Biological psychology

• Cannibis


  Mimics ananamide so regulates mood, appetite and turns off the cannoboid receptors
• Cannibis


  Allows release of dopamine so that is why we feel relaxed
• Ananamide breaks down quickly
• LSD/ACID

  Resembles serotonin and binds to receptors
• LSD/ACID

  • Intensified thoughts and emotions
  • Effects dopamine which triggers reward centre
• Aim (Raine et al)


  Researchers who investigated brain activity in murderers
• Procedure


  1. 82 participants 41 treatment and 41 control group (23 brain injury, 6 sz)

  2. Injected with radioactive glucose tracer

  3. Continuous task for 32 minutes (PET scan performed)
• Strengths


  • Large sample size
  • Standardised procedure
• Weaknesses


  • No ecological validity
  • Opportunity sample
• Results (Raine et al)


  Murderers had more activity in right side of brain
• Results (Raine et al)

  Lower glucose metabolism and different levels in the amygdala
• Aim (Li et al)


  Investigate if chronic heroin use is associated with craving related changes in the functional connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex
• Procedure (Li et al)

  14ppts, male/ 15ppts control group

  Drug rehabilitation unit in China

  0.6g heroin dosage

  2MRI scans with heroin reactivity cue tasks

  48 pictures, 24 heroin related, 24 neutral with a cross hair for 4-12 secs
• Results (Li et al)

  Increased cravings from 2.23 to 3.21

  Addicts had more activity in the bialateral insular pcc
• Strength of Li


  Controlled variables as they made sure non of the ppts were on any medication and the addicts were not using other drugs

  Standardised procedure all did MRI
• Weaknesses of Li


  Ethnocentric all from China

  No protection from harm as made them crave heroin after being in rehab
• Strength of hormones and agg

  Dabbs et al- high testosterone levels when an Individual committed a violent crime

  Low serotonin levels links to aggression
• Weaknesses of hormones and agg

  High levels of aggression also had high levels of cortisol showing that low levels don’t actually cause aggression

  Duke et al- found no conclusion of the role of serotonin and aggression
• Eros and Thanatos 


  Keeps us alive

  Death instinct
• Catharsis 


  Unconscious emotions brought into conscious releasing built up energy
• What is the libido 


  Motivates us and may cause aggression is misapplied as ID, ego and superego may go against eachother
• Strength of Freud 


  Feshback and Singer- watching violent tv commit less aggressive acts

  Those who act aggressive have a lower heart rate
• Weaknesses of Freud


  Reduced tension after aggressive acts may cause then to be more aggressive again

  Bushman- punching and punch bag more likely to be aggressive so catharsis is not credible
• Brain functioning


  Explanation of aggression
• Brain regions involved in aggression


  • Amygdala
  • Hypothalamus
  • Prefrontal cortex
• Amygdala


  • Responsible for emotions
  • When stimulated, may be more aggressive or more tearful depending on the situation
• Hypothalamus


  • Regulates hormones
  • Increase in testosterone leading to aggression
• Prefrontal cortex


  • Responsible for controlling the expression of our emotions
• A strength of brain functioning and aggression is 16-18% reduction in amygdala causes high scores of aggression
• A weakness of brain functioning and aggression is that Brain damage not usually in one place
• A weakness of brain functioning is that studying on animals is seen as more ethical but less generalisable
• A strength of brain functioning and aggression

  Removing the amygdala reduces aggression
• Twin studies aim 


  to determine if schizophrenia is genetic
• Procedure


  1. 57 pairs of twins from Bethlam and Maudsley psych ward

  2. I twin had sz / 24 MZ. 33 DZ

  3. Data collected through hospital notes, tape recordings

  4. (MMPI personality test)

  5. Concordance measures (Grade 1- 1 twin had sz, Grade 2- Both had psychiatric illness And Grade 3- 1 had sz other had psychiatric illness but not hospitalised)
• Results of the twin study- Schizophrenia is partly genetic but also environmental (G1- 42mz and 9dz)
• Strengths of twin studies


  • Ecological validity
  • No gender bias
• Weaknesses of twin studies


  • Ethnocentric
  • Task valid
• Biological Key question 


  Are anti depressants an effective use of nhs money?
• A01 of key question

  -lost working days so a loos of earnings increasing benefits and less tax for society

  -Adult depression costs over 9 billion pounds

  -2615 deaths

  -7.3 million of the population were prescribed AD in 2019 costing an extra 4million
• Central nervous system 


  Brain and nervous system