BLOA Learning Objectives

General Learning Outcomes:

1. Outline principles that define the biological level of analysis.
2. Explain how principles that define the biological level of analysis may be demonstrated in research (that is, theories and/or studies).
3. Discuss how and why particular research methods are used at the biological level of analysis (for example, experiments, observations, correlational studies).
4. Discuss ethical considerations related to research studies at the biological level of analysis.

 

Physiology and Behaviour:

1. Explain one study related to localisation of function in the brain.
2. Using one or more examples, explain effects of neurotransmission on human behaviour.
3. Using one or more examples, explain functions of two hormones in human behaviour.
4. Discuss two effects of the environment on physiological processes.
5. Examine one interaction between cognition and physiology in terms of behaviour. Evaluate two relevant studies.
6. Discuss the use of brain imaging technologies (for example, CAT, PET, fMRI) in investigating the relationship between biological factors and behaviour.

 

Genetics and Behaviour:

1. With reference to relevant research studies, to what extent does genetic inheritance influence behaviour?
2. Examine one evolutionary explanation of behaviour.
3. Discuss ethical considerations in research into genetic influences on behaviour.

 

Neurotransmitter and Psycholo

Using one or more examples,explain effects of neurotransmission on human behavior

This essay will give a detailed account of the effect of neurotransmission on human behavior. One of the biggest biological factors which has a role for determining our cognition, emotion and behavior is neurotransmission. As the principles of the biological level of analysis states, we need to see the effect on human cognition, emotion and behavior in order to understand what the neurotransmission is. The neurotransmission is done by neurotransmitters which are the chemical messengers which allow the communication between nerve cells, or neurons. It travels from one neuron to another through synapses. There are many examples that prove specific neurotransmitters have effects on human behavior.

 

First, one of the kinds of neurotransmitters serotonin has some effects on human behavior and cognition.  It is commonly associated with people’s emotion such as depression and aggression, arousal level and sleep. The balanced amount of serotonin protects us from negative emotions such as anxiety or depression. Also, it increases arousal. This neurotransmitter is secreted from the pineal glands which is located in our brain. Fortunately, this is not just a theory, but is proven by an experiment “Monk Serotonin Study” (1999). It is held by two Japanese scientists Kasamatsu and Hirai in order to investigate how sensory deprivation affects the brain using monks. They studied a group of Monks on a mountain for 72 hour pilgrimage. The Monks were not allowed to speak, eat or drink anything and exposed to cold late autumn weather. After 48 hours of this state, they started to see hallucinations of ancestors and to feel their presence. Before letting Monks do the pilgrimage, the researchers took their blood samples in order to compare with blood samples taken after the pilgrimage. The researchers found an increased level of serotonin in Monk’s brain, especially in the Hypothalamus and Frontal Cortex, after the experiment. They concluded it is the main cause of Monks’ hallucination. Therefore, in conclusion, the sensory deprivation triggered the release of serotonin which is responsible for sleep, arousal level, and emotions.

 

Second, another neurotransmitter dopamine also affects human cognition, emotion or behavior. It is secreted from anterior pituitary gland in the brain and considered to be responsible for our balanced movements, emotional responses, pleasure and pain, and regulation of logical thought process. Thus, low level of dopamine causes the lack of control over body movements. For example, lack of dopamine sometimes causes Parkinson’s disease which human body gradually stops working properly due to the muscle and movement problems. On the other hand, high level of dopamine causes the instability to rationalize information and depreciation of logical process. Again, this theory is also proven by a research: Presynaptic dopamine function study held by Hietala (1995). There are 7 people who have schizophrenia as an experimental group and 8 healthy people as a control group. The researchers measured the amount of uptake of dopamine a PET scan. As a result, the fluorodopa influx constant increased in schizophrenic patients. Therefore, in conclusion, alterations in presynaptic dopamine function make people more inclined to have schizophrenia.

In conclusion, the biological factor “neurotransmission” has some influences on human behavior, emotion and cognition. Biology and psychology are deeply related each other. As those two example prove, the variety of neurotransmission have the variety ways to affect human in psychological way.

