The biological approach Flashcards
biological approach
Assumes everything that is psychological was first biological
The nervous system is prominent within this approach and damage to it can result in behaviour and physical changes
Genes and neurochemistry play an important part in deciding who we are.
Influence of biology on behaviour
Biological structures and processes within the body has a big effect on our psychological functioning and behaviour.
Biological psychologists argue that the mind lives within the biological structure of the brain - our thoughts have a physical basis.
Neurochemistry
the study of the chemical makeup and activities of nervous tissue. is the study of brain chemicals and how they affect how we think, feel, and behave. It connects to psychology because these chemicals influence mental health, emotions, and behaviors, helping psychologists understand and treat conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Neuronatomy
the study of the relationship between structure and function in the nervous system.- One area controls how we see and another area controls our movement.- Structure of the nervous system- the brain.
evolution
how animals change over millions of years. One time their was only small one-celled organisms on the planet which has evolved over time in what they are today.
Lateralisation of the brain function
When certain brain functions to be located in just one side or the other
You don’t just use one side of your brain, but one side of the brain is more dominant for some functions like left side language- eg if right side is damaged it won’t affect your language
genes
he basic units of heredity that are passed down from parents to their children. Each gene is made of strands of DNA- deoxyribonucleic acid
They carry instructions relating to the physical and non physical characteristics of living organisms
The characterises relate to the colour of your hair of if u have a calm temperament
The human genome project
is an international research project whose primary mission is to decipher the chemical sequence of the complete human genetic material (i.e., the entire genome), identify all 50,000 to 100,000 genes contained within the genome, and provide research tools to analyse all this genetic information.
genotype
refers to an individuals actual; genetic make up. It is what you inherit from your parents - food you eat affects your body’s internal environment.
phenotype
an interaction between genotype and environmental influence. Known as epigenetic.- How genes are expressed.
The Jim twins 1940
didn’t meet till fifty years old
weird similarities
how to identify the sex from different creatures
Turtles and crocodiles- hot temperature male and cold temperature female
Lizards are all female and hatch clones of themselves
About extraverts and introverts
Being one of these is defined as ‘distinct characteristics that make up personality. Some biological influences decide this
Psychologists believe extraverts inherit underachieve nervous system, so have to arouse it they have experience of of constant excitement- engaging in risky behaviour
How they calculate a heritability estimate
Researchers have used monozygotic and dizygotic twins to calculate a heritably estimate a figure indicating the degree to which a physical or psychological characteristic is genetically inherited
Characteristics explained by genes
physical appearance- height, hair colour, skin colour
Health- likelihood of getting. disease like anaemia/cystic fibrosis
personality trates like extrovert or impulsivity- 30/60%
Neuroticism- 40/60%
What is localisation
Idea that there are specific areas to control and regukate specific physical and psychological activities
The motor area
Brain outer layer is called the cortex, it’s very thin and a highly folded layer that covers the inner structures like an orange peel. Each hemisphere has a motor area which controls the voluntary movements of the opposite side of the body. Damage can cause a loss of control over fine movements
The visual area
back of the brain in both hemisphere. Each eye sends info from the right half of the visual field to the left visual area and from the left half of the brain to the right visual area -opposites . Reason why damage to one eye causes partial blindness
Brain plasticity
Meaning its plastic meaning its flexible and can change throughout life
2 examples over with humans:
Synaptic pruning- synapses are the connections in the brain between neuron’s. At 3 years kid we have roughly 15,000, twice as many as the adult brain. Synapses are ‘prunes’ to make space and strengthen with learning.
Functional recovery- when areas of the brain are damaged, unaffected areas can often adapt and tame over their functions.
Who is Phineas P Gage-1860
functional recovery. was an American railroad construction foreman remembered for his improbable[B1]: 19 survival of an accident in which a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain’s left frontal lobe, and for that injury’s reported effects on his personality and behaviour over the remaining 11/12 years of his life—effects sufficiently profound that friends saw him (for a time at least) as “no longer Gage”. He was able to talk immediately after. And died of a stoke/ epileptic seizure. Before the accident he was calm and polite but after the accident he became very angry/ tolerance.
Sex differences are male and female brains the same
Total brain volume is greater (on average) in males- they have bigger brains
But it isn’t just the entire brain volume is bigger, specific parts change depending on sex
Eg- thalamus is bigger in females (controls signals to organs), stronger nerve connections between the brain hemispheres in women
On average- cortex is thicker in women. However their is a larger thickness variation in men(meaning between men they have a big difference in sizes between them).
Serotonin
SSRIs block the reuptake process, which is when serotonin is usually taken back into brain cells after carrying a signal. This makes more serotonin available to help pass messages between brain cells.
adrenaline
Adrenaline is a hormone that’s released by the adrenal glands in response to stress or danger to prepare the body for a “fight or flight” response
Cortisol
During times of stress, your body can release cortisol after releasing its “fight or flight” hormones, such as adrenaline, so you continue to stay on high alert
oestrogen
Is main female sex hormone- reproductive health, bone health and skin. Controls development of female sexual characteristics (breasts) and the menstrual cycle.
What does the frontal lobe control
Controls many abilities- cognitive processes, language, movement, personality, social skills and memory
Parietal lobe
Processing sensory information, spatial processing, integrating sensory input and touch perception
Temporal lobe controls..
memory, hearing and language, visual perception, emotions, senses and memory/ information retrieval
Occpitailobe controls..
Visual processing- visual perception, objective and facial recognition, language and reading
