ib - the biological perspective
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IB - The Biological Perspective
Introduction
The focus of this perspective is the interaction between the physiological and
psychological factors that contribute to behavior. Changes in behavior can
arise from an interaction of dispositional and environmental factors.
Research has frequently, but not exclusively, used the experimental method.Key issues that are relevant to the biological perspective include criticisms
that it often involves a reductionist approach and that behavior exhibited by
non-human animals is not always relevant to humans. In this unit students
will evaluate the relevance of this perspective to modern psychology.
You need to be able to:
Describe and evaluate the cultural context and development, the conceptual framework, the
methodology, and the application of the biomedical model.
Cultural context and development:
- Darwin (Evolution Natural Selection)
- Dualism
- Later shift from Dualism to Materialism
Conceptual Framework (Key
Concepts):
physiological (biological) concepts affect
behavior.
Neurotransmitters (excitatory, inhibitory).The Brain (localization of functions).
Bodily Rhythms
Methodology:
Correlational studies, double blind
trials, experiments (use of animals and
humans = ethically controversial),interviews, case studies and
questionnaires.
Applications:
- comparison with other perspectives- application of genetic research and
ethical implications
- changes in education, work andtherapy.
Describe and evaluate theories and empirical studies within this perspective.
Theories:
Biological researchers tend to view behavior has purely physical. Their basic assumption is
that the brain determines behavior.
Dualism the view, first attributed to Descartes, that mind and body are distinct, Descartesbelieved that the two could interact via the pineal gland in the brain. However, now most
psychologist disregard this assumption.
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Materialism assumption that all behavior has a physiological basis.
The two primary concerns of the biological perspective are the workings of the nervoussystem, and the role of hereditary on behavior.
Assumptions:
Materialism (body and mind are the same)
All psychological behavior is first physiological (mind appears to reside in the brain,
therefore all thoughts, feelings, and behaviors ultimately have a physical/biological cause)
Genes have evolved over millions of years to adapt behavior to the environment. Therefore,
much behavior will have a genetic basis.
Heredity the biological transmission of characteristics from one generation to the other.
This is a main aspect of the biological approach.
Natural Selection the evolutionary process by which those random variations within a
species which enhance reproductive success lead to perpetuation of new characteristics, in
essence, individuals possessing traits which enhance survival and reproduction are likely to
have more offspring (Darwin).
Empirical Studies:
Darwin His theory of natural selection published in his book The Origin of Species
(1859) was a major influence on the biological perspective. Darwin was advocating not only
the inheritance of characteristics, but also an evolutionary link between humans and all otherspecies. Even though, his theory caused much controversy, it laid the basis for the study of
hereditary influences on behavior.
1861 A French doctor, Paul Broca, encountered a case in which a man lost the ability to
speak coherently after a head injury. Later, Broca, was able to demonstrate, by post mortemautopsy, that the cause of the mans deficit lay in damage to a specific point in the brain.
The proof of this localization of function (connecting a specific behavior to a specific brain
area) was crucial to this perspective.
Wernicke - Interested in psychiatry, traditionally he studied anatomyinitially and neuropathology later. He published a small volume on aphasia
which vaulted him into international fame. In it was precise pathoanatomic
analysis paralleling the clinical picture. He is best known for his workon sensory aphasia and poliomyelitis hemorrhagia superior. The aphasia
syndrome, as described by Wernicke in 1908, consists of loss of comprehension of spoken
language, loss of ability to read (silently) and write, and distortion of articulate speech.
Hearing is intact. Wernicke aimed at a natural system for the classification of mentaldisorders, chiefly based on the anatomy and pathology of the nervous system. His pattern of
thought was based on the concept that psychiatric diseases were caused by disturbances of
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the associative system. It was, in other words, a sort of localisation doctrine.