 

Citation:

“Using One or More Examples, Explain Effects of Neurotransmission on Human Behaviour | Ib Psych Notes.” Ib Psych Notes Using One or More Examples Explain Effects of Neurotransmission on Human Behaviour Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014. <http://ibpsychnotes.com/bloa-lo/lo6/>.

“IB Guides.” IB Psychology Notes. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2014. <http://ibguides.com/psychology/notes/using-one-or-more-examples-explain-the-effects-of-neurotransmission-on-human-behaviour>.

 

Ethical Consideration of Biological Level of Analysis

Discuss ethical considerations related to research studies at the biological level of analysis.

 

This essay will aim to offer a considered and balanced review, which includes a range of arguments, factors or hypothesis, related to the research studies at biological level of analysis. It is stated that any emotions, behaviors and cognitions are able to be determined by biological factors such as brain and neurons.

When researching/investigating something, all researchers must follow the ethical principles, which contain 6 basics, of psychological research. The first one is “informed consent”. The researchers must outline what they are going to research to the participants and then ask their consent such as permission to take part in the research. However, this is sometimes not followed. For example, if the research is on what happens in daily life, then researchers are allowed not to follow this rule. The second one is “right to withdraw”. Participants always have right to stop being a part of investigation. Also, even at the end of research, they have choice to provide the data or not. The third one is “deception”. Researchers are allowed to deceit participants. However, it should be as less as possible. The fourth one is “debriefing”. Participants must be debriefed at the end of the study and must be given researchers’ general purpose of the investigation. The fifth one is “confidentially/privacy”. The information and data of participants must be hidden. The last one is “protection of participants from mental and/or physical harm”. Researchers must ensure that the research does not cause participants distress such as mental and physical harm. This essay will discuss how those considerations are related to the psychological research at the biological level of analysis.

As it is said above, there are times when researchers cannot really follow those ethical principles in order to obtain their best result. For example, a case study of David Reimer in 1974, one of the famous biological studies, is on the serious debate. David was biologically born as a male, in 1965, but accidentally broke and lost his penis during his circumcision operation so the doctor, John Money, suggested changing his sex. So he had been raised as a female. However, in fact, John Money had an aim to prove that nurture determined gender identity not nature and did not tell about that to David’s family. When David grew up, he showed masculine behavior and faced a lot of troubles with peers. It means he actually turned to a male again after fourteen years of fake female. In conclusion, Money’s attempt to prove that nurture influences gender identity was completely opposite. It is determined by hormones and chromosomes. Obviously, Money has been the subject of controversy due to his work with the sex-reassignment of David Reimer. There are some factors which infringe the ethical principles. First of all, David did not have right to withdraw because once he lost the penis then he just had to live in the way he was. Second of all, there were a lot of deceptions and uninformed consent. David and his family did not know that Money’s suggestion to sex-reversal was being the subject of a study. They trusted Money and had a sex change operation. Lastly, the biggest ethical issue is that this research provided much physical and mental harm on the subject. As it is written above, the participants should be protected and should not get any harm regardless of physical or mental harm. In this case, David got physical harm during the surgery and also got mental harm: he had a huge conflict about his own gender identity. However, on the other hand, there are some claims to argue back those points because as a result we got to know the nurture does not have anything to determine the gender identity. So it was not totally wrong to lie about the sex change operation. It is a big finding even though there are also huge issues.

In conclusion, the ethical principles include protection of participants from any harm, right to withdraw, confidentiality, deception and debriefing. However, there are sometimes when those principles are not followed properly and achieve a great conclusion. Especially the deception is sometimes allowed for researchers it they must.

 

Citation:

McLeod, S. A. (2007). Psychology Research Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/Ethics.html

“IB Guides.” IB Psychology Notes. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://ibguides.com/psychology/notes/discuss-ethical-considerations-related-to-research-studies-at-the-biological-level-of-analysis&gt;.

Localized Brain Area and Psychology

Explain one study related to localization of function in the brain.

