Biological

Question 1

what is meant by the term, “evolution”?

Answer 1

• changes of species throughout time
• links to the environment and adaptations (how we have adapted over time)

Question 2

what is meant by the term, “neurotransmitters”?

Answer 2

• chemical/electric impulses
• sent around the body to send messages

Question 3

what is meant by the term, “central nervous system”?

Answer 3

nerves that are everywhere and move around the body
- consists of the brain ans spinal cord

Question 4

what is meant by the term, “recreational drugs”?

Answer 4

taking drugs for enjoyment rather than medical reasons

Question 5

what is meant by the term, “neurons”?

Answer 5

nerve cells that allow you to do everything
- enable messages to be passed around the body

Question 6

what is meant by the term, “hormones”?

Answer 6

things that release in your body such as estrogen and testosterone

Question 7

what is meant by the term, “aggression”?

Answer 7

acting in a violent or aggressive way
can be physical or verbal

Question 8

what is meant by biological psychology?

Answer 8

Biological Psychology examines the brain structure and functions on our behaviour
- therefore, they try to identify specific parts of the brain which are involved in controlling behaviour
- Biological psychology believe that the largest influence on our behaviour is genetics

Question 9

What does PET scanning stand for?

Answer 9

Positron Emission Tomography

Question 10

what are PET scans used for?

Answer 10

• they are used to produce detailed three dimensional images of the inside of the body
• doctors use it to find tumours, diagnose heart disease and brain disorders and other conditions

Question 11

What do PET scans use?

Answer 11

• PET scans uses a small amount of radiation to scan the inside of your body
• this is used to diagnose and plan treatments for conditions such as cancer

Question 12

What do PET scans detect?

Answer 12

• early signs of cancer, heart disease and brain conditions
• it involves an injection of a safe radioactive tracer (which is injected into the body) that helps detect diseased cells

Question 13

what is the name for the radioactive tracer used in PET scans?

Answer 13

Fluorodeoxyglucose
- this measures activities in the brain

Question 14

what is meant by invasive?

Answer 14

something entering your body

Question 15

what are the strengths of using a PET scan?

Answer 15

STRENGTH=
- it is a reasonably non-invasive way of studying the inside of the brain and body
- the individual has to have the radioactive tracer injected, which is invasive, but the images are taken from the outside of the body, which is less dangerous and distressing than surgery
- surgery for research purposes is carried out used animals, so scans using humans are more ethical for that reason
- therefore, PET scanning is a reasonable and ethical non-invasive way of researching the brain
STRENGTH=
- as with all scanning techniques, there is VALIDITY, the scan can measure what it claims to measure
- it is not easy to check validity when it comes to cognitive functions, such as using language
- however, when speech is studied using PET scans it was confirmed what was previously thought to be the area for speech (found by examining the brains of people who had speech problems when they died) was indeed the area of activity
- so scanning seems to have a valid measure
STRENGTH=
- PET scanning is reliable because it can be repeated and the same results found again
- this can be tested, for example when someone speaks, the same area of the brain is used
- the same areas of the brain are consistently found for different activities, which makes the method reliable

Question 16

what are the weaknesses of using a PET scan?

Answer 16

WEAKNESS=
- the use of a radioactive tracer is an invasive procedure and so there are ethical implications for the individual
- the researcher must follow ethical guidelines carefully
- injecting someone with a substance is not something to be done lightly
- there has to be informed consent and a good reason for carrying it out
- the scan itself can make people panic because of having one’s head in a tube can be a claustrophobic experience so this must be fully explained to the participant
WEAKNESS=
- although the activity shows up quite clearly on the image, it is difficult to isolate different brain functioning precisely
- e.g., people can read passage of test while being scanned, but they would almost certaintly be using other parts of their brain as well
- PET scans are valid to a point, it is hard to claim from a scan exactly what part of the brain is performing which function, and this is often the aim of the research
- consequently the validity of any findings can be criticised

Question 17

what does FMRI scanning stand for?

