DP Psychology Questionbank

Description

At the most basic level of analysis, human beings are biological systems. Our cognitions, emotions and behaviours are products of the anatomy and physiology of our nervous and endocrine systems. Over the last few centuries, discoveries have shown that: the nature of the nervous system is electrical in part (Galvani)

• different areas of the brain carry out different functions (Broca)
• small gaps exist between nerve cells that require the action of chemicals to carry neural transmissions across these gaps
• hormones play an important role in our psychological functioning.

Since the 1960s, with the invention and development of brain imaging technologies (for example, CAT (computerized axial tomography), PET (positron emission tomography), fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)) it has become possible to directly study living brains in action as various tasks are performed, and to correlate specific areas of brain damage with specific changes in a person’s personality or cognitive abilities. Advances in psychopharmacology—the field of medicine that addresses the balance of chemicals in the brain—have led to the development of new medications for problems as diverse as depression, anxiety disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.

After Darwin published his theory of evolution through natural selection, animals came to be studied in order to shed light on human behaviour. With the completion of the human genome project, the chimpanzee genome project, and with other species having the full structure of their DNA mapped, the contribution of genes to our cognitions, emotions and behaviour is becoming better understood. Behavioural genetics takes the skills of biological analysis used to study the differences between species and applies these skills to studying individual differences in humans. These are the components at the biological level of analysis needed to understand our complex biological system and the psychological functions it supports.

Directly related questions

• 16N.Paper 1.BP.TZ0.1:

  Explain how one principle that defines the biological level of analysis has been demonstrated in one example of research (theory or study).

• 16N.Paper 1.BP.TZ0.4:

  To what extent does genetic inheritance influence behaviour?

• 16N.Paper 1.BP.TZ0.6:

  Discuss why two particular research methods are used to investigate behaviour at the sociocultural level of analysis.

• 17M.Paper 1.BP.TZ1.1:

  Describe one effect of neurotransmission on human behaviour.

• 17M.Paper 1.BP.TZ1.4:

  Discuss the use of one or more brain imaging technologies in investigating the relationship between biological factors and behaviour.

• 17M.Paper 1.BP.TZ2.4:

  Discuss two effects of the environment on one or more physiological processes.

• 17N.Paper 1.BP.TZ0.01:

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

• 17N.Paper 1.BP.TZ0.04:

  Examine one interaction between cognition and physiology in terms of behaviour.

• 18M.Paper 1.BP.TZ1.1:

  Biological level of analysis

  Describe one ethical consideration related to one study at the biological level of analysis.

• 18M.Paper 1.BP.TZ1.4:

  Examine one evolutionary explanation of behaviour.

• 18M.Paper 1.BP.TZ2.4:

  To what extent does genetic inheritance influence behaviour?

• 18N.Paper 1.BP.TZ0.4:

  Discuss one or more effects of the environment on one or more physiological processes.

• 18N.Paper 1.BP.TZ0.1:

  Explain how one principle that defines the biological level of analysis has been demonstrated in one example of research (theory or study).