 

This essay aim to give a detailed account including reasons and causes related to localization of function in the brain. Localization of function, sometimes LOF in short, is the theory stating the specific area of a brain has a specific role and responsibility to control the functions in the body. In psychology, this theory is used to explain the relationship between biological factors (such as brain) and psychological factors (such as cognition, emotion and behavior).

The easiest way to understand certain brain area’s function is to look at the difference before and after losing it. There is a great case study which clearly explains and proves the theory of Localization of Function in the brain. The case study of Phineas Gage (1848) is to investigate the function of frontal lobe to human, or how the loss of it influences human behavior, cognition and emotion. Phineas Gage, the subject of this study, was a 25 year-old worker of railroad construction company who survived though after getting an iron pipe passing through his head and the skull. He lost his left eye and certain brain area, the frontal lobe.  J.M Harlow nursed him to recovery in order to observe his mental changes. He observed a dramatic change of Gage’s personality. Phineas Gage was a kind man, however, according to Harlow, “Gage was no longer Gage” because he had become really aggressive, violent and using rude languages. In conclusion, it proved that the frontal lobe is responsible for the personality/emotion and loss of it can greatly change the personality. Also, it proved that the theory of Localization of Function is actually true; the certain parts of the brain have certain roles regardless of neither biological nor psychological.

In conclusion, as the case study of Phineas Gage supports, the theory of Localization of Function in the brain is generally accepted. Certain area of the brain, such as frontal lobe, has a certain role and if you destroy it, then there will be some changes in your cognition, emotion or behavior.

 

Citation:

“IB Guides.” IB Psychology Notes. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <http://ibguides.com/psychology/notes/explain-one-study-related-to-localization-of-function-in-the-brain&gt;.

“Phineas Gage: Neuroscience’s Most Famous Patient.” Smithsonian. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/phineas-gage-neurosciences-most-famous-patient-11390067/?no-ist&gt;.

Hormone and Behavior

 

Using one or more examples, explain functions of two hormones in human behavior

 

G11B Vivian and Mugi

 

This essay will give a detailed account of two hormones which are related to human behavior with using some examples. So what are hormones? Hormones are said to affect human behavior and are chemicals released by glands in endocrine system.  Endocrine system flows in the blood and act as messenger, targets specific cells to impulses which initiate specific responses, and eventually affect human body.  There are a lot of hormones in the human body such as serotonin from pineal gland and estrogen from adrenal gland.

 

The hormone melatonin is one of the hormone (also plays role as a neurotransmitter) secreted by the pineal gland in human brain. People generally call it a sleep hormone because it is responsible for our basic body cycle such as feeling of tiredness before sleeping. Unbalanced amount of melatonin causes people to sleep too much or too less and obviously it is unhealthy for human. It is usually secreted at night (around 2 hour before getting sleepy) and decreases during the day time. There is an experiment, which is generally called Regulation of emotional behaviour by day length in mice: implication of melatonin, to prove this theory, done by Kopp C in 1999. The researchers exposed mice to various situations such as 12 hours in the light and 12 hours in the dark, or 6 hours in the light and 18 hours in the dark. The short-day exposure was found to decrease neophobic reactions in mice. In contrast, the long-day exposure enhanced neophobia. Those results provide evidence that the modulation of circulating melatonin might be involved in the emotional changes related to day-length variations.

 

Estrogen plays a bigger role in the parts of the brain that controls emotions. The effects of estrogen on central monoamine neurotransmission and low levels of estrogen in women are connected with premenstrual syndrome, postnatal depression and post-menopausal depression. Psychologists stated that the influence of estrogen on women’s emotion can clearly explain female emotional disorders. The loss of estrogen affect the brain to slow down the speed of brain processing, and this change is particularly for the postural stability, which it connect to the recognition of sensory input and physical response. Women with high estrogen levels may be predisposed to high levels of anxiety, and even panic attacks, and women with low levels of estrogen can lead to depression. There’s a study that shows the relationship between depression and estradiol (estradiol is the form of estrogen), the increase of depression would increase in oestrogen (Angold et al., 1999).

