| Subject Content | Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Central Nervous System | – Neurotransmitters, functions, synaptic transmission – Structure and role of the neuron function of – Effect of recreational drugs on the transmission process in the central nervous system |
| Brain | – Different brain areas (ie. pre-frontal cortex) – Brain functioning as an explanation of aggression |
| Role of Evolution | – Natural Selection – Explanation for human behavior and aggression |
| Aggression | – Testosterone |
| Freud | Psychodynamic – Id, ego, superego, unconscious, catharsis – Freud’s view of the personality shows it develops individual differences |
| Developmental psychology | – The role of evolution in human development – The role of hormones in human development |
| Methods | Correlational research Brain-scanning techniques: CAT, PET, and fMRI – Use of brain-scanning techniques to investigate human behaviour, e.g. aggression Gottesman and Shields (1966) twin study Ludeke et al. (2013) adoption study |
| Classic Study | Raine et al. (1997) – Brain abnormalities in murderers via PET |
| Contemporary Studies | Li et al. (2013) – Abnormal function of the posterior cingulate cortex in heroin addicted users during resting-state and drug-cue stimulation task Brendgen et al. (2005) – Genetic and environmental effects on social aggression – A study of 6-year-old twins. Van den Oever et al. (2008) |
| Key Questions | – How effective is drug therapy for treating addictions? Ie. methadone to treat heroin addiction. – What are the implications for society if aggression is found to be caused by nature not nurture? |
| IDA | ● Ethics (ie. confidentiality and informed consent). ● Practical issues in the design and implementation of research (ie. issues in measuring the complexity of the brain) ● Reductionism (ie. focusing on aggression when studying the brain) ● Comparing causes of aggression comparing Freud’s ideas and biological explanations ● Psychology as a science (ie. synaptic transmission; brain-scanning techniques) ● Culture and gender (ie. hormonal differences between males and females possibly influencing behavior, such as aggression) ● Nature-nurture (ie. brain localisation in aggression and environmental influences in aggression) ● Issues of social control (ie. using knowledge of brain function to control individuals) ● The use of psychological knowledge within society (e.g. understanding causes of aggression, in order to perhaps deal with them) |
EDEXCEL | A-Level | Biological Psychology
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