1950s -Sperry severed the optic chiasm (the place where nerve cells from the two eyescross) and corpus callosum of monkeys. Each eye went to one half of the brain. It proved
that each half of the brain became two separate learning centers. Sperry got together people
who had their Corpus Callosum split to try and control their sever epilepsy. He showed themdifferent visual stimuli really quickly so only one visual field could take up the information,
and then got the patient to identify the word in different ways. He also tried this using touchidentification and by showing two different symbols to either visual field. He found that the
right visual field was connected to the left side of the brain and vice versa and that the Leftside of the brain could write it or say the information, and the right side could identify the
information by pointing. Still this gave no indication of what might happen in humans. One
obvious difference between primates and people is that monkeys do not speak, and Brocahas shown that speech was found in only one hemisphere. Consequently, no one was sure
what would happen if the hemispheres were separated in a person.
Implications: Support of localization of the brain theory. Mirror sites, connecting to old
memories.
1960s In Los Angeles, Philip Vogel was trying to treat patients with a long history of
epilepsy. While in many cases epileptics could be treated with anti-seizure drugs, these
patients did not respond to the drug treatment. When all treatments failed, Vogel tried a new
and radical approach: by cutting the fibres of the corpus callosum, he hoped to restrict theseizure activity to one hemisphere and thus prevent major seizure attacks. While he knew of
Sperrys work, and there had been occasional clinical reports of damage to the corpus
callosum, no one had purposely separated the hemispheres before. Medically, the treatmentworked, and it reduced the frequency of more limited seizures. Initial observations
suggested that the patients were normal, everyday actions such as walking and eating
seemed to occur naturally. However after further testing, they found that the patients
behaved in many ways as if they had two independent streams of conscious awareness, onein each hemisphere, each of with is cut from and out of contact with the mental experience
of the other. In other words, two minds functioning separately from each other. To assessthe effects of the surgery, the researchers had to use techniques whereby information was
presented to only one hemisphere. The simplest case, involved touch: if the split brain
person were given an object in there life hand while blindfolded, the left hand could pick it
out again, by touch, from a selection of several objects. However, if the right handattempted to pick out the article previously held in the left hand, it did no better than chance.
In the case of vision, the situation is a bit more complicated, because each eye is connected
to both hemispheres. The division of visual processing is such that the visual world of botheye is divided in two, so that the objects on the left side of the visual world are seen by the
right hemisphere, while objects on the right side are seen by the left hemisphere, regardlessof which eye is used. Since only the left hemisphere had language, the split brain personpresented with a word or picture on the left side (conveyed to the right hemisphere) could
not say what they had seen. The left hemisphere also specializes in logic and math skills.
They also discovered that the right hemisphere has musical and spatial abilities which the
left hemisphere lacks. However the right hemisphere is not completely ignorant of language because if a split person was presented with a word or picture, it can point to a
corresponding word or picture. Thus, if the right hemisphere sees the word key, the left
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hand can correctly choose a key.
Explain how cultural, ethical, gender, and methodological considerations affect the
interpretation of behavior from a biological perspective.
Effectiveness of the perspective in explaining psychological and/or social questions:
Comparison with other perspectives on questions such as aggression, gender differences or
stress. It addresses the question of gender differences: Nature or nurture? When looking at
gender differences it looks at issues such as sex, relationships, eating disorders etc. Eatingdisorders have many causes, they can be physiological, cultural, emotional. Societys
impact on women and the correlation that exists between eating disorders and genders is
studied as the great difference from male: to female ratio increases (1:7).
Gender: There are a great deal of differences between males and females, in terms ofphysiology and personality. However, in terms of the brain, there is a distinct difference
between the two genders. Females actually have a larger and more developed corpuscallosum than men, which suggests that they have better communication between the twosides of the brain. While the male brain is, on average, approximately 10 percent larger than
the female brain, females have a larger frontal lobe than men, which might explain the fact
that women seem to have a heightened perception of emotions than men. Females have
evolved mechanisms that enable them to detect men that will transfer resourced to theiroffspring (i.e. health and paternal investment). Males, however, have evolved mechanisms
that enable them to detect females that promise rapid production of offspring, and
disinclination to mate with other men (i.e. health, fertility, and faithfulness). This couldexplain why men expect women to be faithful, and why women seek out faithful men,
however males do not feel compelled to remain faithful to women.
Compare theories, empirical studies and the conceptual framework of this model with the other
perspectives.
