A-level Psychology key content part 4

what does serotonin affect

sleep, memory, emotion, aggression and appetite

what disorders does seretonin affect

anorexia, depression and OCD

what disorders does dopamine effect

schizophrenia and addictive behaviours (e.g. smoking)

what does disruption to neurochemistry implicate

psychological disorders e.g. OCD and depression

what is the order of OCD steps

obsession, anxiety, compulsions and relieft6

what is depression

characterised by symptoms such as a loss in motivation and lack of interest in activities

what can impact depression

imbalances in serotonin can affect

what are the 4 main sections of the brain

frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobe

what’s the function of the frontal lobes

involved with functions such as speech, thought and learning

what’s the function of the temporal lobes

involved with hearing and memory

what’s the purpose of the parietal lobes

processes sensory information from the body such as touch, temperature and pain

what’s the purpose of the occipital lobes

process visual information

what is the largest part of the brain and what mass of the brain does this cover

cerebrum - 85%

who examined PET scans of violent criminals

Raine at al

what did Raine et al discover

violent criminals have reduced activity in their frontal lobes suggesting the frontal lobe is responsible for aggressive and impulsive behaviour

What have case studies helped identify in relation to brain function?

the brain structures involved in different functions by examining individuals with brain damage.

How do researchers use case studies to study the brain?

compare the brain structure and activity of patients with brain damage to control participants to find neuroanatomical differences.

purpose of comparing brain-damaged patients to control participants in case studies?

examine how structural differences in the brain affect behaviour and cognitive functions.

who suffered an accident at 25

Phineas gage

what happened to Phineas gage

an iron tampering bar went though his eye socket and came out the other side of his head

what happened to Phineas gage after the accident

underwent a personality change due to his frontal lobe being damaged which is responsible for social behaviour and impulse control

what happened to HM

undergone surgery for epilepsy where his hippocalamus was removed

what happened to HM after the surgery

unable to put information into his long term memory yet his short term memory was completely fine

what does the case of HM imply

the hippocalamus plays an important role in memory e.g. transfer of information from STM to LTM

who studied the taxi drivers in London

woolet and Maguire

how many routes did taxi drivers have to memorise in London to be a taxi driver

25,000 and have to decide the fastest route

how were woolet and Maguire able to show pts who memorise the routes

using scans

what did the scans show

successful pts had an enlarged hippocalamus compared to control pts

what could researcher conclude about the hippocalamus

it plays an important role in LTM

what behaviours have humans retained

hunter gatherer from their ancestors