IB PSYCH PAPER 1 SAQ FULL ANSWERS

Localization of Function: Different parts of the brain control different functions affecting human behavior.
- Strict Localization: Specific functions controlled by specific brain areas.
- Weak Localization: Several brain areas may be responsible, with some being dominant.
Broca's Area:
- Articulation of speech localized to the frontal area of the left hemisphere.
- Case Study: Paul Broca studied Louis Leborgne who lost the ability to speak fluently and could only say "Tan".
  - Understanding and intelligence were intact.
  - After death, autopsy revealed a lesion in Broca's area.
- Broca documented other patients with similar issues, solidifying the connection between Broca's area and speech articulation. (Broca's aphasia)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):
- Provides detailed images of internal structures using strong magnetic fields and radio waves.
- Utilized to observe structural changes in the brain.
Study: Participants (jugglers and non-jugglers) underwent MRI before and after learning to juggle.
- Baseline scans showed no differences.
- After 3 months of practice, jugglers had more grey matter in cortical areas.
- After stopping, there was a reduction in grey matter, demonstrating neuroplasticity.

Neuroplasticity: The brain's ability to change throughout life by creating and breaking connections between neurons.
- Types:
  - Synaptic Plasticity: Changes at the level of individual neurons.
  - Cortical Remapping: Areas of the brain take over functions from others.
Draganski Study:
- Volunteers learned juggling; MRIs conducted pre and post-practice.
- Increased grey matter associated with learned skills, showcasing how new skills lead to physical brain changes.

Formed through neuroplasticity, demonstrating learning and adaptation in the brain.
- Study: Juggling improved brain structure through increased neural connections.
- New connections formed during skill practice, reducing after practice ceased (neural pruning).

Neurotransmission: Communication between neurons via chemicals (neurotransmitters), such as acetylcholine.
- Study: 20 male participants injected with scopolamine (blocks acetylcholine) or placebo prior to a spatial memory task.
  - fMRI measured brain activity during the task.
- Found acetylcholine crucial for forming spatial memories, as blocking it led to reduced hippocampal activation.

Antagonist (Scopolamine): Blocks receptor sites, inhibiting behavior.
Agonist (Acetylcholine): Binds to receptors activating them, essential for memory formation.

Hormones: Chemicals by glands influencing behaviors; testosterone associated with risk-taking and aggressive behavior.
- Study: Male skateboarders took risks in presence of an attractive female, indicating hormonal influence on behavior.

Theory of Evolution: Adaptation leads to survival; behaviors that aid reproduction are passed down.
- Study: Ronay and von Hippel found risk-taking behavior in men when in the presence of attractive women links to competitive mating strategies.

Pheromones: Chemical signals that affect behavior and physiology in members of the same species.
- Study: Tested two steroids (AND, EST) to identify their influence on gender perception based on sexual orientation; found impacts on perceived masculinity/femininity.

Gene Regulation: Genes stay active/inactive based on environmental factors.
- Study: Caspi et al on the 5HTT gene found short alleles influenced susceptibility to depression when experiencing stress.

Research: Examining MZ (identical) vs. DZ (fraternal) twins for behavior genetics, particularly depression.
- MZ twins showed a higher concordance rate for depressive disorders, but not 100%, indicating interaction between genes and environment.

MSM Overview: Separate components - sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), long-term memory (LTM).
- Study: Investigated STM duration; longer delays led to poorer recall, supporting the distinction between memory stores.

WMM Overview: Components include central executive, visuospatial sketchpad, phonological loop, episodic buffer.
- Study: Robbins et al found memory recall impaired by competing tasks affecting specific memory components.

Schema Theory: Organizes knowledge into mental representations.
- Study: Contextual priming improved memory recall of a story, showing the impact of schemas on memory.

Two Systems of Thinking:
- System 1: Fast, intuitive; prone to errors.
- System 2: Slower, deliberate; more reliable.
- Study: Anchoring effect observed in judges' decision-making based on suggested sentences from prosecutors.

Reconstructive Memory Concept: Memory can be altered by external cues.
- Study: Leading questions influenced eyewitness speed estimates in traffic accident scenarios.

Flashbulb Memory: Vivid memories of emotionally significant events.
- Study: Higher recall of personal details around significant historical events, supporting the Flashbulb Memory theory.

Theory Overview: Social categorization influences behavior and attitudes.
- Study: Primes from American vs. Singaporean culture affected consumer behavior during an online shopping task.

Enculturation: Learning behaviors and values through observation.
- Study: Samoan children learned fishing techniques and cultural norms through observation rather than direct teaching.

Acculturation: Cultural and psychological changes from interaction among cultures.
- Study: Factors reducing acculturative stress identified among Latino immigrants; English proficiency and family cohesion linked to better adaptation.