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Chapter 1 - MRI in practice
Steps of laboratory method
Methods of experimentation
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Discuss how and why particular research methods are used at the biological level of analysis
The biological level of analysis argues that there are physiological origins of many behaviours, and that human beings should be studied as biological systems. This is not to say that behaviour is not the result of biological systems alone, but that we should also consider how the environment and cognition may interact with biological systems and affect physiology. This relationship is biderectional i.e. biology can affect cognition and cognition can affect biology.
Research methods are different approaches researchers and psychologists use to conduct their studies. Research methods are important as they provide the method for how researchers will
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In laboratory experiments, researchers measure the dependent variable by manipulating the independent variable. Laboratory experiments are often rigorously controlled, as researchers want to control as much variables in the experiment.
Laboratory experiments are used at the biological level of analysis as it allows researchers to have strict control over the variables, which is important as having controlled variables provides researchers with a source point to specify what change (or the absent of change) occurred when the independent variable was modified. If there is no control variable and the researcher manipulates more than one variable, it will be impossible to determine which variable caused the change on the item being tested.
Researchers also choose to use this research method, as laboratory experiments are easy to replicate as researchers determine the experiments conditions using a standardised procedure. This increases reliability as other researchers can easily replicate the experiment and agree/disagree with
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PET scans can also be expensive.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique for measuring brain activity. It takes advantage of the fact that when neurons in a particular region are active, more blood is sent there. Advantages include that fMRI scans can resolve down to 3 cubi millimetres and are getting even strong. A disadvantage is that any tiny movement can ruin the images.
fMRI can map metabolic changes indicating brain activity, to show a picture with increasing precision, which parts of the brain are active while certain tasks are being performed, or thoughts/emotions are being processed.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the body’s structures and organs.
Advantages include that an MRI uses no radioactive material, therefore making it safe. An MRI can represent a slice of the brain taken from any angle and create 3D image of the brain and can produce more devilled information, enabling it to detect small tumours. Disadvantages of the MRI are that any movement affects the image. Exposure to magnetism can be dangerous, brain functions can’t be shown (only the structure), no casual relationship can be determined and it’s also
Going into details of the article, I realized that the necessary information needed to evaluate the experimental procedures were not included. However, when conducting an experiment, the independent and dependent variable are to be studied before giving a final conclusion.
The scientific method is how psychologists gain knowledge about the mind and behavior. It is used by all scientists. The experimental method is the one way to engage the scientific method, and the only way to find a cause and effect in relationships. It is summarized in five steps, observing some phenomenon in the world, forming a hypothesis which is an educated prediction about relationships between two or more variables, examining the gathered information by using empirical research, determining what the results are and drawing them, and evaluating the results whether it will support the hypothesis or not. Researchers, at the end, submit their work for publication for all to see and read (King, 2016). There are three types of psychological research in the scientific method, descriptive research, correlation, and experimental research (King, 2016). The article The Effects of Negative Body Talk in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of College Students (Katrevich, Register, & Aruguete, 2014) is an example of the experimental method.
of the biology of behavior in vague terms. The effect of a drug, and the
The information gained may support or yield opposite results based on predictions being tested. My independent variable would be time and the dependent one would be the enzyme pectinase. I believe the key feature of my experimentation is the control of most factors so that the influence of a single factor can be seen clearly.
The biological perspective examines how brain processes and other bodily functions regulate behaviour. It emphasizes that the brain and nervous system are central to understanding behaviour, thought, and emotion. It is believed that thoughts and emotions have a physical basis in the brain. Electrical impulses zoom throughout the brain’s cells, releasing chemical substances that enable us to think, feel, and behave. René Descartes (1596–1650) wrote an influential book (De Homine [On Man]) in which he tried to explain how the behaviour of animals, and to some extent the behaviour of humans, could be like t...
Lloyd, Emma. "Alternatives to the Use of Animals in Research." Animal Experimentation (2008): n. pag. Web. 27 Feb 2011.
