Biological Approach

Question 1

MRI

Answer 1

• Uses a magnetic field & radio waves to map the activity of hydrogen molecules, which are present in different brain tissue to different degrees.
• The image can either be viewed as a slice of the brain from any angle, or it can be used to create a 3D image of the brain.

Question 2

Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM)

Answer 2

A technique using MRI that allows researchers to measure to the volume of areas of the brain

Question 3

Localisation

Answer 3

The theory that specific parts of the brain are responsible for specific behaviours or cognitive processes.

Question 4

Lateralisation

Answer 4

The fact that the two halves of the brain are functionally different, & that each hemisphere has functional specialisations

Question 5

Plasticity

Answer 5

The brain’s ability to alter its own structure following changes within the body or in the external environment.

Question 6

Neuroplasticity

Answer 6

The brain’s ability to alter its own structure following changes within the body or in the external environment.

Question 7

Neural Pruning

Answer 7

When a synapse is not used or is under-stimulated

Question 8

Neural Network

Answer 8

• An interconnected set of units, each unit simulating a single neuron or coherent ensemble of neurons
• Each connection simulates an axon or set of axons communicating activity from one unit to another.

Question 9

Long-Term Potentiation

Answer 9

Synapses become stronger through repeated use

Question 10

Dendritic Branching

Answer 10

• Every time we learn something new; the neurons connect to create a new trace in the brain

Question 11

Memory Consolidation

Answer 11

The process by which the brain turns short-term memories into long-term memories

Question 12

Acetylcholine

Answer 12

Plays a role in the consolidation of memory in the hippocampus
Antagonist = Scopolamine

Question 13

Antagonist

Answer 13

Drugs that block the receptor site & do not allow the neurotransmitter to do its job, so no action potential is sent down the neuron.

Question 14

Synapse

Answer 14

The neurotransmitters are then released into the gap between the neuron

Question 15

Agonists

Answer 15

• 2 types (Endogenous & Exogenous)
• May prevent the inhibition of a neuron

Question 16

Endogenous Agonist

Answer 16

• Any biological chemical that binds to a receptor site.
• This may be a hormone (such as oxytocin, which sometimes acts as a neurotransmitter) or a neurotransmitter (such as serotonin, dopamine, or acetylcholine).

Question 17

Exogenous Agonist

Answer 17

• Drugs that attach to a receptor site of a neurotransmitter & excite the neuron.

Question 18

Excitatory Synapses

Answer 18

When a neurotransmitter increases the likelihood that the neuron will fire an action potential.

Question 19

Inhibitory Synapses

Answer 19

When a neurotransmitter decreases the likelihood that the neuron will fire an action potential.

Question 20

Testosterone

Answer 20

• Produced by testes
• Role: Preventing aggressive behaviour

Question 21

Inheritance

Answer 21

Characteristics or qualities that we receive from our parents through genes.

Question 22

GWAS

Answer 22

An examination of genetic variants in a large sample of individuals to see if any variant is associated with a trait.

Question 23

Epigenetics

Answer 23

Genes are turned on and off (expressed/not expressed)

Question 24

Diathesis Stress Model

Answer 24

Attempts to explain a disorder as the result of an interaction between a predisposition & stress caused by life experiences.

Question 25

Adoption Studies

Answer 25

- Researchers investigate similarities between the adoptee & their biological & adoptive parents. - Similarity with the biological parent is potentially the result of genetic inheritance - Similarity with the adoptive parent is more likely the result of environmental factors.

Question 26

Natural Selection

Answer 26

- The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive & produce more offspring.

Question 27

Sexual Selection

Answer 27

- Members of one biological sex choose mates of the other sex to mate with (intersexual selection) & compete with members of the same sex for access to members of the opposite sex (intrasexual selection).

Question 28

Adaptation

Answer 28

The adjustment or changes in behaviour, physiology, & structure of an organism to become more suited to an environment.

Question 29

Kinship Studies

Answer 29

- Measure the frequency of a behaviour across generations. - Measure the frequency of a behaviour within a generation. - Often longitudinal. - Use case-control studies. Case-control studies are retrospective. They clearly define two groups at the start: one with the behaviour/disorder and one without the behaviour/disorder.