BIOLOGICALCOGNITIVE

SOCIOCULTURAL

Levels of Analysis (LoA)

Biological LoA

Focuses on physiology and geneticsGender differences via genetic makeup

XY and XX chromosomesGender differences from the impact of

hormones testosterone and estrogen

Cognitive LoA

Focuses on mental processes Memory Thinking Perception Attention

Gender differences via gender schema theory

Social cognitionGender stereotypes

Sociocultural LoA

Focuses on how environment and culture impact behavior and thinking

Impact of cultural definitions and roles for our mental representations of each gender

Gender differences explained through social learning theory Watching individuals of the same sex for

behavior cues

Biological LoA: Physiology & Behavior

Biology can affect cognition and cognition can affect biology…relationship is bidirectional

Physiological factors that impact behavior: Brain processes Neurotransmitters Hormones Genes

Physiology does not work alone since environmental stimuli influence our behavior Stressful experiences Attractive person passing by Brain damage caused by trauma

Goal of IB Psychology

Taking a holistic approach to human behavior

Interactionist Approach: Both sides of nature (biology) vs. nurture (environment) argument.

Principles of Human Behavior (Biological LoA)

1. Behavior can be innate since it is genetically based

Evolution..key role in behavior2. Animal research can provide insight to

human behaviorMuch research done with animals

3. Biology correlates with behaviorLinks between specific biological factors

and specific behaviors

Reductionist Approach

Micro-level research; breaking down complex human behavior into simple parts.

Criticized for being over simplistic but allows us to gain detailed knowledge of human behavior

Important because it allows understanding of several factors that influence one behavior

Impact of Neurotransmitters on Behavior

Influences mood, memory, sexual arousal, and mental illness

Acetylcholine Muscle contraction, helps with development of memory in

hippocampusDopamine

Voluntary movement, learning, feelings of pleasureNorepinephrine (noradrenalin)

Arousal, alertness, stimulation of sympathetic nervous system

Serotonin Sleep, arousal levels, emotion

Affect of Serotonin on Behavior

Tokyo University (Kasamatsu and Hirai, 1999)Aim: How sensory deprivation affects the brainBuddhist monks deprived of food, water, no

communication, and exposure to cold weather48 hours, hallucinationsBlood samples before and right after

hallucinations (serotonin levels increased which activated the frontal cortex and hypothalamus)

Conclusion: Sensory deprivation released serotonin which altered monks experience.

Drugs

Stimulate the production of neurotransmitters

Block receptor sites if too much is produced

Technology and the Brain & Behavior

Technology gives researchers the ability to monitor and discover the “map” of the brain’s activity

Previously, case studies were used; usually situations that would be unethical to reproduce in the lab. Case studies of brain damaged patients

carried out over a long period of time (longitudinally) Phineas Gage, Paul Broca, Carl Wernicke

Allows for observation of short-term and long-term effects

Localization of Brain Function

The idea that specific parts of the brain are responsible for specific functions

When a behavior is localized in the brain, it is possible to trace the origin of the behavior to a specific part of the brain.

Does not explain ALL human behavior but is a major step forward in brain research

Robert Heath (1950s) James Old (1950s)

Electrically stimulated parts o f the brain in depressed patients=experienced pleasure

One patient (B-19) electrically stimulated himself 1,500 times in 3 hours

Experienced euphoria and elation and was eventually disconnected against his will

Rats would receive electrical stimulation to the nucleus accumbens when a lever was pressed

Crossed over electrified grids and preferred pleasure lever over food and water

Research on the role of the nucleus accumbens (pleasure center)

Brain Functions and Ethical Considerations

Electrical stimulation of the nucleus accumbens is based mainly on dopamine (desire) and serotonin (satiety and inhibition)

Via animal studies, all drugs increase the production of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and reduce serotonin. Cocaine and nicotine

Frequent use of drugs increase the amount of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. Why drug addicts have an obsessive drive to seek

more drugs even though they know its not good for them

Spiders on Drugs

http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm

TechnologyInvasive

Techniques

Study the active brain EEG, PET, fMRI

More ethicalMay be misleading

Ablation (removing) & leisoning (scarring) techniques on animals

Harm cannot be reversed Ethical? Pain?

