Biological approach

Created by: ElizabethH2525
Created on: 29-04-19 16:29

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Biological approach and biopsychology
- Evolution
  - Mutations in genes
  - Survival of the fittest - the most efficient genes get passed on, whilst the least die out
  - Anxiety and phobias
  - Aggression e.g. cavemen
  - IQ
    - Artificial intellligence
  - Evolutionary psychology focuses on how evolution has shaped the mind and behaviour
  - Charles Darwin 1861
  - Language
  - Memory
  - Consciousness
- Post mortems
  - Uses the physical brain of a patient who displayed a particular behaviour when alive to suggest brain damage
  - 40 categories analysed
  - 1961 by Paul Broca
    - Used on Tan to analyse Broca's area
      - Located within the frontal lobe
      - Related to speech production
- Genotype and phenotype
  - Genotype: genetic predisposition to develop a particular gene - the info within a gene
  - Phenotype: whether a feature, through a gene, is actually expressed
    - Influenced by other factors
- Twin and adoption studies
  - Use correlational research to establish to what extent a trait is due to a certain gene
    - Correlational research shows the relationship between 2 variables
    - IV not manipulated = cause and effect not established
  - Twin studies: conducted on either monozygotic or fraternal (dizygotic) twins
    - Monozygotic twins share more DNA = should be a higher concordance rate
  - Adoption studies: tend to compare the biological mother and the adoptive mother to determine who has a higher concordance rate for a given behaviour
  - IQ: 76% in MZ and 60% in DZ
  - Shields and Gottesman (1972) schizophrenia study support
- Brain damage and functional recovery
  - Functional recovery: how your body recovers its abilities and mental processes compromised AAR of brain damage
    - Mechanisms
      - Coma
      - Brain swelling
      - Axonal sprouting
      - Neuronal unmasking
      - Neurogenesis
      - Hemospheric compensation
      - Brain plasticity
        Kempermann (1998) rat brains depending on environments
        
        Maguire's (2000) taxi drivers
  - Therapy: eternal methods used to aid recovery
    - Melodic intonation therapy
    - Constraint induced movement therapy
  - Cognitive pruning: brain areas most used have strengthened connections. Those not used are deleted or weakened
- Split brain research
  - Hemispheric lateralization: each hemisphere specialises to perform different functions
  - Left brain
    - Logic, analysis, sequencing, maths, language
  - Right brain
    - Creativity, imagination, arts, visualisation
  - Sperry (1960)
- Neurones and synaptic transmission
  - Saltatory conduction: action potentials "jump" from node to node
  - Features of a neuron
    - Cell nucleus
    - Myelin sheath (tissue layer)
    - Cell body (soma)
    - Axon terminals
    - Cytoplasm
    - Synapse (gap)
    - Types
      - Exciatory or inhibitory
        Exciatory: speeds up
        
        Inhibitory: slows down
      - Post synaptic or pre synaptic
      - Relay
        Brain and spine (inter)
      - Motor
        Muscles
        Contraction
        
        Found in the CNS
      - Sensory
        Senses
        Some go to the brain
        
        Some are used in reflect actions
    - Nodes of ranvier (gaps in myelin sheath)
    - Dentrites
  - Resting electrical potential: -70 mV
    - Action potential +40 mV
  - Neurotransmitters: chemicals which allow the transmission of signals from one neuron to another across a synapse
- Divisions in the nervous system and the body's response to stress
  - CNS: brain and spinal chord
  - Peripheral nervous system
    - 31 pairs of spinal nerves that connect the CNS to the rest of the body
    - 1: Sensory division (afferent)
      - Composed of sensory neurons
      - Signals from receptors to CNS
    - 1: Motor division (efferent)
      - Composed of motor neurons
      - Signals from CNS to effectors
      - 2: Somatic
        Controls conscious activities i.e. voluntary movement
      - 2: Autonomic
        Unconscious activities i.e. involuntary responses
        
        3: Sympathetic
        Speeds the body up; prepares for flight or flight
        
        3: Parasympathetic
        Calms the body down; "rest and digest" state
  - Cognitive appraisal: the senses make judgement about whether the exterior surroundings are stressful, sneidng this to the brain
  - HPA: chronic stress (long term stress)
    - Pituitary gland releases ACTH, which floats all around the body
      - Adrenal cortex picks up ACTH and releases cortisol
        Inhibits the immune system for extra energy
      - Takes hours/days to cleanse
  - Neural pathway (SAM): acute stress, fight and flight situations
    - Single electrical pulse via the spinal chord
    - Adrenal medulla stimulates release of adrenaline
      - Increased heartbeat
      - Increased breathing in attempt to gather oxygen
      - Increased blood pressure
      - Pupil dilation
      - Temporarily increased strength
- Endochrine system
  - Network of glands that manufacture and secrete hormones
    - Travel in the blood
      - Slower than electrical communication by nerves
  - Thyroid
    - Releases thyroxine
      - Regulates basal metabollic rate
  - Adrenal medulla
    - Releases adrenaline
      - Fight or flight response and its symptoms
  - Adrenal cortex
    - Cortisol
      - Suppression of the immune system
  - Testes
    - Testosterone
      - Development of male secondary characteristics at puberty
  - Ovaries
    - Oestrogen
      - Regulation of female reproductive system, menstrual cycle and pregnancy
  - Pineal gland
    - Melatonin
      - Regulation of arousal, biological rhythms and the sleep-wale cycle
- Biological rhythms
  - Types of rhythm
    - Infradian (less often than every 24 hours)
      - e.g. SAD
    - Circadian (every 24 hours)
      - Sleep, male sperm cycle, body temperature peak etc
        Based on exogenous zeitgebers
        Environmental factors that help synchronise biological rhythms with the outside world]
        
        Siffre in the cave (1972)
        
        Entrainment: resetting biological clocks with exogenous zeitgebers
        
        Campbell and Purphy: lights on the backs of knees
      - Most common and most studied
    - Ultradian (more often than every 24 hours)
      - Respiration, brain time out, REM
  - Endogenous pacemakers
    - "Body clocks"
    - Morgan (1955)
    - Mimosa

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Biological approach

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