Answer 17

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Question 18

what does FMRI scanning measure?

Answer 18

it measures the small changes in blood flow that occur with brain activity

Question 19

what is FMRI mainly used for?

Answer 19

• it may be used to examine which parts of the brain are handling critical functions, evaluate the effects of stroke or other disease, or to guide brain treatment

Question 20

what do doctors use FMRI scans for?

Answer 20

• to learn how a normal, diseased or injured brain is working

Question 21

what does FMRI scanning use?

Answer 21

• MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the brain.
• this measures the blood and oxygen levels in the brain
• picked up through radio signals

Question 22

what are the strengths of FMRI scanning?

Answer 22

STRENGTH=
- there is no danger from radiation, unlike CAT scanning and to an extent PET scanning
- from the 1900s, FMRI has ben the main type of scan chosen because there is no invasion or surgery and no radiation exposure
STRENGTH=
- the detection of blood flow is very precise and so even the slight changes can be detected
- this means that for medical use, FMRI is very good at detecting issues around strokes
- also the sensitivity to blood flow changes makes FMRI very good for looking at brain structure and brain functioning when it comes to learning about the brain
- cognitive tasks can be carried out and the brain areas in use are identified clearly

Question 23

what are the weaknesses of FMRI scanning?

Answer 23

WEAKNESS=
- FMRI scan cannot look at the actual receptors of neurotransmitters, whereas PET scans can, so FMRI scans are not suitable for everything that a PET scan can do
WEAKNESS=
- there can be problems with using FMRI scanning, too much head movement can distort the imaging
WEAKNESS= if an FMRI is used to see where certain types of information processing takes place in the brain, and the idea is to measure the brain at rest and then the brain when using that functioning, there is an issue in that the brain is never at rest
- it is not easy to gather a baseline measure
- for example, even breathing is an activity that requires processing in the brain
WEAKNESS=
- there are risks when undergoing an FMRI scan, such as to those who have pacemakers and more generally because of the issues such as claustrophobia
- scanning is not risk free
- e.g. there can be tingling felt when magnetic fields switch during the scan

Question 24

what does CAT scanning stand for?

Answer 24

computed axial tomography

Question 25

what does CAT scanning use?

Answer 25

- it is a non - invasive procedure that uses advanced x ray technology to provide detailed images of inside of the human body - it is used to see abnormality of the structure of the brain

Question 26

what can a CAT scan detect?

Answer 26

- tumours, including benign and cancerous tumours - fractures - internal bleeding - heart disease - blood clots - other internal injuries or damage

Question 27

what do doctors use CAT scans for?

Answer 27

- to diagnose disease or injury and to plan medical, surgical or radiation treatment

Question 28

what are the strengths of CAT scanning?

Answer 28

STRENGTH= - cat scanning is less harmful than PET scans, which use radioactive tracer, although x - rays can be damaging so are used infrequently - a CAT scan can detect changes in physical structures to quite a good level and so it is valuable when looking for tumours of haemorrhages (particularly as it produced a 3D image, which helps diagnosis (used in medicine not psychology) - can also be used in industry, therefore meaning it has wide application, including studying damage to the brain of individuals to help with the study of the brain STRENTGTH= - a CAT scan is not painful at all and is non - invasive, which means there is no need to "enter" the body, although if a dye is used, that is not entirely the case

Question 29

what are the weaknesses for CAT scanning?

Answer 29

WEAKNESS= - MRI gives a clearer picture when it comes to examining causes of headache for example and is more likely to be used when scanning the brain, as it fits more with the need in psychology WEAKNESS= - it involves x - raying, which can cause damage, notably cancers - a known feature of this type of scanning, so they are used sparingly - this means as a method of studying the brain for research purposes, it would be a suggested method - the radiation someone is normally exposed to in a year is experienced in one CAT scan