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WJEC Psychology > Component 1 - Bio approach > Flashcards

Component 1 - Bio approach Flashcards

1
Q

What does the evolutionary approach in psychology focus on?

A

How behaviour has evolved to solve problems of survival and reproduction in the environment of evolutionary adaptiveness

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2
Q

What is natural selection?

A

Genetically determined behaviours that help survival and reproduction are passed on to future generations.

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3
Q

Give an example of an adaptive behaviour explained by natural selection.

A

Altruism — parents risking their lives to save their children.

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4
Q

What is the EEA in evolutionary psychology?

A

The Environment of Evolutionary Adaptiveness — the environment humans adapted to around 2 million years ago.

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5
Q

Why did humans develop large brains according to the evolutionary approach?

A

To manage complex social relationships, which improved survival chances.

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6
Q

What does localisation of brain function mean?

A

Specific areas of the brain are responsible for specific functions.

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7
Q

What does the frontal lobe control?

A

Thinking, creativity, and personality.

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8
Q

What is the main function of the parietal lobe?

A

Processing sensory information like touch, pain, and temperature.

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9
Q

What does the temporal lobe do?

A

Processes memory and auditory information (like speech).

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10
Q

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

A

Visual processing.

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11
Q

What is Broca’s area responsible for?

A

Speech production.

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12
Q

Where is Broca’s area located?

A

In the left frontal lobe.

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13
Q

What does Wernicke’s area control?

A

Language comprehension.

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14
Q

Where is Wernicke’s area found?

A

In the left temporal lobe.

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15
Q

What are neurotransmitters?

A

Chemical messengers that transmit signals between neurons at synapses.

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16
Q

What is the synaptic cleft?

A

The tiny gap (about 20 nm) between neurons where neurotransmitters travel.

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17
Q

What role does serotonin play in mental health?

A

It regulates mood, sleep, and appetite. Low levels are linked to depression.

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18
Q

What is the link between dopamine and schizophrenia?

A

High dopamine levels are associated with schizophrenic symptoms.

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19
Q

What are the 3 main types of psychoactive drugs?

A

Antipsychotics, Antidepressants, Antianxiety drugs.

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20
Q

What do conventional antipsychotics do?

A

Block dopamine receptors without stimulating them—reduce positive symptoms like hallucinations.

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21
Q

How do atypical antipsychotics differ from conventional ones?

A

Temporarily block dopamine receptors and then release—fewer side effects.

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22
Q

How do SSRIs (antidepressants) work?

A

Block serotonin reuptake so more stays in the synapse, improving mood.

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23
Q

What do benzodiazepines (BZs) do?

A

Enhance GABA, slowing CNS activity and reducing anxiety.

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24
Q

What do beta-blockers (BBs) do for anxiety?

A

Block adrenaline and noradrenaline → lower heart rate and blood pressure → calmer feeling.

