[PHYSIOLOGICAL] Biology - Brain Abnormalities

Question 1

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain 3 strengths

Answer 1

+ Scientific evidence - it can be observed through brain scans

+ Allows us to predict behaviour

+ may lead to therapy into the future

Question 2

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain 3 weaknesses

Answer 2

• reductionist = cant ignore social factors
• Not all with brain damage or low brain activity become aggressive, murderer or psychopath
• don’t know what brain activity is like during the behaviour: cant have cause & effect 100% (cant say it’s the brain 100%)

Question 3

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

What evidence do we have for this theory?

Answer 3

Raine et al.
&
Phineas gage

Question 4

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Give the 5 sections of the brain

Answer 4

Pre-frontal cortex
Cerebellum
Temporal Lobe
Occipital lobe
Parietal Lobe

Question 5

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain the function of the Pre-frontal Cortex

Answer 5

Decision making - controls impulse

If not working well, people make poor decisions, lack of control and impulse

Question 6

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain the Temporal Lobe

Answer 6

Perception and recognition

If damaged can lead to aggression and increased or decreased sexual behaviour

Question 7

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain the function of the Occipital Lobe

Answer 7

Vision

If working too much, people can become over sensitive and irritable to stimuli

Question 8

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain the function of the Parietal Lobe

Answer 8

Perception and attention

Links to ADHD + Schizophrenia

Question 9

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain the function of the Cerebellum

Answer 9

Balance

Question 10

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain the function of the Amygdala

Answer 10

Processing emotions and reward - emotion processing centre

Allows you to feel empathy

When there is an imbalance = lack of remorse, lack of empathy, fearless, aggression

Question 11

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain the function of the corpus collosum

Answer 11

Allows communication between left and right hemispheres

Question 12

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain Phineas Gage

Answer 12

Large iron rod destroyed much of his brain’s frontal lobe
Before his injury: Trustworthy and dependable

After his injury: bad mannered, liar, impulsive and unreliable

Later in life he mellowed - maybe due to the other parts of his brain overcompensating for lost areas

Question 13

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain Raine Et Al.

Answer 13

used P.E.T scans to see if criminals have different brain structures
Reduction in the amygdala = criminal

Question 14

[BRAIN ABNORMALITIES]

Explain Raine’s findings through P.E.T scans

Answer 14

Damage was found in pre-frontal cortex in criminals
He refers to it as ‘brakes of a car’ - pre-frontal cortex puts the brakes on human behaviour that slows us down so we don’t act on compulsion

Violent offenders :
had less activity in their front and parietal lobes
More activity in occipital lobe
less activity in corpus collosum
Faulty hippocampus