bloa summary

7/28/2019 Bloa Summary

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BLOA SUMMARY


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Animal research can provide insight into human behaviour

Biological correlates of behaviour exist

The active brain can be studied scientifically and non-invasively

Cognitions, emotions & behaviours are products of the anatomy & physiology of

our nervous system

Patterns of Behaviour can be inherited through genetics

Outline principles that define the

biological level of analysis


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Animal research can provide insight into human behaviour-Martinez & Kesner, Rosenweig & Bennett

Biological correlates of behaviour exist- Intelligence (Bouchard)Memory (CW, HM), Aggression (Young et at)

The active brain can be studied scientifically and non-invasively-Clive Wearing, Maguire, Raine

Cognitions, emotions & behaviours are products of the anatomy &

physiology of our nervous system- Janowsky, Clive Wearing,Martinez & Kesner, Wher et al)

Patterns of Behaviour can be inherited through genetics- Heston,Bouchard, Curtis & Fessler

Explain how principles that define the biological level

of analysis may be demonstrated in research.


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Discuss how & why particular research methods are

used at the biological level of analysis


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Discuss ethical considerations related to research studies

at the biological level of analysis

Ethical considerations must be taken into account; the APS (AustralianPsychological Society) Ethical Guidelines guides researchers to consider the

implications of their research and deals with a number of methodological

issues such as:

- Informed consent (CW & HM, Schachter & Singer)

- Deception (Schachter & Singer, Money Study)

- Brief / debriefing

- Right to withdraw from the study (CW, HM)

- Voluntary participation (Schachter & Singer, Money Study)

- Confidentiality (HM, Clive Wearing Permission to disclose name)

- Protection of participants from both physical and psychological harm.

(Schachter & Singer, Janowsky, Money Study, Bouchard, Heston)


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Explain one study related to

localisation of function in the brain


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Using one or more examples, explain effects of

neurotransmission on human behaviour

Neurotransmission refers to the method by which electrical

impulses are transferred across the synapse once intensity is

reached. A neurotransmitter is a chemical that is released

from a neuron to relay information to another cell. NTs are

stored in membranous sacs called vesicles in the axonterminal. Each vesicle has 1000s of chemicals of a

neurotransmitter.

STUDIES

Serotonin and behaviour/hallucinations (Kasamatsu and Hirai,1999) Crane 40

Noradrenalin Janowsky (1972) Crane 151-152

Acetylcholine & memoryMartinez & Kesner (1991) Crane

text p.41


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Using one or more examples,explain functions of

two hormones in human behaviour

A hormone is a chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the bodythat sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a

small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is

a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another.

Hormones travel through the bloodstream to target cells to alter behaviour, &

are therefore slower-acting than NTs Hormones are produced and secreted by glands in the Endocrine system

Melatonin, Sleep and SAD- Wehr et al (2008)

AND Avery (Pearson Pg 56) SAD & Melatonin Cortisol, poverty & depression Fernald & Gunnar (2008) Crane text

p.153

Schachter & Singer (1962)- Adrenalin(epinephrine) Injections


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Hormone Glands Function

Adrenalin Adrenals Flight or fight response;arousal

Cortisol Adrenals Arousal; stress; memory,

regulating BP and

cardiovascular function,

use of proteins, carbs and

fats

Melatonin Pineal Regulation of sleep

Oxytocin Pituitary & hypothalamus Mother-child attachment

Testosterone & oestrogen Gonads Development; emotion


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Discuss two effects of the environment on

physiological processes


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Discusstwo effects of the environment on physiological processes cont.


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Examine ONE interaction between cognition & physiology in

terms of behaviour. Evaluate two relevant studies.


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Link to cognition to physiology


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Discuss the use of brain imaging technologies in

investigating the relationship between biological

factors & behaviour

FMRI- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

MRI- Magnetic Resonance Imaging

PET Positron Emission Tomography

EEG- Electroencepholography

STUDIESMirror neuron activity in humans w fMRI Iacoboni (2004) see Crane p.48

Spatial memory w MRIMaguire et al. (2000) & PET (1997) HaralambosPg 352

Aggression/murder (localisation of function) w PET scans Raine et al.(1997)

Clive Wearing MRI, PET

PET / fMRI in investigating Alzheimers Disease Mosconi Study (2005) p86Crane


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GENETICS and BEHAVIOUR


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W.r.t relevant research studies, to what extent

does genetic inheritance influence behaviour?

IntelligenceBoth genetics and environment play crucial role

o Poverty tends to correlate with low IQ

Meta-analysis of 111 IQ studies found the closer the kinship the higher the

correlation for IQ (Bouchard & McGue, 1981)

Minnesota Twin Study (Bouchard et al., 1990) pg 55 Crane

o MZ twins raised together compared to MZ twins raised apart longitudinal study

o Estimate that heritability accounts for about 70% of intelligence

Criticism

Media coverage to recruit participants - possible sample bias

Ethical concerns about how he reunited the twins who were reared apart

No control over how often the twins reared apart visited each other prior to study

Equal environment assumption - cannot assume twins raised together experience

same environments (e.g. treatment from parents, experience with friends and peers in

school and at home)


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Schizophrenia Heston (1966)

- Heston studied children in foster homes & correlated the incidence of Schizophrenia

with those whose mothers were diagnosed with schizophrenia.

- General population incidence of schizophrenia = 1%

- Adoptees with no family history = 1%

- Adoptees with mother diagnosed w schizophrenia = 10%

- Strong evidence for genetic component.