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25
What does research say about SSRIs and placebos?
SSRIs are more effective than placebos in reducing OCD symptoms (Soomro et al., 2008).
26
What is a common limitation of drug therapy research?
Most studies are short-term (3–4 months), so long-term effectiveness is unclear.
27
Why are side effects a problem with drug therapy?
They can discourage use (e.g., nausea, insomnia, hallucinations).
28
What is "revolving door syndrome"?
Patients return repeatedly because drugs treat symptoms, not underlying causes.
29
Why is drug therapy often chosen over psychotherapy?
Why is drug therapy often chosen over psychotherapy?
30
What ethical issues come with using placebos?
It’s unethical if effective treatments exist—patients may suffer unnecessarily.
31
What ethical issue exists around consent in drug therapy?
Patients may not fully understand or be told the risks/alternatives—valid consent may not be given.
32
What type of experiment was Raine et al. (1997)?
A quasi-experiment using a matched pairs design.
33
What were the IV and DV in the study?
IV: NGRI or not. DV: Brain activity differences.
34
What brain imaging method was used?
PET scan with FDG tracer to measure brain activity.
35
Who were the participants in the experimental group?
41 NGRI murderers (39 men, 2 women), mean age 34.3.
36
What mental conditions were common in the experimental group?
Schizophrenia, head injury, drug abuse, affective disorders, epilepsy, learning disabilities, personality disorders.
37
How was the control group matched?
By age, sex, and mental health (where applicable).
38
What task did participants perform during the scan?
Continuous Performance Task (CPT) to activate brain regions.
39
When was the PET scan taken?
32 minutes after the FDG injection.
40
Which brain areas showed reduced activity in NGRIs (linked to violence)?
Prefrontal cortex, left angular gyrus, corpus callosum, left amygdala, left thalamus, left hippocampus.
41
Which areas had increased activity (not linked to violence)?
Cerebellum, right amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus.
42
Which areas showed no difference?
Caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, midbrain.
43
Did brain differences affect CPT performance?
No — both groups performed similarly.
44
What other variables were considered but didn’t affect results?
Handedness, ethnicity, head injury history.
45
What is the main conclusion of the study?
NGRI murderers show brain dysfunction in areas linked to violence, possibly predisposing them to aggression.
46
What important caution did Raine et al. include?
The results do not prove that brain abnormalities cause violence or remove personal responsibility.
47
Why can’t PET scans diagnose violent individuals?
Because violence is multi-factorial—influenced by biological, social, and situational factors.
48
What type of experiment was Raine et al.'s study?
A quasi-experiment – the IV (criminal status) wasn’t manipulated.
49
Why can't causal conclusions be drawn from the study?
Because the IV was naturally occurring, not controlled.
50
What do Raine et al. say about causes of violent behaviour?
It’s not purely biological – psychological, cultural, and situational factors also matter.
51
What’s the danger of misinterpreting the findings?
People might wrongly believe criminal behaviour is fixed or biologically determined.
52
What brain scanning method was used?
PET scans.
53
Why are PET scans a strength in this research?
They show real-time brain activity and specific brain region functions.
54
What limitation does the sample present?
Only includes murderers with mental impairments – not representative of all violent offenders.
55
What did Yang & Raine (2009) find?
Violent/antisocial individuals had reduced prefrontal activity (based on 43 studies).
56
What gene is linked to violent behaviour?
MAOA gene ("warrior gene").
57
What did Tiihonen et al. (2015) discover?
MAOA gene linked to violent crime in Finnish prisoners.
58
What did James Fallon’s research show?
He had the “criminal brain,” but didn’t become violent – due to positive childhood.
59
What model explains how genes + environment interact?
The Diathesis-Stress Model.
60
What ethical issue surrounds consent in the study?
Participants may not have been mentally competent to give valid consent.
61
Why might the PET scan or tasks cause psychological harm?
They could be confusing, distressing, or lower self-esteem.
62
What is socially sensitive research?
Research with potential consequences for the group studied (e.g., criminals).
63
What are the social risks of this research?
May lead to prejudice, unfair treatment, or wrongful assumptions about criminality.
64
What are the main social and economic benefits of neuroscience?
Reduces costs of depression and dementia treatment; boosts marketing and economy; improves public health.
65
How much did depression cost England in 2000?
£9.1 billion (Thomas & Morris, 2003)
66
What is the annual cost of treating dementia in the UK?
£23 billion (Alzheimer’s Research UK)
67
What brain area do Crick & Koch (1998) believe controls consciousness?
The claustrum – like a conductor coordinating brain activity.
68
What case study supports the claustrum’s role in consciousness?
Koubeissi et al. (2014) – Epilepsy patient lost consciousness with claustrum stimulation.
69
How can neuroscience help reduce criminal behaviour?
By treating abnormal neurotransmitter levels with drugs like SSRIs (Cherek et al., 2002).
70
What is TDCS and how can it help?
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation – improves memory, math, and attention (Cohen Kadosh et al., 2012).
71
What is neuromarketing?
Using brain data (e.g., EEG, eye tracking) to understand consumer preferences.
72
What ethical concerns exist around treating criminals with neuroscience?
Coercion, loss of autonomy, and mandatory brain interventions (Farah, 2004).
73
Why is TDCS ethically questionable?
No regulation, risk of harm, unfair access, and potential use on developing brains.
74
What’s the issue with neuromarketing and consumer rights?
Can manipulate choices and lacks ethical regulation (Wilson et al., 2008; Nelson, 2008).
75
What makes the biological approach scientific?
It studies measurable variables like brain areas and neurotransmitters through controlled, objective research (e.g., PET scans, drug therapy studies).
76
How is the biological approach deterministic?
It assumes behaviour is caused by biological factors (e.g., dopamine levels) which allows for prediction and treatment of mental disorders.
77
Give an example of how determinism is shown in the biological approach.
Schizophrenia symptoms linked to high dopamine; antipsychotics reduce symptoms by lowering dopamine.
78
What are the practical applications of the biological approach?
It has led to treatments like drug therapy and psychosurgery (e.g., lithium for bipolar, SSRIs for aggression, capsulotomy for OCD).
79
Why is drug therapy considered successful in the biological approach?
It allows many to manage symptoms and live outside hospitals (e.g., 60% of bipolar patients improve with lithium – Viguera et al.).
80
Why is the biological approach considered reductionist?
It simplifies complex behaviours (e.g., stress = adrenaline) and ignores emotional experiences.
81
Who criticised the biological approach for ignoring human experience?
R.D. Laing – said it overlooks the distress behind mental illness.
82
How does the biological approach favour nature over nurture?
It focuses only on biological causes, ignoring life experiences and emotions (e.g., treats schizophrenia with drugs, not therapy).
83
What is the issue with ignoring individual differences in the biological approach?
It generalises findings, often based on males, ignoring differences like hormonal cycles or gendered stress responses.
84
What did Taylor et al. (2000) find about stress responses in men vs. women?
Men: fight or flight. Women: tend and befriend (linked to oxytocin).

WJEC Psychology (7 decks)

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