Biological Approach

Question 1

Phrenology

Answer 1

Field of science where scientists would take notes on the personality and intelligence of people and then compare these notes to the size and shape of their brain once they died. For the majority of the 19th century.

Question 2

Brain localization

Answer 2

Refers to the idea that the brain is made up of specialized modules, and that each module has a certain function.

Question 3

PET Scans

Answer 3

Positron Emission Tomography: inject the subject with radioactive glucose. The glucose is a source of energy, and being radioactive, it can then be detected by the PET machine. The most active parts of the brain use the most glucose, and this is shown in a PET scan. After the scan is complete, a colored map of brain activity is produced.

Question 4

MRI

Answer 4

Magnetic Resonance Imaging: a powerful magnet, which can track the flow of the oxygenated blood to different parts of the brain. More active parts of the brain require more oxygen, and so blood flow (which carries oxygen to the brain) will be more concentrated in more active regions.

Question 5

fMRI

Answer 5

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: allows for many images to be taken in a short period of time. This allows for a “movie” of brain activity, showing which parts of the brain become active on a moment-by-moment basis.

Question 6

Brain Technology Uses

Answer 6

Compare brain activity between two “groups” of people
Investigate which parts of the brain are involved in specific thoughts & behaviors (localization)

Question 7

Advantages of PET scans

Answer 7

• Many people find PET scans to be less claustrophobic than the MRI, since the machine consists of an open ring, rather than a closed chamber
• Unlike the MRI, in which participants must keep completely still, minor movements do not affect the results of a PET scan

Question 8

Disadvantages of PET scans

Answer 8

• The images produced by PET scans are of lower resolution compared with the MRI
• PET scans involve injection of a radioactive substance, which not all participants are comfortable with

Question 9

Advantages of MRI scans

Answer 9

• Images produced by MRI scans are of high resolution
• Many hospitals already have an MRI scanner for medical purposes, so no additional equipment is required

Question 10

Disadvantages of MRI scans

Answer 10

• Small movements can ruin MRI scans, so participants must keep completely still
• Many people find MRI machines to be claustrophobic

Question 10

Limitations of PET and fMRI

Answer 10

• Multiple areas of the brain “light up” in any situation, making interpretation difficult.
• Brain areas activate for multiple reasons
• Results are correlational
• fMRI measures changes in oxygenated blood flow, not neural activity
• Brain scans are not a natural environment, so ecological validity may be low

Question 11

Neuroplasticity

Answer 11

the brain’s ability to adapt by forming new connections as a result of experience, learning, or following an injury

Question 12

Dendrites

Answer 12

Tree like branches that carry signals from one neuron to the next. Whenever you learn something new, your neurons form new connections with other neurons, and a new pathway in the brain is established

Question 12

Dendritic branching

Answer 12

the process by which the dendrites of one neuron branch out to establish connections with other neurons

Question 13

Neural network

Answer 13

The sum total of all your brain’s neurons, and the connections between them

Question 14

Serotonin

Answer 14

• Neurotransmitter
• Mood: plays a large role in regulating your mood, including your level of anxiety, happiness, and well-being.
• Sexual function. Taking medications that increase the level of serotonin (such as antidepressants) causes a decrease in sexual function. Conversely, low levels of serotonin in the intoxicated state are associated with high levels of sexual aggression

Question 15

Dopamine

Answer 15

• Neurotransmitter
• Movement and speech: plays an important role in facilitating movement and speech
• Pleasure, reward and learning: When people expect or receive a reward levels of dopamine increase in the brain. This results in feelings of pleasure and reward, prompting us to alter our behavior to get more of that reward in the future.
• Addiction: Addictive drugs cause huge increases in dopamine levels, leading to the “high” that people feel. Dopamine causes the brain to associate drug use with feelings of reward. This motivates people to do the drug again and again

Question 16

Neurotransmitters

Answer 16

• chemical messengers that transmit signals between nerve cells (neurons) and other cells, like muscles and glands
• released into the synapse between two synapses in the brain

Question 17

Hormones

Answer 17

• chemical messengers produced by the body’s endocrine glands that travel through the bloodstream to target cells and tissues, regulating various physiological processes

Question 18

Testosterone

Answer 18

• Released in male testes and to a lesser extent in female ovaries
• Male sexual development. All of the changes that occur in boys during puberty - such as voice deepening, increased penis size, muscle development and growth of facial hair - are linked to testosterone. High levels of testosterone play a role in the male sex drive.
• Dominance and status seeking. High levels of testosterone are believed to play a role in status seeking behaviors, such as increased competitiveness.
• Aggression. Since testosterone is linked to status-seeking, it can also play a role in aggression, especially when two males are competing for the same position or resources.

Question 19

Pheromones

Answer 19

• airborne chemical messengers released by the body
• have physical or emotional effects on other members of the same species

Question 20

Genes

Answer 20

• Inherited from parents
• serves as the building blocks of our brains and bodies

Question 21

Environment

Answer 21

encompasses all of the experiences you’ve had in your lifetime

Question 22

Nature Vs Nurture

Answer 22

• explores the extent to which an individual’s characteristics and behaviors are shaped by their genetic makeup (nature) or their environment and experiences (nurture)
• Utilizes twin studies

Question 23

Twin Studies

Answer 23

Limitations - Monozygotic twins (MZ) and Dizygotic twins (DZ) may not grow up in equally similar environments. Twin studies are based on the "equal environments assumption" - that twins (both MZ and DZ) share roughly the same environment. But that is probably not true. - Genes and the environment affect each other. Most twin studies operate on the assumption that genes and the environment are two separate sets of factors. However, an increasing body of research suggests that genes and the environment influence each other.

Question 24

Epigenetics

Answer 24

- the study of how the environment affects gene expression - Depending on your life experiences and environment, different genes can become turned "on" and "off", determining which genes take effect. One way this happens is through methyl groups, which wrap around a gene and prevent it from being expressed.

Question 25

Natural Selection

Answer 25

1. Genetic Mutation: When DNA makes copies of itself through reproduction, the DNA code is not copied exactly - small errors occur 2. Competition for scarce resources: 3. Natural and sexual selection: Since staying alive in pre-modern times was difficult, only those humans with the "best" genes were able to survive and reproduce. Because survival was so difficult, natural selection ensured that only "good" genes - those that increase the odds of survival - get passed down to the next generation.Competition for mates is often fierce - and so genes that increase the chances of attracting mates and successfully reproducing will be passed on, a process known as sexual selection. 4: Differential Reproduction: The forces of natural and sexual selection ensure that only those with "good genes" are able to survive, attract mates, and raise many healthy children 5: Heritability of traits: Finally, the next generation inherits traits - transmitted through genes - that helped their ancestors survive and reproduce.