 

In conclusion, as those two examples above support, the hormones in our body has big role related to our cognition, emotion and behavior.

 

Citation:

“Result Filters.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10780290>.

“IB Guides.” IB Psychology Notes. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <http://ibguides.com/psychology/notes/using-one-or-more-examples-explain-functions-of-two-hormones-in-human-behaviour>.

3 Principle of Biological Level of Analysis

Outline the principles that define the biological level of analysis

 

This essay will attempt to give a brief account or summary to the principles that define the biological level of analysis. There are three principles and they all will be outlined with psychological and biological evidence. These principles allow us to understand how the biology influences psychology in terms of cognition and behavior.

 

The first one states that “There are biological correlates of behavior”. It means that there are relationships between biological factors and human behavior and mind. Therefore, the behavior is not only a result of psychology but also the result of biology. Major biological factors are brain, neurotransmitters and hormones and they are considered to affect human behavior and cognition. For instance, a neurotransmitter called Serotonin is said to influence on human’s level of depression, aggression and arousal level of sleep. This has been proven by a research held in Japan: Monk Serotonin Study (1999). The researchers, Hirai and Kasamatsu, studied the difference between the amount of serotonin level and Monks’ psychological changes. As a result, they could find out that low level of Serotonin actually lets people have abnormal behavior such as seeing hallucination. As this research supports, biological factors and psychology are strongly connected to each other.

 

The second one is that “Animal research can provide insight into human behavior”. This principle states that studying animal can be applied to the study of human beings, meaning that the non-human animals sometimes can share the same traits as humans. However, when using animals as the subjects of the research, the researchers must follow the ethics (such as not to harm animals). For instance, the Pavlov’s dog experiment used animal, a dog, to study about animal behavior which is later able to be applied to human behavior. The dog was first given bell ringing sound and food together. And it showed a response of salivation. Then, Later, it is given only bell ringing sound. As a result, the dog could show a response of salivation even though there was no food. This is now generally called the Classical Conditioning, whose concept is applied to many things such as education.

 

The third one is that “Human behavior is, to some extent, genetically based”.  This principle states that the behavior is explained by genetic inheritance, meaning an individual inherits some traits from his/her parents. For example, the Minnesota Twins Study stated twins in different environment share the same traits in terms of interests, behavior and personality. This research definitely helps to support this third principle. However, there are kind of people called “interactionist” who claim the traits/behavior is also determined by the environment. When you want to go for only one side of the view, this becomes the Nature and Nurture Issue.

Gene Inheritance and Psychology

With reference to relevant research studies, to what extent does genetic inheritance influence behaviour?

Vivian, Emily and Mugi G11B 

Genes are the segments of DNA inherited from parents to the offspring. Patterns of behavior can be inherited; behavior is innate because it is genetically based. There is four types of study that explains genetic inheritance influenced behavior: Twin study, adoption study, family study and intelligence.

The first study which proves that the genetic inheritance influences behavior is twin study. The famous one is Bouchard et al (1990), which is also known as Minnesota Twin Study. It used self-selected sample of monozygotic twins (identical twins) who had been reared together and monozygotic twins who had been reared apart. It was to investigate concordance rates for a number of variables such as IQ. The results showed that IQ rates for monozygotic twins who had been reared apart was 69% while the ones who reared together was 88%. This result concluded that environmental factors play a role in development of intelligence but IQ is to a large extent inherited and that 70% of the observed variation in the sample could be attributed to genetic variation.