Biological Psychodynamic Learning
Key terms and concepts:
Physiological(biological) concepts
affect behavior.
Neurotransmitters(excitatory, inhibitory).
The Brain (localization
of functions).
Bodily Rhythms
Hormones, Endocrine
gland, Drugs, Stress,
Sleep, Materialism,
Hereditary, Central
Key terms and
concepts: archetypes,defense mechanisms,
ego, id, superego,
psychosexual stages ofdevelopment,
inferiority complex,
Oedipal conflict,
conscious etc.
Key terms and concepts:
Reinforcement(positive/negative), operant
conditioning, learning,
classical conditioning,conditioned response,
conditioned stimulus,
schedules of reinforcement,
shaping etc.
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nervous system etc.
Key theorists:
Sperry, Vogel, Broca,
Wernicke
Key theorists:
Freud, Jung, Adler
Key theorists:
Watson, Skinner, Thorndike
Assumptions:
Based on the assumption
of materialism, which
asserts that all behavior
has a physiological
basis.
Genes have evolved over
millions of years to
adapt behavior to the
environment. Therefore,
much behavior will have
a genetic basis.
Assumptions:
Attempts to understand
behavior in terms of the
workings of the mind,
with an emphasis on
motivation and the role
of past experience.
Emphasizes the
importance of innate
drives, the continuity of
normal and abnormal
behavior and the role of
the unconscious mind.
By making the
assumption of psychic
determinism, views all
behavior as having ameaning.
Assumptions:
Emphasizes the study of
observable responses, and
rejects attempts to study
internal processes like
thinking.
Focus on learning as a
primary factor in explaining
changes in behavior.
Parsimony: The principle
that states that one should
always seek the simplest
possible explanation for an
event.
Associationism:
Mental processes,
particularly learning, arebased on forming
connections between ideas
and/or events.
Methodology:
Correlational studies,
double blind trials,experiments, interviews,
case studies and
questionnaires.
Methodology:
Case studies, interviews
Methodology:
Experiments, interviews,
surveys, observation
Identify and explain the strengths and limitations of biological explanations of behavior.
Strengths with the biological approach a
better understanding of how the brain
works has been achieved. Such as withBrocas work, localization of the brain
psychologists were able to connect a
specific behavior to a specific area of the brain). Also the developments of
techniques to study the brain have
improved with time. Different techniquesare EEG, MRI, CAT scans, PET.
The biological perspective has also helped
us understand the effect that drugs have in
the organism (such as cocaine, alcohol etc)and understand what happens to different
areas of the brain and to neurotransmitters.
The study of psychoactive (mindaffecting) drugs is a concern in both
Limitations the biological approach
emphasizes getting inside the black
box, that is look at internal structure ofthe organism. However, they do not
take in to account outside factors, such
as the environment, effect of society,family etc. on behavior. Not every
behavior can be explained solely on the
brain. Other past experiences can havean effect on our behavior. Such as
when trying to understand aggressionand why someone might change acquirea violent behavior. The biological
perspective proposes that in order for a
persons behavior to change drastically,
two out of these three things musthappen: 1) caused by physical damage
to the brain, 2) have a mental disease,
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psychology and medicine, and has givenrise to a hybrid field called
psychopharmacy. This extensive study
has helped to understand in depth humans
behavior under the influence of drugs.Another strength of this perspective is the
understanding of the effects of hormonal
change on behavior.
3) or have been abused as a child. Thislast one however does not seem to go
with the perspective since it takes into
account past experiences.
Explain the extent to which free will and determinism are integral in this perspective.
Free Will: Since this perspectiveacknowledges the presence of the mind
(basic assumption of materialism), and
focuses on how processes in the brainaccount for behavior, it can be assumed
that free will is integral to this perspective.However, such theories as those that
explain aggression, suggest that there aresome behaviors which are hereditary and
which we have no control over.
Determinism: The biological perspective is deterministic in that it
states that certain psychological
(personality) traits are pre-determined,or inherited. The emphasis on genetics
and the biological basis of behaviormakes determinism integral to this
perspective.