In both clinical care and research, the use of brain imaging, also known as “neuroimaging”, is becoming an increasingly important technique. New technologies such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or FMRI, allow researchers to study the brain at a level which was never thought possible. This noninvasive procedure allows researchers to visualize brain structure and function, at both the molecular and whole brain level (A.) Scientists are now able to better understand neural networks and a variety of other cognitive processes. For the first time in human history, extremely complex wonders of the brain are being uncovered. Psychiatric diseases, human emotion, personality traits, and many other phenomena that were once mysteries are now being deeply analyzed and understood. Each day new doors are being opened...
One of the most intriguing science-and-culture debates of the twentieth century is that of the origin of behavior. The issue that has its roots in biology and psychology is popularly framed as the "nature versus nurture" debate. At different points in time, consensus has swung from one to the other as the supposed cause of our actions. These changes are not only the result of an internal dynamic but were subject (as they are today) to external influences, most notably politics and developments in other academic disciplines. The oversimplified polarities in this case-study illustrate an important characteristic of the larger scientific process. In search of a more refined theory, these are the necessary stepping stones in the attempt to get it 'less wrong'.
The biological approach looks at the relationship between behaviours and the body's physiological systems, especially the nervous system. Biological psychologists also believe that the chemical processes within the brain have an influence on behaviour. The treatments for the biological approach to psychology include, as previously said drug ...
Humans are genetically predisposed to behave a certain way, and certain genes can “trigger” certain behaviors. Many studies have been conducted on animals, which can be considered in the debate about human behavior because animals have molecules that are also present in humans (Robinson 2004; Bettelheim 1998). For example, in one study, a gene that is responsible for preparing a mother mouse to care for her young – by triggering maternal instincts and behavior – was inactivated in pregnant mice, which resulted in three out of four pups dying from neglect. When the surviving pups were put into the care of foster mothers with the activated genes, 85% of them survived (Bettelheim 1998). This is significant because the absence of one gene affected mouse behavior in an observable way, which shows that genes affect behavior. Another study transplanted Japanese quail brain cells that control quail sounds and head movement into chicken embryos. As a result, the chickens did not...
Like any other science, psychology is concerned with theories and data. Psychologists use a wide range of research methods and techniques that allow them to gather and make sense of the data that they produce. The methods that psychologists use to research and analyse the experience and behaviours of individuals or groups are called psychological research methods. This essay will be investigating and analysing three research methods to include; experimental, observational and surveys, also, reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses of each in addition to their usefulness in the psychology field.
My love for neuroscience began long before my passion for neuroscience research. My favorite aspect of psychology since my initial encounter in Advanced Placement Psychology in high school is the nervous system and brain function in relation to behavior. It is fascinating how something so small serves such an extremely important and vital role in our body and behavior. The intriguing details of the brain fuel my desire to learn more about its functions. After completing the Biological Basis of Behavior and Neural System Courses at the University of Maryland, my knowledge as well as curiosity for the brain heightened.
Throughout the ages, humans have had an inherent interest in studying the complex area of human behaviour, even before psychology was established as a science. Because the study of behaviour is so broad and multifaceted, its scientific study poses particular challenges. Therefore, it can be beneficial to approach the scientific study of human behaviour from the perspective of cognitive psychology. This is the study of cognition, the mental processes that underlie human behaviour (Ling & Cattling, 2012).
Research is systematic way to find out facts and knowledge as Kothari (2006) has analyzed that research is the pursuit of truth with the help of study, observation, comparison and experiment; the search for knowledge through objective and systematic method of finding solutions to a problem. However there are two types of researches one is by Purpose and other is by method. The type by purpose falls into three categorize such as Basic, Applied and Action Research.
Robbins, S., Millett, B., Walter-Marsh, T. (2004) Organsiational Behaviour 4th Edition. Pearson, New South Wales.