Topic 2: Pre-Adult Brain Development Evaluation Flashcards
Why is it important for researchers to control factors such as right-handedness, age, and gender in studies on risk-taking behavior?
These factors can influence brain activity and decision-making, so controlling them ensures that results are not affected by individual differences.
What are some ethical concerns regarding the use of fMRI scanning in research?
fMRI scans can cause discomfort or anxiety, especially for participants unfamiliar with the procedure. Additionally, parental consent is required for participants under 18.
Why might the gambling task used in studies pose an ethical concern?
It may encourage gambling outside the study, particularly since participants were rewarded with real money.
How can self-reports introduce bias when studying risk-taking behavior?
Participants may alter their responses due to social desirability bias, either exaggerating or downplaying their risk-taking depending on the situation.
What are the limitations of Barkley-Levenson’s study in terms of sample size and age groups?
The study had a small sample size and did not include a pre-adolescent group (12-18 years old), making it difficult to generalize the findings.
Why does the study lack ecological validity despite using objective measures?
The computerized gambling task does not fully replicate real-world risk-taking behavior, making it difficult to apply the findings outside a lab setting.
How does understanding neurological changes help in reducing adolescent risk-taking behavior?
It helps identify key brain regions, like the ventral striatum, which influence decision-making. This knowledge can be used to develop strategies to reduce risk-taking.
Why is the hypersensitivity of the ventral striatum significant in explaining teenage risk-taking?
The ventral striatum is more sensitive to rewards in adolescents, making them more likely to engage in risky behaviors for potential gains.
How can research on adolescent brain development be applied to real-world interventions, such as reducing dangerous driving?
Understanding risk-taking tendencies allows for targeted interventions, such as Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), which limits high-risk behaviors until neural development is more mature.
Why can risk-taking behavior in adolescents be seen as involving an element of free will?
Adolescents actively use reasoning and decision-making when evaluating risks, suggesting they have some level of control over their actions.
How does the Barkley-Levenson study support the idea that adolescents use reasoning in their decision-making?
The study shows that adolescents consider the expected value of a gamble before making a decision, indicating a cognitive process rather than purely impulsive behavior.
Why is Barkley-Levenson’s explanation of risk-taking considered reductionist?
It focuses solely on the activation of the ventral striatum, ignoring other social, emotional, and environmental factors that contribute to risk-taking behavior.
How does GDL treatment take a more holistic approach to reducing risk-taking in adolescents?
GDL considers multiple factors, such as limiting driving privileges, extending driving experience, and delaying exposure to high-risk situations until brain development is more mature.
What aspects of Barkley-Levenson’s study make it highly scientific?
The study used lab conditions, controlled variables, objective measures like brain scanning, and a replicable procedure, ensuring reliability.
Why is GDL considered less scientific compared to Barkley-Levenson’s study?
GDL is implemented in real-world settings, making it harder to establish clear cause-and-effect relationships.
How does the use of lab conditions and scientific measurements support psychology as a science?
It ensures objectivity, allows for replication, and provides precise measurements of brain activity and decision-making processes.
What is an example of patterns of neurological changes being influenced by the environment?
Synaptic pruning. The ‘use it or lose it’ principle means that the environment determines which skills are eliminated or used.
What findings from the Barkley-Levenson & Galván (2014) study suggest to support the nature debate of neural development?
They found that adolescents were highly sensitive to rewards in comparison to adults which suggests that sensitivity to rewards are a part of a natural process. However, it does not explore why there are changes in the brain.
How is risk-taking behaviour and its reduction influenced by environmental factors to support the nurture debate?
It has been discovered that being in a social group increases the reward factors of risky decisions. Restricting the influence of social and emotional context on decisions can reduce these risky decisions. For example, the GDL schemes.
How is risk-taking behaviour and its reduction influenced by environmental factors to support the nature debate?
Restrictions such as the GDL reduces the opportunity for risky decisions to be made while an adolescent so there is more time for the brain to fully mature.