Explain and evaluate claims that correlates exist between physiological and psychological
behavior.
Localization of function: it has been determined that certain areas of the brain are primarily used forcertain functions and determine specific behaviors. This also allows us to determine the effects of
damage on these particular areas of the brain.
Discuss controversies surrounding a reductionist approach, as adopted by many biological
psychologists.
The biological approach can be said to be a reductionist approach because it focuses specifically on
neurological processes. It doesnt take other possible explanations of behavior into account, such as
cognitive processes (mental models), or the role of the environment.
Historical Development and Cultural ContextA long history of interest in mind-body dilemma
The influence of Darwin
The development of genetics and scanning technology
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Paradigm shift toward the scientific method
The Greeks (Hippocrates and Galen)
Early brain research (Broca and Gage)
Darwin
Gene research (Mendel, Watson & Crick and the Genome project)
Brain research (Lesions, Electrical stimulation, ECG, CAT, MRI)
Discoveries in medicine and biology (neurotransmitters, Hormones, Drugs)
Philosophy (Dualism Vs Materalism)
Assumptions All that is psychological is first physiological; behavior is biologically
determined.
Human genes have evolved over millions of years to adapt behavior to theenvironment. Therefore, much behavior has a genetic basis.
Psychology should investigate the brain, nervous system, endocrine system,
neurochemistry, and genes.
Animals may be studied as a means of understanding human behavior.
Key Concepts and Ideas
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Overview:Techniques to Learn about Structure and
Function
Measuring Brain Function EEG (electroencephalogram) used to
study states of arousal sleeping
/dreaming and detect abnormalities and
study cognition. PET (positron emission tomography)
color graphics depend on the amount ofmetabolic activity in the imaged brain
region.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
show brain at work at higher resolutionthan PET = Changes in oxygen in the
blood of an active brain area. Explore
well-known systems like perception toless understood systems like motivation
and emotion.
Organization of Nervous System
Central nervous system brain and
spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system somaticand autonomic
Somatic nervous system motor
neuron stimulate skeletal (voluntary)
muscle. Autonomic neuron that stimulates
smooth (involuntary) and heart muscle.
Autonomic antagonistic sympatheticnervous system and parasympathetic
nervous system.
Spinal Cord
The Brain
Evolution
Three division
1. Reptilian brain maintains homeostasisand instinctive behavior
2. Old mammalian brain limbic system
3. New mammalian brain cerebral cortex80% of brain volume higher function
Split brain
Structure and Function of the Neuron
1. Glial cells
2. Neurons
3. Cell body4. Dendrites
5. Axon
6. Terminal buttons7. Myelin sheath
8. Neurotransmitters9. Acetylcholine
10. Dopamine stimulated the hypothalamus tosynthesize hormone
11. Serotonin sexual activity, concentration and
attention12. endorphins
13. Reflex Action reflex arc
The Endocrine System
Endocrine system consists of glands that
secrete chemical messengers called
hormones into your blood. The hormonestravel to target organs where they bind tospecific receptors.
Pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland,
thyroid gland, parathyroid, adrenal glands,pancreas, ovaries and testes
Genetics and Evolution Psychology
Nature vs. Nurture
Genetics and Behavior
Heritability Twins
Transmission of hereditary characteristics
Chromosome, gene, Turners syndrome,Klineflethers syndrome, Down syndromes,
Key Theorists and Their ContributionsHubel and Weisel (Vision) Hubel & Wiesel inserted microscopic electrodes into the visual cortex of
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experimental animals to read the activity of single cells in the visual cortexwhile presenting various stimuli to the animal's eyes. They found a
topographical mapping in the cortex, i.e. that nearby cells in the cortex
represented nearby regions in the visual field, i.e. that the visual cortexrepresents a spatial map of the visual field.
