Bio Psych Concepts & Studies for Paper 1

Brain Research Techniques (fMRI)

Harris & Fiske investigated the effect of brain localization on attitudes towards outsiders (A). Participants were connected to fMRIs and shown pictures of people and objects (P). Parts of the brain that registered disgust were active when viewing objects and people seen as outsiders, such as the homeless (R).

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\-Fisher investigated the effect of participants' beloved on their levels of dopamine (A). Participants were connected to an fMRI and shown images of people they loved and images of their acquaintances (P). Distinctly different parts of the brain were active when viewing images of their beloved (R).

Brain Localization

-Harris & Fiske investigated the effect of brain localization on attitudes towards outsiders (A). Participants were connected to fMRIs and shown pictures of people and objects (P). Parts of the brain that registered disgust were active when viewing objects and people seen as outsiders, such as the homeless (R).

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-Phineas Gage's case study showed how different functions of the brain are confined to certain areas (A). Gage was in an accident in which a spike went through his head and he experienced severe personality changes (P). His brain damage and resulting symptoms provided evidence for brain localization (R).

Neuroplasticity

-Maguire investigated the effect of being a cab driver on neuroplasticity (A). Participants were connected to fMRIs and cab drivers' brains were compared to non-cab drivers (P). Some areas of the brain were significantly larger in cab drivers, supporting the concept of neuroplasticity (R)

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-Rosenzweig investigated the effect of the environment on rats' neuroplasticity (A). Rats were divided between an "enriched environment" with other rats and toys and a "deprived environment"in which they were alone (P). Rats in the "enriched environment" had more developed parts of the brain than rats in the "deprived environment", providing support for neuroplasticity (R).

Neurotransmitters (dopamine)

-Fisher investigated the effect of participants' beloved on their levels of dopamine (A). Participants were connected to an fMRI and shown images of people they loved and images of their acquaintances (P). Distinctly different parts of the brain were active when viewing images of their beloved (R).

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-Volkow investigated the effect of addictive drugs on levels of dopamine (A). Participants were connected to a PET scan and given either cocaine (addictive) or ADHD medication (non addictive) (P). Cocaine users' dopamine receptors were dysfunctional compared to non-addictive drug users (R).

Hormones (cortisol)

-Barr investigated the effect of infant monkeys' environment on their level of cortisol (A). Monkeys were either reared with their mothers or their peers. All monkeys were placed in isolation for 4 days (P). Blood samples showed peer-reared monkeys had lower cortisol levels, suggesting an absence of parental care being associated with a blunted stress-response (R).

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-Beesley investigated the effect of cortisol levels on mental health (A). Participants whose family members were in the ICU gave saliva samples while in the hospital and answered questions 3 months later (P). Cortisol levels were associated with anxiety, depression, and PTSD in participants 3 months after the distressing event (R).

Pheromones

-Wedekind investigated the effect of MHC on female attraction to males (A). Male participants wore a t-shirt for 48 hours, then female participants rated the scent of the t-shirts for pleasantness (P). Female participants found the scent of t-shirt with MHC levels different from their own as more attractive (R).

-OR-

-Zhou investigated the effect of male and female steroids on visual sex typing (A). Participants were exposed to either male or female steroids, or a placebo and shown a series of virtual figures (P). Heterosexual male participants who were exposed to female steroids made more judgements that the figures were female. Heterosexual females and homosexual males who were exposed to male steroids made more judgements that the walker was male (R).

Genes and Behavior (5HTT)

-Caspi investigated the relationship between the 5HTT gene and depression (A). Participants provided a genetic sample and completed a calendar of past stressful life events (P). Participants with two short alleles on their 5HTT gene reported more instances of depression than other participants (R).

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-Risch investigated the relationship between the 5HTT gene and depression (A). A meta-analysis of 14 studies involving 5HTT and depression were analyzed (P). Statistical analyses did not find a significant relationship between depression and 5HTT; the only relationship found was between stressful life events and depression( R).

Genetic Similarities

-Bouchard investigated the effect of environment on physical and psychological differences between identical twins reared together and separately (A). A longitudinal study collected data on identical twins (P). The differences in IQs between twins were attributed 70% to genetics and 30% to environmental factors (R).

-OR-

-Christakis and Fowler investigated the effect of genotype on friendship (A). Friendship pairs and strangers provided genetic samples (P). Friends showed higher genetic relatedness than strangers (R).

Evolutionary Explanations for Behavior (attraction)

-Singh investigated the effect of waist-to-hip ratio on female attractiveness (A). Data on waist-to-hip ratios of Miss America contestants and Playboy models throughout the 1900s was analyzed (P). While overall weight decreased over time, waist-to-hip ratio remained fairly consistent (R).

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-Dixon investigated the effect of perceived socioeconomic status on judgements of attractiveness (A). Participants rated images of male and female models for both SES and attractiveness (P). High SES was not directly linked to high attraction for male participants, but high status was more readily attributed to male models than female models (R).