sem 1 final: part 1 Flashcards
Evolution
Evolution refers to organisms changing from generation to generation as a result of a change in heritable characteristics. The theory of evolution states that biological organisms are motivated by survival and reproduction. Natural selection plays a role in increasing the characteristics within a population that are better adapted to their environment over a specific period of time. Disgust is an example of an evolutionary response that is theorized to have been passed down from our ancestors in order to protect against eating something that is harmful, which is investigated in the Fessler study.
Fessler study
The Fessler study aimed to find out if disgust helps compensate for a suppressed immune system in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. The experiment involved asking women to rank 32 disgusting scenarios based on how repulsed they were by them. The results showed that women in their 1st trimester of pregnancy had higher disgust sensitivity than women who were in their 2nd/3rd trimester of pregnancy. Note: fetuses are the most suspectible to disease in the first trimester of pregnancy.
fMRI technique
Functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI scans, measure brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. The technique relies on the fact that neurons and blood flow are correlated; when an area of the brain is in use, blood flow to that region increases and chemical changes occur. A study utilizing fMRI scans is the Fisher et al study.
Fisher et al study
The Fisher et al study aimed to test whether there are specific neural mechanisms associated with romantic love. The participants, which included 10 women and 7 men, completed an interview measuring the intensity/duration of their relationship. Then, the participants looked at photos of their partner for 30 seconds while their brain was being scanned by an fMRI scanner. The results showed that the participants experienced increased brain activity while looking at photos of their partner. Additionally, participants who were described as more passionately in love, had more active brain reward circuitry.
Genes
Genes refer to the information that determines an individual’s traits and are the framework for how they may act within an environment. Inherited genes contribute to the complex behaviors humans exhibit such as communication skills, mental disorders, or intelligence. Genetic relatedness measures the similarities between two individuals’ DNA sequence to determine how related they are to each other. A study that explores genes is the Minnesota Twins study.
Minnesota Twins study
The Minnesota Twins study aimed to test if the environment and genetics play a role in the human characteristic of intelligence. The study involved comparing 100 sets of twins, specifically those raised together versus those who were raised apart. The study found that 70% of intelligence can be attributed to genetic inheritance and 30% can be attributed to alternative factors. This conclusion was made because concordance rates for intelligence were higher in twins raised apart than fraternal twins raised together.
Experiments
An experiment is an investigation where hypotheses are scientifically tested. Experiments use independent variables, which is what is manipulated in the investigation, and dependent variables, which is what is measured in the investigation. Experiments also include controlled variables, which are variables held constant throughout the experiment to prevent it from influencing the outcome. A study utlizing an experiment is the Loftus & Palmer study.
Debriefing
Debriefing refers to the researcher explaining the aim and possible deception within the experiment to the participants, once the experiment is over. The purpose of debriefing is to prevent psychological morbidity, which is essential in maintaining an ethical standard.