Roger Sperry (Brain) Roger Wolcott Sperry (August 20, 1913 April 17,1994) was aneuropsychologist,neurobiologist and Nobel laureate who, together with
David Hunter HubelandTorsten Nils Wiesel, won the 1981Nobel Prize in
Medicine for his work withsplit-brain research. In his Nobel-winning work,Sperry separated the corpus callosum, the area of the brain used to transfersignals between the right and left hemispheres, to treat epileptics. Sperry and
his colleagues then tested these patients with tasks that were known to be
dependent on specific hemispheres of the brain and demonstrated that thetwo halves of the brain may each contain consciousness. In his words, each
hemisphere is the lateralization of brain function.Charles Darwin (evolution) His 1859 bookOn the Origin of Species established evolution by common
descentas the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature.
He examined human evolution and sexual selection in The Descent of Man,
and Selection in Relation to Sex, followed by The Expression of the
Emotions in Man and Animals.Paul Broca (brain) Broca is most famous for his discovery of the speech production center of
thebrain located in the ventroposterior region of the frontal lobes (now
known as theBroca's area). He arrived at this discovery by studying the
brains ofaphasic patients (persons with speech and language disordersresulting from brain injuries), particularly the brain of his first patient in the
Bictre Hospital, Leborgne, nicknamed "Tan" due to his inability to clearly
speak any words other than "tan".
. Pierre-Paul Broca, Flourens and Lashley, Fred Gage, Joe Martinez, Sperry & Gazzaniga, Hobson & McCarley,Simon LeVay, Bailey & Pillard, W. Greenough, Saul Schanberg, E Roy John, Tiffany Field.
Attitude Toward Determinism Behavior is mainly determined (genetically and
environmentally). People have no choice over heredity or
environment and these factors interact to produce
behavior. Biological approaches to psychology look at the
deterministic influence of genetics, brain structure and
biochemistry. Sociobiologists investigate evolutionarydeterminism.
Methods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1913http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuropsychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuropsychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurobiologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hunter_Hubelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hunter_Hubelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsten_Nils_Wieselhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsten_Nils_Wieselhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_callosumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateralization_of_brain_functionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Origin_of_Specieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_descenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_descenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_descenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_selectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descent_of_Man%2C_and_Selection_in_Relation_to_Sexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descent_of_Man%2C_and_Selection_in_Relation_to_Sexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_and_Animalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_and_Animalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_and_Animalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manner_of_articulationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontal_lobehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broca's_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broca's_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bic%C3%AAtre_Hospitalhttp://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/broca.htmhttp://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/brain-myth2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Gagehttp://ca3.utsa.edu/faculty/martinezj.htmlhttp://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/split-brain/background.htmlhttp://www.here-be-dreams.com/psychology/activation.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_LeVayhttp://www.worldpolicy.org/globalrights/sexorient/twins.htmlhttp://www.psych.uiuc.edu/people/showprofile.php?id=61http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=940DE0D91F3EF931A35751C0A96E948260http://www.med.nyu.edu/Research/johnr01.htmlhttp://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1913http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuropsychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurobiologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hunter_Hubelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsten_Nils_Wieselhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_callosumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateralization_of_brain_functionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Origin_of_Specieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_descenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_descenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_selectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descent_of_Man%2C_and_Selection_in_Relation_to_Sexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descent_of_Man%2C_and_Selection_in_Relation_to_Sexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_and_Animalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_and_Animalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manner_of_articulationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontal_lobehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broca's_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bic%C3%AAtre_Hospitalhttp://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/broca.htmhttp://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/brain-myth2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Gagehttp://ca3.utsa.edu/faculty/martinezj.htmlhttp://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/split-brain/background.htmlhttp://www.here-be-dreams.com/psychology/activation.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_LeVayhttp://www.worldpolicy.org/globalrights/sexorient/twins.htmlhttp://www.psych.uiuc.edu/people/showprofile.php?id=61http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=940DE0D91F3EF931A35751C0A96E948260http://www.med.nyu.edu/Research/johnr01.htmlhttp://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_20 -
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Invasive vs. non-invasive techniques. Invasive techniques, such as split brain studies are not only un-
ethical, but leave patients in what can be considered a worse condition than their previous one.Although when the corpus callosum was cut on severe epileptics, their seizures stopped, but so did the
communication between left and right brain. These techniques are dangerous and messy. Non-invasive
techniques, however, such as MRI, CAT scans, or PET scans, are safer, and are a lot more helpful in
determining areas of the brain which may be malfunctioning.