Technology vs. Invasive Techniques

Jig-Saw Activity Slides…

Biological LoA: Genetics & Behavior

Behavioral genetics: Understanding how both genetics and the environment play a role to individual variations in human behavior.

Rhesus macaque monkeys & humans 93% genes are shared, the 7% makes a large difference

Complexity of genetics:Inheritance contributes to behavior and

acts as a building block however, it is not probable that one specific gene is responsible for complex behaviors: Intelligence, criminal behavior, attachment, altruism

+ = DISORDER

The diathesis-stress modelThe model looks at the genetic/biologic vulnerability to a disorder/disease and the stress or traumatic environmental stimuli that may trigger a disorder (such as depression)  The diathesis-stress model uses the analogy of a "walking time bomb" to help explain why, for example, not 100% of identical twins both get depression. It also helps to explain why a large percent of people in traumatic situations (post 9/11, rape, etc.) never develop PTSD. The model further talks about a balance -- the greater the diathesis or predisposition, the less the stress required for the disorder to "appear" and visa versa. 

Biological / genetic predisposition

Stress

(environment)

Last years notes on genetics and evolution… I hope you didn’t lose them!

If you did, in your hours of free time,

check these out on the wiki

Inheritance

Genes that are passed down from parents to their off-spring

Humans are composed of 24 pairs of chromosomes 20,000-25,000 genes

James Watson: Human Genome Project 1990-2003 Mapped human genes Regardless of this amazing accomplishment,

the role of specific genes are still unknown

Genetic Research

Based off of correlation studiesIndependent variable is not

manipulated, so no cause and effect can be determined.

Three types:Twin StudiesFamily StudiesAdoption Studies

Twin Studies

Identical: one egg split in two

Share 100% of genes Same sex

Fraternal: Formed from two separate eggs

Share 50% of genes just like any other siblings Same or different sex

Monozygotic (MZ) Dizygotic (DZ)

Used as basis for hypotheses since they show the different degrees of genetic relationship. In twin studies the correlation found is known as concordance.

Family Studies

More representative of the general population

Different degree of relatedness is compared with behavior to determine the impact of genes.

Child

Mother (50%)

Grandparent (25%)

Grandparent (25%)

Father (50%)

Adoption Studies

Used to determine how great of an impact environment plays in behavior since the child does not share any genes with foster parents.

Often criticized because of selective placement Agencies tend to find adoptive parents that are

similar to their biological parents which cause a difficulty in determining separating genetic inheritance from environment influences. This process is known as selective placement.

Evolution

Another principle of the biological LoA is that the environment presents obstacles & challenges for each individual.

In essence, those that adapt have a better chance of survival & having offspring which allows their genes to be passed down.

Theory of Natural Selection

Members of a species acquire adaptive behaviors to survive the ever-changing environment (those better suited for environment will breed and pass on characteristics)

http://youtu.be/Pt2gHpqfZNAAdaption: Species develop characteristics that

make it more competitive in its environmentCharles Darwin (Galapagos Island, finches, beaks)

On the Origin of Species (He didn’t yet know of the biological process through which traits are inherited)

Descent of Man

The Descent of Man findings

We humans share several behaviors with other animalsMate selectionLove of mother for offspringSelf-preservationSimilar facial expressions as apesSimilar feelings as animals

Monkeys vs. Humans

Tetsuro Matsuzawa (2007)Looked at spatial memory in young chimps Used 3 chimps that were taught to recognize

the numbers 1-9 on a computerHumans and chimps saw number flashed on a

touch screen monitor and then the numbers were covered with blank squares and then were asked to touch the squares in sequential order.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf3_JrTEGW0

Findings

Humans had more errors and less accuracy as numbers were flashed and replaced by squares quicker As agriculture developed, spatial memory skills aren’t

as important for finding food Perhaps this skill was replaced by the ability to develop

languageChimps had astonishing memory; no difference

in their recall in relation to the amount of time that the numbers were replaced with squares. Adaption for survival skills such as remembering where

food and danger is located in the rain forest

Ethical Considerations

Because research in human genetics looks to identify certain genes involved in hereditary diseases there can be some negative outcomes: May pose risks to participates due to the

link between genetic heritage and people’s life

Information obtained may cause stress to participants family

If misused, information can be stigmatizing which could lead the inability to get a job or health insurance.

