Empirical Studies - Commack Schools



Biological Approach Studies

|Kasamatsu and Hirai, 1999 |Effects of Neurotransmitters on behavior. Buddhist monks on a 72 hour pilgrimage in which they were sensory deprived (no food, water, speech and cold weather) found that they |

| |experienced hallucinations. Tests showed that their “serotonin” levels were higher in areas of the hypothalamus and frontal cortex, showing that neurotransmitters can have an impact |

| |on behavior. (You can Reference Abnormal Psychology (The Biomedical approach) in your response!) |

| |(See textbook page 40-41 for further details) |

|Maguire et al 2000 |Neuroplasticity. Natural Experiment. London Taxi driver’s had significantly increased grey matter volume in posterior hippocampus. The Hippocampus role in Spatial Memory. |

|Rosenzweig and Bennett 1972 |Neuroplasticity. Measured the effect of enrichment or deprivation on the development of “dendritic branching” or neuronal growth. They found that rats who spent 30 to 60 days in an |

| |area with toys or other rats vs. those that did not, had thicker cerebral cortices and their frontal lobes (area of thinking, planning, decision making) were heavier. |

|Phineas Gage Case Study, 1848. |Pre-Frontal Cortex, Localization of Function. The brain is involved in more than walking and talking – involved in Personality and decision making. |

|Case Study by Paul Broca in |Localization of Function. Broca demonstrated that the cause of a man’s language deficit was due to a lesion in an area now named “Broca’s Area”. He arrived at this discovery by |

|1861. |studying the brains of aphasic patients. His first patient in the Bicêtre Hospital was Leborgne, nicknamed "Tan" due to his inability to clearly speak any words other than "tan". |

|The Work of Roger Sperry. |Natural Experiment. Cut Corpus Callosum. Different functions of the left side versus the right side of the brain. Ethical considerations – “deliberate damage to the brain.” |

|Sperry and Gannaniga, 1967 |Localization of function. |

|Hetherington and Ranson 1942 |Hypothalamus plays significant role in hunger. Ethical concerns of deliberate brain damage (brain lesions) on rats. |

|Minnesota Twin Study (Bouchard |Genetic Influence on Intelligence. Studied MZ twins who were reared separately vs. those that were reared together. Longitudinal study (since 1979) containing participants from all |

|et al 1990) |over the world .Determined that 70% of intelligence can be attributed to genetics, while 30% may be attributed to other factors. The size and nature of the study make it one of the |

| |impressive and referenced studies (much research has supported the findings of this study). Limitations: relied on media coverage to recruit participants; no adequate control to |

| |establish the frequency of contact b/w twins prior to the study ;cannot assume that twins raised together experience the same environment; What is definition of Intelligence? |

|Milner and Scoville, 1957 (HM) |Amnesia due to brain damage. (Examine one interaction between cognition and physiology in terms of behavior. Evaluate two relevant studies. |

| | |

|Case Study of Clive Wearing |Biology interacts with cognition. Brain damage leading to amnesia. The Hippocampus seems to be involved with explicit memory (however not so for implicit (procedural memory). The role|

| |of technology. |

|Rosenthal (1987) |The impact of hormones on behavior. Found that higher levels of melatonin have been associated with Seasonal Affect Disorder (a subcategory of depression characterized by sleepiness |

| |and lethargy). Use Oxytocin as a 2nd hormone to discuss in your response. |

|Fessler (2006) |Evolutionary research in the study of emotions (see text page 58). |

Cognitive Approach Studies

|Tolman, 1948 |Cognitive Maps – Latent Learning . Rats formed cognitive maps when completing a maze. Learned but did not express this learning right away. Challenged behaviorist views regarding |

| |the mind. Tolman can be seen as both a behaviorist as well as a pioneer of cognitive psychology. Lacks hard observable data. |

|Bartlett, 1932. |Schema Theory. “The War of the Ghosts.” 20 English participants took part in a natural experiment. Showed that the participants were actively reconstructing it using their |

| |existing schemas. The recalled story gradually became more Western as items such as the canoe was changed to a boat. |

|Allport and Postman, 1947 |Social Schema Theory – development of stereotypes. Many recalled that a white man had been threatened with a razor by a black man. Stereotypes will lead to changes in how we |

| |subsequently remember information. |

|Loftus and Palmer, 1974 |Reliability of memory. “Eye – witness testimony.” Memory is malleable (reconstructive) or can be altered by a leading question. Real life application in eye witness testimony in |

| |courtroom. Lacks ecological validity (artificial study conducted in lab setting). |

|Loftus and Pickrell, 1995 |“Lost in the Mall.” Claims that false memories could be implanted. Ethical / Methodological Concerns. |

| | |

|Atkinson-Shriffin Multi Store |Memory Models. SM, ST & LT memory. Criticism – over simplistic. |

|Model, 1968 | |

|Baddely and Hitch, 1974 |Memory Models. ST becomes Working Memory. |

|Glanzer & Cunitz, 1966 |The use of free recall experiments in memory. Serial position effect refers to the finding that recall accuracy varies as a function of an item's position within a study list. |

|Brown and Kulik, 1977 |Flashbulb Memories Using a retrospective questionnaire, the study assessed the memories of 80 participants regarding their memories of public events. Flashbulb memories were more |

| |likely for unexpected and personally relevant shocking events. |

| |Questioned Flashbulb Memories. 1986, 7 astronauts aboard a Space Shuttle were killed in a tragic accident. |

|Neisser and Harsch, 1992 |Interviewed witnesses 24 hours after the event as well as 2 years later. Results: Although people tend to be confident in emotional memories, they are often inaccurate. Talarico |

| |and Rubin (2003) found that emotional intensity was often associated with greater memory confidence, but not accuracy. |

|Milner and Scoville, 1957 |Case study of HM Biology interacts with cognition. Brain damage leading to amnesia. The Hippocampus seems to be involved with explicit memory (however not so for implicit |

| |(procedural memory). The role of technology. |

|Clive Wearing Case Study |Biology interacts with cognition. Brain damage leading to amnesia. The Hippocampus seems to be involved with explicit memory (however not so for implicit (procedural memory). |

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