Correlational studies, double blind trials, experiments (use of animals and humans = ethicallycontroversial), interviews, case studies and questionnaires.
Correlational Studies
Quasi-Experiments & Natural Experiments
Twin research (a type of correlational research)
Experimentation
Lab research vs. naturalistic research
Reliability and validity of research
Ethical considerations
comparison with other perspectives- application of genetic research and ethical
implications
- changes in education, work and therapy.
Ethical Issues
Evaluation of the Strengths and Weaknesses The approach is very scientific, and
thus is reliable. Practical applications have been
extremely effective.
Reductionist - Bio-psychological theories
often over-simplify the huge complexityof physical systems and their interaction
with the environment.
It has not explained how mind and body
interact - consciousness and emotion aredifficult to study objectively.
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Key Terms
actionpotential
tiny electrical current that isgenerated when positive sodiumions rush inside the axon
autonomicnervoussystem
regulates heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, othemainly involuntary movements
all-or-none
law
if an action potential starts at the
beginning of an axon, it willcontinue to very end of axon
central
nervoussystem
made up of the brain and spinal cord; carriesinformation back and forth between brain and body
Alzheimer'sdisease
incurable, fatal disease involvingbrain damage, with memory loss,deterioration of personality
cerebellumlocated at back of brain; involved in coordinating (butnot in initiating) voluntary movements
curare a drug that enters bloodstream andblocks receptors on muscles,causing paralysis
cortexa thin layer of cells covering the entire surface of theforebrain; folds over on itself to form a large area
dendrites branchlike extensions that arisefrom cell body and receive andpass signals to cell body
endocrinesystem
a system of glands which secrete hormones thataffect organs, muscles, and other glands in the body
end bulbs miniature containers at extremeends of axon branches; storechemicals called neurotransmitters
fight-flightresponse
a state of increased physiological arousal that helpsbody cope with and survive threatening situations
glial cells brain cells that provide scaffolding,insulation, chemicals to protect andsupport neuron growth
forebrain the largest part of the brain; has right and left sides(hemispheres) responsible for many functions
ions chemical particles that haveelectrical charges; oppositecharges attract and like chargesrepel
frontal lobea relatively large cortical area at the front part of thebrain; involved in many functions; like an executive
mescaline a drug that causes arousal, visualhallucinations; acts likeneurotransmitter norepinephrine
genea specific segment on the strand of DNA that containinstructions for building the brain and body
mind-bodyquestion
asks how complex mental activitiescan be generated by physicalproperties of the brain
gonadsglands (ovaries in females, testes in males) thatregulate sexual development and reproduction
nerve impulse series of separate action potentialsthat take place segment by
segment down length of axon
homeostasis
keeping the bodyUs level of arousal in balance for
optimum functioningneuron brain cell with specialized
extensions for receiving andtransmitting electrical signals
limbicsystem
core of the forebrain; involved in many motivationalbehaviors and with organizing emotional behaviors
neurotransmitters
chemical keys with a particularshape that only fits a similarlyshaped chemical lock or receptor
MRI scan(magneticresonanceimaging)
passing nonharmful radio frequencies through brainand measuring how signals interact with brain cells
Parkinson'sdisease
branchlike extensions that arisefrom cell body and receive andpass signals to cell body
occipitallobe
core of the forebrain; involved in many motivationalbehaviors and with organizing emotional behaviors
phantom limb vivid experience of sensations andfeelings coming from a limb thathas been amputated
parietallobe
located directly behind the frontal lobe; its functionsinclude the sense of touch, temperature, and pain
reflex an unlearned, involuntary reactionto some stimulus; prewired bygenetic instructions
peripheralnervoussystem
all nerves that extend from the spinal cord and carrymessages to and from muscles, glands, senseorgans
reuptakeprocess of removingneurotransmitters from synapse byreabsorbtion into terminal buttons
PET scan(positronemissiontomography)
measuring a radioactive solution absorbed by braincells; shows the activity of various neurons
sodium pump a chemical process responsible forkeeping axon charged by returningsodium ions outside axon
somaticnervoussystem