Second study is adoption study. Adoption study allows the researcher to study and compare between genetic and environmental influence on behavior. Adopted children share none of their genes with their adoptive parents, but they share 50% of their genes with their biological parents. One study was done by Heston in 1966, which investigated about whether the adopted children are likely to form a disorder (schizophrenia) in different environment or is the environment plays a greater role than the genetic affecting the disorder. This study was performed through personal interviews and psychological tests. Group 1 is an experimental group which consists of 47 adopted children whose biological parents suffered from schizophrenia. Group 2 is a control group which consists of 50 adopted children whose biological parents did not suffered from schizophrenia. The result was that group 1 suffered from schizophrenia themselves and group 2 did not suffer from any disorder. The result tells us that it doesn’t matter what specific environment a child is raised in; if his/her parents suffer from any disorder, the risk for suffering from the same disorder will be equal regardless of if the child was raised with its biological parents or with its adoptive parents.

The third study family study. The family study is one of the case studies which look at certain family. The famous family study which proves that the genetic influences human behavior and cognition is Killikak Family, a book published by Henry Goddard in 1912. Henry Goddard investigated one man named Martin Killikak who gave birth with two different women. The first woman was a barmaid who had psychological disorder. The offsprings shared it. And the second woman was a normal woman whose offsprings got to be doctors, lawyer and other good job.

The fourth study which proves that the genetic influences human behavior and cognition is Bouchard and McGue study(1981). This study is to investigate whether intelligence has an effect on the genetic or not. Bouchard and McGue conducted a main point of analysis of 111 studies of siblings, and they also studied on correlations between siblings and their IQ. The result was that there was a positive correlation between kinship and IQ; the closer the siblings are, the more similar their IQ are.

Evaluation of study of this study is that they did a lot of research . However, they find out that siblings are raised in the same environment, so influence may not be simple genetic, and it is difficult to differentiate between influence of genetics and environment.and also the age that are further apart the siblings in age, the less correlated their IQs are expected to be.

In conclusion, the four studies that we mentioned above explains genetic inheritance influenced behavior: Twin study, adoption study, family study and intelligence.

PPT: Gene inheritance and psychology

PPT notes

The biological perspective

Q1. Outline the principles that define the biological level of analysis

Command term: OUTLINE

• Behavior can be inherited because it is genetically based (innate-within birth)
  • Evolution may play a key role in behavior
  • What behavior traits do you share with your parents?

 

• Animal research provides insight into human behavior
  • A significant amount of research is undertaken

 

• There are biological correlates of behavior

 

Physiology:

• The science of function of living systems. A subcategory of biology
• EX) organs, cells, endocrine systems, hormones, biological ecosystems

 

Many physiological (biological) factors play a role in behavior

• Brain process
• Neurotransmitters (NT)
• Hormones
• Genes

 

Response to environmental stimuli

• Stressful situation / stimuli (PTSD, Little Albert)
• Attractive person, pheromones, sex drive
• Brain damage (Phineas Gage)
• Nature vs. Nurture issue

 

Bidirectional

• The relationship between biology and cognition goes both ways
  • Biology may affect cognition
  • Cognition may affect biology
  • EX) you can think stressful thoughts and cause the body to respond (stomachache)

Interactionist

• The theory used by modern psychology (such as IB); a holistic approach
• The theory which claims that both nature (biological factors) and nature (environment) affect

 

Reductionist

• Micro-level of research, ignoring the whole vies of society and environment
• They break down complex human behavior into small parts (into the smallest)
  • EX) a humanàbody organsàsystemsàcellsàgene, hormones, neurons
• But there are some arguments against the reductionism
  • A complex system is nothing but the sum of its parts
  • The simplest explanation is the best
  • Putting people under a microscope, genetic biology
  • Reducing all of human experience to what biologists can poke and test
  • No nature, culture, gender, experience, exposure
  • Limits our understanding of complex systems (forcing animal instincts onto human behavior)
• A reductionist view ignores influences such as cognitive, social, or cultural factors.

 

 

10/09

Q2. Explain how the principles that define the biological level of analysis may be demonstrated in research.