Once again, notes last year over confidentiality should be revisited

Aboriginal people may object to genetic studies

Eugenics and other forms of discrimination is the cause.

Consent and speaking to community leaders are a must for many aboriginal and ethnic groups.

Intelligence

During the beginning of the 20th century, governments and schools became very interested in one’s intellectual potential and the role genetics play in IQ

Alfred Binet developed an intelligence test to help understand this concept better within the French educational system

Research has shown that poverty plays a major role in the development of a child’s intelligence

The Bell Curve

Book published in 1994 by Harvard professor Richard J. Herrnstein

The debate about the role of genes and environment have to do with ethnic difference in intelligence is not yet resolved

Media discussed the idea that there may be intergroup differences in intelligence, thus conferring the idea that the root of intelligence in debatable

The “g” factor

Argued by Charles Spearman, there is a general intelligence factor that is the basis of all intelligence

Rather than looking a specific educational subjects (history, math, etc.) Spearman’s intelligence test measures the following: Spatial ability Reasoning Divergent Thinking Verbal Fluency

Meta-analysis in Relation to IQ Tests

Bouchard & McGue (1981) used 111 studies of IQ correlations between siblings from research around the world

Found that the closer the kinship the higher correlation of IQ

Meta-analysis: statistical synthesis of the data from a set of comparable studies of

a problem that yields a quantitative summary of the pooled results

Minnesota Twin Study

(Bouchard et al.) Longitudinal study, been going on since 1979

Most cross-cultural study to date (participants from across the world)

Compares MZAs (identical twins raised apart) to MZTs (identical twins raised together)

Mean age of MZAs was 41 (start of study), until this study most research was done with adolescents

Twins completed 50 hours of testing and interviews

Findings

Same person tested twice

87%

Identical twins reared together

86%

Identical twins reared apart

76%

Fraternal twins reared together

55%

Biological siblings reared together

47%

Conclusions

70% of intelligence can be attributed to genetics inheritance, the other 30% is due to other factors

Much research has supported the MTSThe size and nature of the sample has made it

one of the most impressive study ever conducted

Criticisms of the MTS

Relied on media cover for participantsEthical concerns about how twins were

reunitedNo adequate control to establish the

frequency of contact between the twins prior to the study

“Equal environment assumption” Cannot assume twins raised together experience the

exact same environment (different friends, teachers, exposure to stimuli, etc.)

Adoption Studies for Intelligence

Scarr & Weinberg (1977) and Horn et al. (1979)Researched parents that raised adopted and

natural childrenAny significant differences in IQ between the

adoptive and biological children would be attributed to genes

No significant difference in IQ correlations were found

Parents were wealthy, white, middle class and high IQs & adopted children were poor, lower-class backgrounds, and lower IQs

Environmental Role on IQ

Wahlstein (1997) found that intelligence has a lot to do with environment and genetics

Found that transferring an infant from a low SES to a home where parents had a high SES improved childhood IQ scores 12-16 points (about one standard deviation)

Enriched environment may raise IQ in children Strong interaction between genes and the

environment to produce intelligence level

Less Effort Hypothesis

Hainer et al. (1988) used PET scans to see how much energy was used in solving problems vs. data recall Helped decipher what intelligence is (based on

knowledge or ability to solve problems)Those with higher IQs had lower metabolic

rates when solving a reasoning problem in comparison to those with a low IQ No difference in data recall

Those with a higher IQ use less energy to think than those with lower IQs

IQs Change over Time

Plomin & Petrill (1997) found that correlations between parent and child IQs change over time Ages 4-6, 40% correlation Early adulthood, 60% correlation Older adults, 80% correlation

Our genetic disposition pushes us towards environments that accentuate that disposition, thus leading to increased heritability throughout life

SES seems to the most important environmental factors in IQ development

Flynn Effect

James R. Flynn noticed a rise in average scores on intelligence tests in most parts of the world over the last century

Ulric Neisser (1997) The America Scientist, average mean scores are going up about 3 points every decade (increase is even higher in abstract reasoning) Better nutrition Improved schooling Different child-rearing practices Increase in technology in modern life Living a higher visual environment plays an important role in IQ

scores

Does this prove a real increase in IQ or just better understanding of intelligence and tests?