The Biological Level of Analysis Revision JEOPARDY The Biological Level of Analysis Revision

The Biological Level of Analysis The Brain General learning outcomes Genetics Interactions Chemistry of behaviour 200 400 600 800 1000 Bonus Question: 5000 pts

Topic 1: 200 Question: This part of the brain is associated with the flight or fight response and aggression. Answer The Amygdala Back

Topic 1: 400 Question: What is the role of the hippocampus? Answer To convert short-term episodic and declarative memory into long-term memory. Back

Topic 1: 600 Question: What is the key difference between an MRI and an fMRI? Answer An MRI only captures the “structure” of the brain, whereas an fMRI is able to map its function. Back

Topic 1: 800 Question: What is one limitation of using brain imaging techniques to study the brain? Answer The environment is unnatural and may affect brain activity; colours exaggerate the effects on the brain; brain images are compilations. Back

Topic 1: 1000 Question: Simon LeVay found that the INAH3 nucleus may be linked to the origins of sexual orientation. What is one problem with this theory? Answer Sexual orientation is a highly complex behaviour. LeVay’s argument is highly reductionist. Back

Topic 2: 200 Question: A control often used by biologists to determine if just getting a treatment was enough to change the behaviour. Answer Placebo. Back

Topic 2: 400 Question: Name two characteristics of a case study. Answer Method triangulation; no independent variable is manipulated; usually longitudinal; done in a naturalistic setting; in-depth with rich qualitative and quantitative data. Back

Topic 2: 600 Question: State one principle of the biological level of analysis. Answer Animals can be studied to understand human behaviour; there are biological correlates to behaviour; behaviour may be inherited. Back

Topic 2: 800 Question: Which research method was used by Maguire in the classic taxi cab study of memory? Answer It was a correlational study. No independent variable was manipulated and there was no procedure. Only the size of the hippocampus was measured. Back

Topic 2: 1000 Question: The use of placebos can potentially violate which ethical consideration? Answer Informed consent. It is important that the participant knows that s/he may be receiving the treatment or a placebo. Back

Topic 3: 200 Question: What is one way that researchers study inheritance besides twin studies? Answer Adoption studies, pedigree studies, gene mapping. Back

Topic 3: 400 Question: Why are the concordance rates for MZ twins often not 100%? Answer Even though the twins have the same genes, the genes might not be equally expressed because they have been exposed to different environmental stimuli. Back

Topic 3: 600 Question: What are two strengths of the Minnesota Twin Study of intelligence? Answer It had a very large, cross cultural sample size. The participants were not only students. Method and data triangulation was used. Back

Topic 3: 800 Question: State two limitations of evolutionary arguments of behaviour. Answer They assume that behaviour is inherited and based on genes – and is therefore reductionist. Do not establish cause and effect. Often cannot be empirically tested. Makes comparisons to animals which may not be appropriate for human behaviour. Back

Topic 3: 1000 Question: According to Wedekind’s Sweaty T-shirt study, why does smell matter in choosing a partner? Answer The MHC (Major Histocompatability Complex), which plays an important role in the immune system, is codominantly inherited – that is, both the male and female contribute to the child’s immunity. The odor of the MHC is different for different MHC combinations – thus to have a mix and hence stronger immune system for the child, choosing a partner with a different smell is thought to be important. Back

Topic 4: 200 Question: Rosenzweig & Bennett and Maguire both carried out studies that demonstrated what brain phenomenon? Answer Plasticity. Back

Topic 4: 400 Question: According to Meaney, what effect do glucocorticoids have on the brain? Answer Long-term high levels of cortisol may lead to hippocampal cell death, leading to fewer acetylcholine receptors. This impairs the ability to transfer short-term to long-term memories. Back

Topic 4: 600 Question: According to both Marmot (the Whitehall study) and Sapolsky, what affect do social hierarchies have on physiological processes? Answer Those lower in the hierarchy have higher levels of stress; this lowers immunity, increases cardiovascular problems and shortens life-span. Back

Topic 4: 800 Question: This is a research design which makes sure that when groups are compared that they have the same characteristics – for example, stressed smokers are only compare with non-stressed smokers. Answer A matched-pairs design. Back

Topic 4: 1000 Question: According to LeDoux, which parts of the brain are involved in the “high route” of the fear response? Answer The thalamus, hippocampus, frontal lobe and amygdala. Back

Topic 5: 200 Question: Martinez & Kesner studied the effect of this neurotransmitter on the transfer of memory from STM to LTM. Answer Acetylcholine. Back

Topic 5: 400 Question: Zak studied the effect of testosterone on trust. He found that when testosterone increased, this hormone, which is responsible for bonding and trust relationships, was suppressed. Answer Oxytocin. Back

Topic 5: 600 Question: Low levels of serotonin have been correlated with depression. What behaviours have been linked to high levels of serotonin? Answer Obsessive behaviour. OCD patients have high levels of serotonin, as do people who have recently fallen in love. Back

Topic 5: 800 Question: In the stress response, what is the role of cortisol? Answer Cortisol is the energy producer that works together with adrenaline in the stress response. It increases blood sugar and metabolizes fat, carbohydrates and proteins. Back

Topic 5: 1000 Question: According to Sapolsky, testosterone doesn’t cause aggression. What does it do? Answer Testosterone has a facilitative (or permissive) effect. In other words, it helps aggression to happen, but it doesn’t cause it. Sapolsky found that it increased signal firing to the amygdala. Back

Bonus Question: 5000 pts. Question: The birth of new neurons. This happens both in pre-natal development and in adults in the hippocampus. Answer Neurogenesis. Back