Command term: EXPLAIN: give a detailed account with the reasons and causes
Pick any biological study that demonstrates (at least) 1 of the 3 principles

 

Neurons (nerve cells, chemical messengers)

• Neurotransmitters (NT) are endogenous (from within) chemicals which relay, amplify, and modulate signals between neurons
• Send electrochemical messages to the brain
• Causes us to respond to stimuli – from the environment or from internal changes in the body

 

Neurotransmitters

• Have a range of effects of human behavior
  • Mood
  • Memory
  • Sexual arousal
  • Mental illness
• NTs are Excitors or Inhibitors
• Reductionism way of thinking
  • Your soul mate is really a love cocktail of dopamine, norepinephrine, and oxytocin?
  • Mothers only love their children
• Have many types (should know at least 5)
  • Norepinephrine
  • Serotonin
  • Dopamine

 

MIRROR NEURONS

• Discovered by accident (gallese et al, 1996) Italy
  • Isolated thr nrutral response in rhesus monkeys for food (peanut, neural messages are electric, cracking sound)
• Marco Iachoboni (2004) look at human faces in fMRI
  • Does looking at the emotion expressed on a face cause the brain to be stimulated?
  • 1^st participants imitated the faces they were shown
  • 2^nd time just watch faces
• Same results in humans
  • Stimulated the limbic system for happy face (pleasure center)
• People learn by observing others, imitating (cognitive and learning)
• The chameleon effect:
• Mirror neurons: play a vital role in the ability to learn (and empathize) with others
  • Mirrors the behavior of the other
  • See and doing = the same thing in brain
• Art and music appreciation? Books and poems? : make us have emotion
• Mirror Neuron System (MNS): Theory of autism
  • Distortion in development of MNS interferes with imitation
  • Leads to autism’s core features of social impairment and communication difficulties
  • Also Asperger’s?
  • MNS theory does not explain the normal performance of autistic children on imitation tasks that involve a goal or object

 

NEW BRAIN RESEARCH

• S. Ramachandran (Vilayanur Subramanian)
  • Neurologist in India. Dir. Center for brain and cognition
  • Behavioral neurology and neurological syndromes
  • Profound impact on the way we think about the brain
  • Over 180 papers in scientific journals
• Case Study: Phineas Gage
• Case Study: Elliot
  • Antonio Damasio, 1994
  • Patient Elliot
  • Who had been responsible, successful business person, with a good job.
  • He had a happy, stable family
  • Then a tumor
  • He experienced a radical personality change
  • Could not follow schedule, impulsive, no-self discipline
  • Obsessed on unimportant tasks
  • Could not motivate himself enough to get dressed
  • Incapable of making basic decisions
    • Ex) he would spend an entire afternoon deciding whether to classify data by date or place
    • Unable to live in a community
  • Lost his job
  • Ended up bankrupt
  • Divorced and married again and again
  • Became dependent on a disability to check to survive
  • His self-destructed behavior doesn’t bother him (surroundings are bothered by him)
  • On intelligence and personality tests, he seemed normal

 

Localized brain function

Amygdala: fear, anger, criminal behavior

Hypothalamus: pleasure center (food, sex)

Broca/Wernickes Area: Language

Corpus Collosum:

Forebrain/Frontal lobe: reasoning, decision making, (Phineas gage’s personality)

 

Biological studies

Cardinal Etal (2001)

Sperry Gazzaniga 1950

The bilingual brain Karl Kim and Joy Hirsch

Group 1: Second language as a child
Group 2: Second language later in life:

• Later in life is much more difficult than being able to speak it during the childhood.
• Group 1 used Broca’s area for both languages
• Group 2 used a different area for the second language

 

Broca’s area:

The region of brain in frontal lobe at one hemisphere (usually at the left) found by Broca Paul. It has a function of speech production. Broca has found this information since he saw two patients who lost the ability to speak after the injury to the posterior inferior frontal gyrus of the brain.

 

Wernicke area:

It is an area, which links central cortex, about the language, the same as Broca’s area. It’s involved in the understanding of written and spoken language. Can produce nonsense speech, but not understand it (word salad).

 

Robert hearth (1950)

Some very strange experiments pushed the other limits of our neurophysiological knowledge. Dr. Robert G. Heath found that he could manipulate the pleasure and pain centers of the brain by surgically placing electrodes deep inside.