a network of nerves that connect either to sensoryreceptors or to muscles you can move voluntarily
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stereotaxicprocedure
fixing a patientUs head in a holderand drilling a small hole through theskull; syringe guided to a rain area
temporallobe
involved in hearing, speaking coherently,understanding verbal and written material
synapse very small space between terminalbutton and adjacent dendrite,muscle fiber, or body organ
amygdalainvolved in forming, recognizing, and rememberingemotional experiences and facial expressions
autonomicnervoussystem
regulates heart rate, breathing,blood pressure, other mainlyinvoluntary movements
homeostasis
keeping the bodyUs level of arousal in balance foroptimum functioning
centralnervoussystem
made up of the brain and spinalcord; carries information back andforth between brain and body
limbicsystem
core of the forebrain; involved in many motivational
behaviors and with organizing emotional behaviors
cerebellumlocated at back of brain; involved incoordinating (but not in initiating)voluntary movements
MRI scan(magneticresonanceimaging)
passing nonharmful radio frequencies through brainand measuring how signals interact with brain cells
cortex a thin layer of cells covering theentire surface of the forebrain; foldsover on itself to form a large area
occipitallobe
core of the forebrain; involved in many motivationalbehaviors and with organizing emotional behaviors
endocrinesystem
a system of glands which secretehormones that affect organs,muscles, and other glands in thebody
parietallobe located directly behind the frontal lobe; its functions
include the sense of touch, temperature, and pain
fight-flightresponse
a state of increased physiologicalarousal that helps body cope with
and survive threatening situations
peripheralnervous
system
all nerves that extend from the spinal cord and carrymessages to and from muscles, glands, sense
organsforebrain
the largest part of the brain; hasright and left sides (hemispheres)responsible for many functions
PET scan(positronemissiontomography)
measuring a radioactive solution absorbed by braincells; shows the activity of various neurons
frontal lobe a relatively large cortical area at thefront part of the brain; involved inmany functions; like an executive
somaticnervoussystem
a network of nerves that connect either to sensoryreceptors or to muscles you can move voluntarily
gene a specific segment on the strand ofDNA that contains instructions forbuilding the brain and body
temporallobe
involved in hearing, speaking coherently,understanding verbal and written material
gonads glands (ovaries in females, testesin males) that regulate sexualdevelopment and reproduction
1. EXAM SHORT ANSWER and ESSAY QUESTIONSa. Describe one theoretical explanation of behavioural change in
humans based on the biological perspective. [4 marks]
b. Explain the strengths and limitations of the explanation of
behaviour described in part (a). [4 marks]
May 2003
2. Explain and evaluate claims that correlates exist between physiological
processes and psychological behaviour. [20 marks] May 2003
3. Explain why a reductioninst approach adopted by many biological
psychologists is controversial. [8 marks] Nov 2003
4. Behavioural change can be regarded as arising from an interaction
between innate disposition and environmental factors. Describe and
evaluate theories or studies within the biological perspective related to
this statement. [20 marks] Nov 2003
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8/3/2019 IB - The Biological Perspective
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5.
a. Outline what is meant by the reductionist approach. [2 marks]
b. Explain how one theory or empirical study from the biological
perspective demonstrates a reductionist approach. [6 marks]
May 2004
6. Discuss how ethical and methodological considerations affect the
interpretation of behaviour from a biological perspective. [20 marks]May 2004
7. Outline historical or cultural considerations that have given rise to the
biological perspective. [8 marks] Nov 2004
8. Discuss strengths and limitations of research methods used within the
biological perspective. [20 marks] Nov 2004
9. Explain how determinism relates to the biological perspective. [8
marks] May 2005
10.
a. Describe assumptions on which key concepts from the biologicalperspective are based. [10 marks]
b. Evaluate the assumptions described in part (a). [10 marks]
May 2005
11. Identify and explain one contribution of the biological perspective to
the scientific study of behaviour. [8 marks] Nov 2005
12. Identify one key concept from the biological perspective and discuss its
contribution to the understanding of behaviour. [20 marks] Nov 2005
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