This document contains every introduction needed for the biological approach in psychology including study names and dates as well as bullet pointed notes for the study details.
Inhibitory neurotransmission- Passamonti et al. (2012)
Agonists- Passamonti et al. (2012)
Kinship- Weissman et al. (2005)
Twin- McGue et al. (2000)
Hormones:
Hormones are chemical messengers that are released by the endocrine system into the
bloodstream. Hormones can have a strong influence on human behaviours. One example of
a hormone is cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is secreted by the adrenal glands
and has several influences on behaviour including, an increased heart rate, increased
anxiety and stress levels.
- Newcomer et al. (1999)
- Cortisol; 0mg, 40mg, 160mg
- Influence on verbal declarative memory
- Prose paragraph
RLS: exam conditions + exam stress on performance
Pheromones:
, Pheromones are chemical messengers that are released by the skin glands into the
environment. Although no singular pheromone has been identified in humans, the
prevalence of pheromones in animals and insects lead psychologists to believe that they
are also present in humans. Pheromones can have an influence on various behaviours such
as mother-child attachment, arousal and mating.
- Wedekind et al. (1995)
- Sweaty t-shirt study
- 24 hours- one t-shirt
- No spicy food, no perfumed products
- Women had to smell, 6 with MHC similar, 6 with MHC dissimilar. Likert scale.
- MHC: a group of genes associated with immunity that have been said to have
pheromones within them.
- Preferred dissimilar MHC.
RLS: perfume advertisements + mating and arousal influences
Genes and behaviour:
Genes are a heritable unit of DNA and provide the blueprint for our behaviours and
characteristics. Psychologists do not work with the assumption that it is solely genetics or
solely the environment that influences individual behaviour but more so the interactions
between the two through epigenetics. Genes can result in an individual being more
susceptible to a certain trait and therefore the indication that a trait is heritable may
result in the requirement for early intervention in order to mitigate the harmful effects of
the disorder.
- Caspi et al. (2003)
- 5HTT gene
- 2 long alleles, 2 short alleles, one long one short allele.
- Life history calendar- stressful life events, interviews, correlational analysis.
- Correlation between stress event and depression, length of alleles and depression
and stress and length of alleles.
- 2 long alleles = less depression.
- 2 short alleles = more depression.
- 1 short, 1 long + stressful childhood experiences = more depression.
RLS: early intervention to mitigate harmful effects
Genetic similarities:
Genes are composed of DNA and work to provide the blueprint for an individual's traits and
characteristics. Often in psychology, twin and kinship studies are used to study the
influence of genes on behaviour. Monozygotic (MZ) twins are genetically identical and
therefore have a high concordance rate. Dizygotic (DZ) twins are fraternal, sharing the
same genetic makeup as siblings. DZ twins will have a lower concordance rate than MZ
twins, this therefore suggests that there is a genetic component to behaviour. However,
psychologists are not under the assumption that it is solely genes that influence our
behaviours, but more so the interaction between genes and the environment through
epigenetics.
- McGue et al. (2000)
- Licit vs illicit drugs
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