BIO SAQS - Psych 

 1. Localisation of Function

    Localisation of function refers to the theory that specific parts or regions of the brain are responsible for certain behaviours. Psychologists are particularly interested in whether memory is localised in the brain, or distributed throughout the brain. For example, the hippocampus is thought to be responsible for the transferring of short term memory to long term memory. The extent to which something can be localised is unknown, hence relative localisation is also a focus for researchers , where a certain area of the brain may play a major role in a behaviour, and other parts simply have a smaller role. Whereas strict localisation places the origin of a behaviour solely on one area of the brain. Study: Maguire
 2. Effect of one neurotransmitter on human behaviour

    Neurotransmitters are described as the brain’s natural chemical messengers. Neurotransmission itself refers to the process where neurons communicate with other neurons, which occurs when the presynaptic neuron releases chemicals called neurotransmitters to cross the gap between two neurons - which is called the synapse. These neurotransmitters will then bind to specific receptor sites on the post-synaptic neuron, creating an electrical signal called the action potential. If these receptor sites are blocked by another chemical, the post-synaptic neuron will not be able to create an action potential, thus inhibiting the process of neurotransmission. This is the most common way that researchers investigate the role of specific neurotransmitters, as they are able to isolate its role by blocking specific receptor sites, and noting behavioural changes.

    Although at first it seemed that manipulating levels of acetylcholine was unethical and harmful in humans, there has been research conducted using newer technology. Study: Antonova
 3. One ethical consideration in the study of the brain and behaviour

    One ethical consideration in the biological approach is informed consent. Informed consent means that before someone agrees to participate in a study, the researcher must explain the purpose and procedure of the study. In addition , the researcher must explain the person’s rights - including the right to withdraw at anytime, and that all data will be kept anonymous. Moreover, any potential negative effects on participants must be explained prior to experimentation.

    The biological approach has several unique issues regarding informed consent. First, the biological approach uses animals, meaning there is no way for them to give informed consent. Moreover, the biological approach often studies on people who have mental illness or brain damage. It thus could be argued that these participants may not be able to understand what they are agreeing to. Finally, the biological approach involves the need for understanding the complexities of the brain, which the average person likely would not understand - making informed consent difficult. Study: HM
 4. One research method in the study of the brain and behaviour

    Psychologists in the biological approach often use experiments to establish cause-and-effect relationships. An experiment allows researchers to manipulate an independent variable, and measure its effect on a dependent variable, whilst keeping all other variables constant. Researchers will randomly allocate all participants to a condition. Additionally, in research within the biological approach a placebo is often given as a way of preventing demand characteristics. A placebo is when participants believe that they are getting a treatment, but they are not. Study: Antonova
 5. One antagonist, with reference to one study

    An antagonist is any substance that fits into a receptor site on a post-synaptic neuron, inhibiting the neuron from ‘firing’ an electrical signal called an action potential. This means that the behaviour a neuron causes will not occur. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the formation of spatial memories. It is not possible for researchers to directly observe neurotransmitters, so often a way to study them is blocking them with an antagonist so that they can understand the role of that neurotransmitter in an animal or human. In a study conducted by Antonova, the researchers wanted to observe what happened when acetylcholine receptors were blocked, and the neurons were inhibited from firing.

    An example of an antagonist is scopolamine.
 6. Formation of neural networks, with reference to one study

    The process by which neural networks are formed is often referred to as neuroplasticity. Neural networks form when a neuron is stimulated, and an action potential travels down the axon. The repeated firing of a neuron (or a set), called long-term potentiation, will result in a gene expression that causes dendritic branching. This will increase the number of synapses available for behaviour. Grey matter found in the brain by an MRI or FMRI is used to refer to the branching of neurons in many studies: Study: Maguire or Draganski
 7. Neural pruning

    The formation of neural networks is one of the ways that the brain adapts to environmental demands. This occurs when a neuron is stimulated, and an action potential travels down the axon. When a neuron, or set of neurons, is repeatedly fired in the process referred to as long-term potentiation, this results in a gene expression that causes dendritic branching - increasing the number of synapses available for behaviour. However, the brain also adapts to environmental demands through the process of neural pruning, which refers to a decrease in the number of synapses available for behaviour as a result of the removal of dendritic branching. However, the process is not yet fully understood by researchers. It is hypothesised that neural pruning is a mechanism for increasing efficiency in the brain. Study: Draganski
 8. One agonist

    An agonist is any substance that fits into the receptor of the post-synaptic neuron, causing it to fire an electrical signal referred to as an action potential. Neurotransmitters are endogenous, which means they are the brains natural chemical messengers. Drugs can also play the same role, and are referred to as exogenous agonists. Serotonin, for example, is an endogenous neurotransmitter that has a correlation with several behaviours, one of them being aggression. Study: Passamonti Agonist: Serotoning, Tryptophan: important for building serotoning in the brain
 9. Role of inhibitory (neurotransmitters) synapses

    Neurotransmitters play an important role in human behaviour. Neurotransmitter are released from the terminal buttons of a neuron, and then will travel across the gap between two neurons, called the synapse, to attach to the receptor site of a post-synaptic neuron. Neurotransmitters can have either an inhibitory or excitatory effect depending on the receptor site it binds to. An inhibitory neurotransmitter will target neurons that are less likely to fire an electrical signal called the action potential. One example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter is serotonin… Study: Passamonti

  1. Role of excitatory (neurotransmitters) synapses

    Neurotransmitters play an important role in human behaviour. Neurotrasmitters are released from the terminal buttons of a neuron, and then will travel across the gap between two neurons, called the synapse, in order to attach to the receptor site of a post-synaptic neuron. Neurotransmitters can have either an inhibitory or excitatory effect depending the receptor site it binds to. An excitatory neurotransmitter will target neurons that are most likely to fire.

