIDITY

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19
Q

Experiments

A

Study causation
Randomly assign subjects into control and experimental groups
Manipulate an independent variable
-observe and measure the effects of manipulation

20
Q

Within Subjects Design

A

All participants take part in every condition

Disadvantage = repeated measures = practice or adaptation effects

21
Q

Between Subjects Design

A

Different people test each condition

22
Q

Why do we want to keep experiments simple?

A

To avoid confounding or extraneous variables
Treatment of the control vs experimental conditions should be the exact same outside of the manipulation of the independent variable

23
Q

Correlational Research

A

Quasi-Experimental Studies
Take measurement of 2 or more variables from the same individual and relate them
-eg. alcohol consumption and brain volume
-would be unethical to assign groups, we need already assigned groups

24
Q

Correlation vs Causation

A

Correlation does not equal causation

Groups are self-assigned (in the alcohol case) and cannot control for confounding variables

25
Q

Ways to control for potential confounding variables

A

Multivariate analysis
Multiple regression is a statistical technique based on correlation coefficients among variables
Take more than 2 measurements per individual

26
Q

Case Study Research

A

Focus on a single subject
In-depth
Informative and valuable in combination with experiments

27
Q

Downfalls of Case Study Research

A

Cannot generalize

Cannot establish cause-effect

28
Q

Descriptive and Quasi-experimental findings in combination with experimental findings

A

Valuable

Additional “real” experiments can establish cause and effect

29
Q

Validity of Biopsychological Claims

A

We need to think critically about claims
Scientific inference based off empirical observations to piece together unobservable phenomena
Need to consider: Is this peer-reviewed? Is it pseudoscience?

30
Q

Main Premise of Evolutionary Psychology

A

Neural circuits evolved over natural selection

  • some adapted unconsciously
  • solve complex problems
  • adaptive to reproduction and survival
31
Q

Analogous Traits

A

Results from convergent evolution

-similar solutions to same environmental problems

32
Q

Homologous Traits

A

Came from the same origin

33
Q

Brain Expansion over Human Evolution

A

Rapid
Increased brain size in humans suggests increased brain size offers fitness advantages
Neocortex and other regions showed growth

34
Q

Does Brain Size Determine our Intelligence?

A

Brain size does not equal IQ
Relative brain size is the best predictor of intelligence in primates
-the best way to show investment in cognition

35
Q

Best Wa to Predict Intelligence based on Brain Structure

A

Relative cerebrum to brain stem best prediction of intelligence
-increase in cerebellum and cerebrum size and convolutions

36
Q

What determines our traits?

A

A mixture of nature (genetics) and nurture (environment)

37
Q

Heterochromatin

A

Blocked from transcription

38
Q

Euchromatin

A

Open to transcription

39
Q

Epigenetics

A

Regulation of gene expression by experience

40
Q

How much DNA encodes genes?

A

only 1%
The rest are non-coding RNA (regulatory coding)
Regulatory sequences for expression/repression of genes

41
Q

Epigenetic Control of Gene Expression by Modifications to DNA or Histone

A

Methylation of DNA and histones

Histone acetylation

42
Q

Methylation of DNA and Histones

A

Causes nucleosomes to pack tightly together

Transcription factors cannot bind the DNA and genes are not expressed

43
Q

Histone Acetylation

A

Results in loose packing of nucleosomes

Transcription factors can bind the DNA and genes are expressed

44
Q

Gene-environment regulates methylation and histone acetylation (how?)

A 
Lifestyle
-exercise/diet
Can be transgenerational
-stress
-alcohol consumption
45
Q

Epigenetics in Gene Studies

A

Epigenetic changes are a byproduct of experience and not genetics
Genetically identical twins are not epigenetically identical
-similar in early life and diverge with age
-depending on tissue type
-monozygotic twins are not genetically identical

psyco 275 (9 decks)

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