IB Psych SL Biological Approach

crying on the inside

MRI

MRI

imaging device that gives a detailed picture of the brain’s structur

fMRI

scan using magnetic resonance imaging that also shows activity within the brain through oxygenated hemoglobin.

• shows structure and activity in the brain

PET scan

• tracer injected swallowed or inhaled

• When active, increase in blood flow gives brain more oxygen

• used to create images of the brain

Nueroplasticity

ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth

• maguire,

Dendritic Branching

the process by which new neurons are formed in the brain.

• maguire

synpatic pruning

a process that eliminates extra synapses that are no longer needed

• maguire

nuerotransmitter

chemical messengers in the nervous system that transmit messages between nuerons

acetylcholine

nuerotransmitter related to memory and muscle movement

• excitatory nuerotransmitter which increases the chances of nuerons firing

• Antonova

Love Cocktail (Fisher)

Theory that dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine play a role in motivation for romantic relationships.

Hormones- Testosterone

Hormone related to risk taking and mating

• significantly higher rates of testosterone in men.

• Ronay Von Hippel

Potential Pheromones

chemical substance released into the environment an an animal

• affects behavior of physiology of others of the same species

• under debate whether or not humans have pheromones

• MHC- hormone produced through sweat that is a possible pheromone

• Wedekind

Kendler

Biological/ Abnormal

Aims:

• determine heritability of MDD in swedish twins

• Determine if there are significant gender differences in the heritability of major depression

• determine if there is evidence of genetic and environmental factors of MDD

Procedures

Research uses identical (monozygotic) and fraternal (dizygotic) twins from Sweden

Results:

• concordance rates for MDD significantly higher in women than men

• significantly higher in monozygotic twin vs dizygotic twins

Diathesis-stress theory of depression

predicts that an individual’s reaction to stressful events depend on their genetic make-up.

• Caspi

Caspi

Aim- determine if there is evidence for a gene-environment interaction for a mutation of 5-HTT (serotonin transporter gene)

Procedures

• Correlational study

• New Zealand 26-year olds

• Split into 3 groups: 2 short alleles, 1 short 1 long, 2 long

• Filled out a stressful life events questionnaire about the frequency of certain stressful life events

• Assessed for depression

Results

• Those who inherited one or more short alleles demonstrated more symptoms of MDD

• Strongest for those with three or more stressful life events

Wedekind

• “Sweaty T-shirt Experiment”

Aim: investgating mate preference based on genetic makeup

• evolutionary aim: studies whether females can identify males who had a genetic makeup which would boost the immune system of potentional children when combined with their own

Procedures

• Men were asked to sleep with a T-shirt for 2 nights and keep it in a plastic bag

• Women were asked to rate the smell fo the mens t-shirts based on attraction

Results

• showed women preferred the odors of men with an immune system different than theirs

Antonova

Aim: see if scopolamine (antagonist for acetylcholine) affected hippocampal activity in the creation of spatial memory.

Procedures:

20 Healthy males, double blind

• either injected with scopolamine or a placebo

• Put into an fMRi where researchers scanned their brains while the participants played complex virtual reality games

Results:

• found that participants injected with scopolamine demonstrated a significant reduction in hippocampal activity

HM

• Localization/ Methods of Brain Study

Aim: better understand the role of the hippocampus

Procedures: Case study conducted after HM had his hippocampus removes.

• Method Triangulation: use of one or more research method

• - studied memory and motor skill tasks

• IQ testing (Psychometric testing): results above average

• Observations, interviews, cognitive testing

Results: the hippocampus is in charge of converting memories and experiences from the short term to the long term memory (localization)

Experiment

researcher manipulates an independent variable and measures its effect on a dependent variable

• Participants are randomly allocated into groups

Quasi Experiment

Researcher manipulates an independent variable and measures its effect on a dependent variable

• participants are assigned to condition based on pre-existing traits

Natural Experiment

Uses a pre-test/post-test design but does not manipulate independent variable

Questionnaire

series of questions leading to qualitative data

Localization

The theory that behaviors have their origin in specific areas of the brain. Damage to that part of the brain would result in an inability to carry out that behavior.

Ethic go- tos

a. Informed Consent: Participants agree to be part of a study after being told what the study is about, what the possible outcomes of the study are, and what their rights are as a participant.

Undue harm/stress: refers to any stress that would be more than a participant would encounter in everyday life. Simple discomfort or embarrassment is not "undue stress or harm."

SM

Aim: study relationship between amygdala and fear response

• Case Study

Procedures: took her to a variety of places and showed her things that would trigger her fear response

• Haunted house, showed her horror movies, exotic pet store

• Observe her behavior along with asking her to rate her fear level on a 10 point scale

Results: amygdala plays a role in fear responses

Giedd

• Nueroplasticity, nueral networks, pruning

• Longitundinal repeated measures research design

Procedures: conducted MRI scans on children every two years between the ages of 6-20

Results: Found that the brain is constantly changing and adapting

Fisher

• Nuerotransmitters

AIm: determine if there are specific nueral mechanisms associated with romantic love

Sample: men and women who reported being in love for an average of 7.4 months

Procedures

• Participants completed the Passionate Love Scale to measure the traits associated with romantic love

• fMRI machine: shown a picture of their parter for 30 seconds, then shown a distraction for 30 seconds

  • repeated 6 times

Results:

• Brains reward system was active when the participants were looking at a picture of their partner

• Increased levels of dopamine nuerons

Maguire

• Nueroplasticity, localization

Aim: see if London taxi drivers brain would be diffferent as a result of their familarity with the streets of london

Sample: London taxi drivers and non london taxi drivers

Procedures:

• MRI machine

Results:

• taxi drivers had a significantly larger hippocampus

• Maguire argues that this explains that the hippocampus may change in response to environmental demands.