Psychology Unit 1 - Biological Approach

Question 1

What are the three assumptions of the biological approach?

Answer 1

• evolutionary influences
• localisation of brain function
• neurotransmitters

Question 2

What is Charles Darwin’s theory of ‘natural selection’?

Answer 2

the theory states that those who are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and produce offspring

Question 3

What is ‘survival of the fittest’?

Answer 3

the genes that allow individuals to survive in their environment are passed on to their offspring who will, in turn, also be more successful because they have the natural ability to survive and evolve too

Question 4

What is the evolutionary theory of aggression?

Answer 4

• behaviours like aggression would have made it more likely that our ancestors survived and passed on their genes when competing to survive and reproduce
• aggression facilitates survival and adaptation

Question 5

What is the ‘fight-or-flight’ response?

Answer 5

• an automatic reaction to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival
• your body prepares you to ‘fight’ or ‘flee’/run away from the danger

Question 6

What does the assumption of the localisation of brain function suggest?

Answer 6

that certain areas of the brain have different functions that can determine our behaviour

Question 7

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 7

the outer layer of the brain’s surface that lies on top of your cerebrum, consisting of four lobes

Question 8

What are the four lobes?

Answer 8

frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe

Question 9

What is the frontal lobe for?

Answer 9

concentration, personality, emotion, problem-solving, speech-production

Question 10

What is the parietal lobe for?

Answer 10

processing sensory information, e.g. touch, taste, smell

Question 11

What is the temporal lobe for?

Answer 11

processing auditory information, memory, information retrieval

Question 12

What is the occipital lobe for?

Answer 12

visual perception and interpretation

Question 13

What was the study conducted by Maguire et al. (2000)?

Answer 13

it examines whether structural changes could be detected in the brain of people with extensive experience of spatial navigation - taxi drivers were used for MRI scans

Question 14

How did the study conducted by Maguire et al. (2000) provide support for the localisation of brain function?/What was concluded?

Answer 14

the taxi drivers with extensive practice with spatial navigation had a larger hippocampus - possibly due to increasing cells with experience or born with it

Question 15

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 15

chemical messengers passed from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron across the synapse

Question 16

What is synaptic transmission?

Answer 16

the process by which one neuron communicates with another

Question 17

What is the process of synaptic transmission?

Answer 17

• neurotransmitters are released from the presynaptic neuron into the synapse
• they then attach to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron

Question 18

What is dopamine?

Answer 18

• a neurotransmitter that controls bodily movements and emotional responses
• it affects essential brain functions that impact on mood, sleep, memory and learning

Question 19

What is serotonin?

Answer 19

• a neurotransmitter that has an impact on most of the body, affecting both emotions and motor skills
• it is the chemical that supports sleeping, eating, and digestion

Question 20

What is a biological explanation of schizophrenia?

Answer 20

• high levels of dopamine are associated with symptoms of schizophrenia
• medication that is prescribed to treat schizophrenia blocks dopamine activity to reduce schizophrenic symptoms

Question 21

What is a biological explanation of depression?

Answer 21

• low levels of serotonin can cause depression
• antidepressant medication increases availability of serotonin to reduce symptoms of depression