Brains & Biochemistry
Other Biological Factors
Freud
More Freud (and some Neo-Freud)
100
The case of Phineas Gage highlighted that this brain structure is relevant to personality.
What is the prefrontal cortex? [Which Big Five traits are related to the functioning of the prefrontal cortex? How is Gage's experience similar to psychosurgery? What tools/methods do we have to studying the functioning of brain structures?]
100
According to what theory, evolution has made males motivated to use strategies for attracting young, attractive females.
What is Sexual Strategies Theory? [What are females motivated to find in a mate?]
100
What are the components of Freud's Structural Theory?
What are the Id, Superego, and Ego? [What does each of these components do? How do these components relate to the various levels of consciousness? What is a compromise formation?]
100
Whereas this is an inability to move on from a given psychosexual stage, this is a return to a previously completed stage.
What are fixation and regression?
200
The nucleus accumbens influences levels of this neurotransmitter, which is a major component of the Go System in the brain.
What is Dopamine? [What does dopamine do? Which neurotransmitters/hormones contribute to the stress response? Which other brain structure is related to dopamine?]
200
What is the "sexy son hypothesis" in evolutionary psychology?
That a small proportion of females will be attracted to males who are especially attractive and charming, but therefore also less likely to commit to a single mate. This may decrease availability to resources, BUT if the offspring survives and happens to be male, then the offspring will also be able to copulate widely (thus increasing genetic reproductive success in the long term). [What book topic is the sexy son hypothesis related to? What other personality traits might be explained my evolution? What does research tell us about those traits?]
200
What is the libido?
It is "life energy" (also, psychic energy, mental energy, or the life drive). It provides the resources for the mind, motivating it to engage in behaviors that promote life and living (i.e. survival and reproduction). [How is the libido related to the doctrine of opposites?]
200

Explain the two positions that can arise when splitting occurs.

The Paranoid Position is when a person is trying to rid themselves of their "bad part." The Depressive Position is when a person is trying to show appreciation for or protect the "good part." 

[So what is splitting? (What are these bad and good parts?)]

300
Compare the effects of naturally-occurring "normal" levels of testosterone with the effects of anabolic steroids.
In most people, typical levels of T contribute to "excessive" behavior, such as aggression, sexual behavior, consumption of rewarding substances, etc. However, the use of steroids can mess with this system and result in undercontrolled aggression and problems with sexual functioning (e.g., random erections, impotence). [What can people do to temporarily increase their T? Aggression is often motivated by anger; which neurotransmitter/hormone is responsible for reducing other negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, sadness)?]
300

What is the formula for a Heritability Quotient?

(ICCmz - ICCdz) * 2 [What is a correct way of interpreting a heritability quotient of 36? What can't the heritability quotient tell us?]

300

Identify the physical focus, at least 1 psychological theme/goal, and 1 adult character type associated with the Phallic Stage.

Physical Focus = genitals; Psychological Themes = Gender identity, sexuality, sexual/romantic attraction, jealousy; Characters = Overly moral or Hypersexual (or other Excesses related to pleasure) [Can you answer these questions for the other stages of psychosexual development?]

300
What is the collective unconscious?
The unconscious shared memory of the human species. [What populates the collective unconscious? How did Jung's idea of the collective unconscious contribute to his lasting break from Freud (both professionally and personally)?]
400
Whereas these carry information from the body to the central nervous system, these carry information from the central nervous system out to the body.
Afferent nerves and efferent nerves. [What are the nerves in the CNS called? How are messages sent along and between nerves?]
400
Draw a graph of a Gene x Environment Interaction. Then, explain how you know it shows a GxE.
The graph needs to have multiple lines that show a "splayed" effect. This indicates that different levels of one variable influence the relationship between the other variable and the outcome. [How can you tell from this graph that there is a main effect for each of the variables? What are epigenetics? What are molecular genetics studies? What do we know about DRD4 and 5-HTT?]
400

As an adult, Sally feels uncertain about turning
to the people she is in close relationships with.
She isn't sure if she can really trust them to be
there for her, or if they will sometimes do
hurtful things to her. Given what she now
experiences as an adult, what type of attachment
did Sally likely have with her caregiver as a child? Explain how Sally would likely have reacted in the Strange Situation when: (1) she was in the room with her caregiver, (2) when the caregiver left the
room, and (3) the caregiver returned to the room.

Sally likely had an anxious-ambivalent attachment to her caregiver. She would have checked in with
her caregiver but explored the room, and she would have been upset when the caregiver left the room. However, Sally would not have been easily
soothed when the caregiver returned.

[What is the other type of insecure attachment,
and what does that child do in the Strange
Situation? What does the securely attached child do? What are "working models?"]

400
This exists in each man's unconscious, causing him to have feminine qualities at times and helping him gauge whether the women he meets is consistent with his standard for what it means to be female.
What is the Anima? [The male equivalent is called what?]
500
Explain how two different brain structures may be related to high or low levels of Extraversion.
The amygdala and substantia nigra contribute to Extraversion. The amygdala controls physiological arousal in response to stimuli -- when that stimuli is pleasant or potentially rewarding, the amygdala is activated and promotes sensation-seeking behavior (part of E). The substantia nigra is part of the brain's Go System, which engages in Approach Behavior when confronted with desirable rewards. [What brain structures are related to the other Big Five traits, and how so?]
500
Create a twin study behavior genetics table using all of the Big Five traits. Make sure that at least one of the traits appears to have a genetic component. Then, explain to the class how to read this table and decide if there is a genetic contribution to each trait. Be sure to identify the statistic that is used to provide the numbers in these tables.
Tables will vary, but at least one trait must have a higher Intraclass Correlation Coefficients for MZ twins than DZ twins (which would indicate a genetic component).
500
Provide definitions and examples of 3 different defense mechanisms.
Choose from Denial, Repression, Projection, Displacement, Reaction Formation, Sublimation, Rationalization, and Intellectualization. Many possible examples.
500
These three categories of coping strategies were described by Karen Horney.
Those for Moving Toward people, Moving Against people, and Moving Away From people. [How is Basic Anxiety? How do these strategies contribute to Neurosis? What is Self-Analysis?]
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