    One example of how a neurotransmitter binds to the excitatory receptor site is the role of acetylcholine in the formation of spatial memories. Antonova demonstrated that blocking Ach receptors affects our ability to create spatial memories.

  1. Neuroplasticity

    Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of our brain’s physiology to change over time, which is often due to environmental demands. The change occurs through the making and breaking of synaptic connections between neurons, where in this process neural networks in the brain change their shape. Neuroplasticity was originally believed to only occur at the very beginning of life and throughout childhood, when the brain organises itself. However, it has been found that neuroplasticity also occurs in adults, for example, when something new is memorised, or a skill is developed over time. This is because neurons will fire an electrical signal called an action potential repeatedly at the cause of environmental stimulation, which causes neurons to sprout new dendrites - known as dendritic branching. This will increase the number of synapses available for behaviour. Dendritic branching as a result of environmental stimulation can be seen in a study by Maguire… Study: Draganski or Maguire

  1. Explain one technique used to study the brain in relation to behaviour

    One technique that is used to study the brain is the MRI. The MRI refers to Magnetic Resonance Imaging, which creates images of the structure of the brain. Since the human body is mostly water, which contains hydrogen, the MRI scanner applies a very strong magnetic field, which aligns the protons in the hydrogen. It also produces a radio frequency current that creates a varying magnetic field. The protons will then absorb the energy from the magnetic field, and flip their spins. When the field is turned off, the protons gradually return to their normal spin in a process called precession, and this return process produces a radio signal that can be measured by the scanner, and made into an image. Study: Maguire

  1. One hormone on human behaviour

    Hormones refer to chemicals that are secreted by glands in the endocrine system, and released directly into the bloodstream. They take longer to produce effects than neurotransmitters, but these changes and effects tend to last longer. An example of a hormone that influences human behaviour is adrenaline. It plays an important role in the “flight or fight” response. Hence, when we are afraid, the brain signals the release of adrenaline, which then stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in increased blood flow to muscles, increased heart rate, and increased breathing rate. This prepares an organism to either fight against a threat, or run away from it.

    Since we often create strong memories of things that have scared us, McGaugh and Cahill wanted to study the effects of adrenaline on the formation of emotional memories.

  1. One potential pheromone

    Pheromones are chemicals believed to be produced and released into the environment by an animal, affecting the behaviour or physiology of others of its own species. Pheromones tend to most commonly affect sexual and mating behaviour. It is currently unclear as to whether pheromones exist in humans, however, there is research showing that some chemicals, under controlled conditions may lead humans to show behaviours similar to what we see in animals.

    Wedekind carreid out a classic study to test the role of MHC - a set of genes responsible for our immune system

  1. Explain the role of genes in one behaviour, with reference to one study

    Behavioural genetics deals with understanding how both genetics and the environment contribute to individual variations in human behaviour. Often researchers will look at how different genetic mutations may play a role in behaviour.

    Some psychologists believe in the Diathesis-stress model, which posits that genetic predisposition and environmental stressors may lead to vulnerability to disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder, and that individuals’ reaction to stress events depends on their genetic makeup.

    Caspi carried out a longitudinal study investigating the effects of the mutation of the 5-HTT serotonin reuptake gene. Caspi argued that people with two short-alleles (the mutation) of the 5-HTT gene were more likely to develop depression. Alleles specifically refer to different forms of a gene.

  1. Explain one evolutionary explanation of one behaviour

    An evolutionary explanation of behaviour often is used to explain mating behaviour. Evolutionary psychologists argue that our behaviours are the result of natural selection, meaning that the behaviours that most improve our changes of handing down genes and producing offspring, have an evolutionary advantage.

    Wedekind carried out a study to see what extent MHC alleles play a role in mating behaviour.

  1. Explain the use of twin studies and/or kinship studies (twins)

    Twin studies are used to measure the concordance rates of a behaviour in monozygotic and dizygotic twins. It is hypothesised that if a behaviour is genetic, then the more genetically similar the individuals are, the more common their behaviour should be. Monozygotic twins develop from the same egg, and share 100% of their genotype. Whereas dizygotic twins develop from different eggs, and thus share 50% of their genotype- just like regular siblings. Study: Kendler

  1. Explain the use of twin studies and/or kinship studies (Kinship)

    Kinship (family/pedigree) studies look at the concordance rate of a behaviour within a family across several generations. Usually, this is limited to three generations in most populations. It is hypothesised that if a behaviour is genetic, then the more genetically similar the individuals are, the more common their behaivour should be. One can thus see from family studies if a behaviour is inherited from one generation to the next. Study: Weissman