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Adoption studies

Scarr & Weinberg, 1977; Horn et al., 1979)o No significant difference found in IQ correlations between adoptive and

natural children in families despite adoptive parents being wealthy, white

and with high IQ and adopted children being from poor backgrounds

Wahlstein (1997) French study

oTransferring an infant from a low socio-economic-status to a high s-e-s

home improved IQ scores by 12-16 points thus showing the importance of

an enriched environment.

Suggests a strong interaction between genes & environment


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Examine one evolutionary

explanation of behaviourDISGUST:

Promotes survival (Fessler, 2006)

Introduce idea of mechanisms of behaviour *natural selection cannot

select for a behaviour; it can only select for mechanisms that produce

behaviour]

Confirmed by on-line survey (Curtis et al. 2004), where Ps had greatest

reaction to stimuli which threatened the immune system

Related to biological preparedness and phobias as animals eliciting this

reaction can be poisonous, avoidance promotes survival.


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Key Studies:

FESSLER et al. (2006)LINK to evolutionary theory of disgust:

EXAMPLE: during the first trimester women have the strongest

disgust mechanism, this fits with evolutionary theory since when

their immune system is weakest (to protect foetus from rejection)

they require the strongest level of protection from any

contaminated food. Thus those women with the genes for the

strongest mechanism for disgust during the first trimester havesurvived and their genes have passed from generation to

generation.


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Key Studies contd.

CURTIS et.al. (2004)LINK to evolutionary theory of disgust

EXAMPLE: women stronger reaction than men is of evolutionary

significance as women have a greater involvement In reproductionand need to protect the foetus

age older persons less involved in reproduction

BUT older people have greater experience and have learned coping

mechanisms and strategies to respond in different ways to

problematic items...using culture, prior knowledge, analysis of

setting etc.


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Alternative Views

eg Rozinargues that disgust isculturally acquired ie learnt behaviour

**see notes

EKMAN once disagreed with evolutionary theories BUT now isconvinced that six emotions are universal including disgust

see G:Drive doc from BJ txt.

GENERAL EVALUATION f E l ti


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GENERAL EVALUATION of Evolutionary

theories: Research is speculative as little is known about human

ancestors Reductionist complex ideas simplified

Experimentation problematic thus cause and effect not

shown

Determinist tendency to ignore conflicting research, Hayes(2005)

confirmation bias

CONCLUSIONthere is considerable evidence to support theview that the mechanism for disgust has been

advantageous to human survival and has evolved over

millions of years , however, the impact of the

environment/culture on our disgust mechanism should not be

underestimated. eg vegemite


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Discuss ethical considerations in research

into genetic influences on behaviour

Genetic research --> potentially more risky, problematic Open to abuse/misuse, findings about genetic inheritance and

behaviour and future lifestyle - do we or should we know ourgenetic future? (responsibilities of the researcher?)

Genetic research into foetal abnormalities fraught with difficult

issues - ethical, religious, spiritual, personal Ethics in relevant genetic studies - Heston and Bouchard

Privacy/confidentiality - who consents, who knows, is told all,parent, child, school, employer, insurance agency, military

Mistaken paternity, anonymisation of data (double blind)

Consent - community - aboriginal culture - informed, implicationand potential harm if not gained.

Results uncertain, may cause disorder, consequences?


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PROTECTION from HARM: Genetic research attempts to uncover whether an individual has

a particular genetic make-up, whether you have the genes for

x eg schizophreniaor more accurately the pre-disposition Heston found that 10% of adopted children whose biological

mothers had been diagnosed with S developed S cf. only 1% ofadopted children with bio mothers not diagnosed with S.

Counselling: child if told should be informed that this is not a

certainty, they may have a pre-disposition but it is NOTdetermined, they will not necessarily develop the disorder

BUT this raises a key issue with genetic researchwe dontknow what we might findeg misattributed paternity, may findthat this is not your child?? May carry recessive genes for

unfortunate characteristicsie one of the genes for depression Caspis 5HTT short allele, may have only one not two of these

what are the risks?? Of developing depression?

Should this information be made public : who?? individual,parent, school, employer, insurance company .

False positives???


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Consent

Consent = Informed!! But hard to be informed in such a grey area.

Who consents = child needs parental consent, what about wider

familywhat you find out may affect siblings etc and then the wider

community

eg Aboriginal community decision as wider implications for thecommunity.

In the Money study David Rheimers parents consented and even

asked for Moneys help BUT Money may have misled them about

how easy it would be to reassign their childs gender identity and

they were not aware of the practise sexual behaviour


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Confidentiality

Confidentiality/privacy = Should this information be made

public : who?? Individual, parent, school, employer, insurance

company .

Heston did not reveal the names of the adopted children but

may have obtained access to their medical and psychologicalrecords without their consent. Money did not reveal the name

of David Rheimer.


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Right to withdraw = not easy for children to do this when adults are

in control of researchMoney example.

Unintended consequences of research = Charles Murrays use of IQand race in America to mislead and feed into racist debates. Also the

media misuse of Hamers research into the Xq28

gene.misreported as finding a gay gene.

Stigmatizing if someone is labelled with a pre-disposition they

may not be employed or get life insurance or it may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy..interpret all unusual behaviour as psychotic

and result in further disturbed behaviour etc.

Self-awarenesssimilar effects on an individual.do you want to

know you carry the genes for Alzheimerseffect on parents if

passed certain genes on to children

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