Sharot(2007)
The study focused on memories from which event?
9/11
How many children participated in this study?
91,791 ≈ 92 children
Which animal was used for this study?
A rat
Baumgartner: Which machine was used to study the role of oxytocin?
fMRI
Why is this study about gay people?
Bailey & Pillard carried out the study to investigate the role genetics may play in sexuality.
The activation of which part of the brain was higher for the people close to the event?
The amygdala
Which machine was used to scan the children and is it functional or structural - what does that mean?
MRI (structural imaging)
Why did Rodgers and Kesner inject a saline solution into some rats?
To make sure that the injection itself wouldn't affect the study.
Zak: What part of the brain plays a key role in aggression?
The amygdala
Explain the ascertainment bias
data for a study or an analysis are collected (or surveyed, screened, or recorded) so that some members of the target population are less likely to be included in the final results than others
Which machine was used for the study and how was it used?
fMRI (functional imaging) - participants where shown different words while in the scanner
What kind of method was used?
A natural experimental method
What is acetylcholine and what does the study say about it?
It is a neurotransmitter. The study shows a connection between acetylcholine and spatial memory since the rats injected with scopolamine did worse.
Explain the role of the placebo in both studies and the ethical questions regarding it.
It was used to keep the participants in the dark when it came to the effect of oxytocin and testosterone influencing their playing style. There's an ethical concern about deception
What were the findings and what does it mean for the study?
Bailey & Pillard found that 52% of MZ twins were both self-identified homosexuals, 22% of DZ twins were so, and 11% of non-related adopted brothers were so. A later study showed that non-twin brothers had a rate of 9.2%. This evidence shows that the more closely genetically linked a pair is, the more likely they both are to exhibit gay or straight tendencies.
Explain lightbu-.......flashbulb memories and what does the study say about these memories?
vivid memories/snapshot of a certain event that caused a strong emotional feeling. Those closer to the WTC were more likely to report flashbulb memories.
Why can't the exact reason for non-nurtured kids' "lack of brain" be pinpointed?
It could be anything from not being fed to not reading at home that affects their development.
Name two limitations to the study.
-Reductionist approach
-Doubt about the extend to which the findings can be generalized to humans
Zak: How many participated and what percentage were stingier after the testosterone?
25 male participants
27% were stingier
What is CGN and how could it have been a problem for participants to report it?
Childhood Gender Non-conformity. They are trying to recall what their behaviour was like as children. Memories are open to distortion, especially as the stereotype of the "gay child" may influence their perceptions of what they were like as children.
Explain the following statement from the study: "individualistic cultures are more likely to have flashbulb memories than collectivistic cultures."
- what does this mean to the study?
culture moderates the effects of personal importance, emotionality, surprise, etc.
- This means a small and culturally biased sample size.
How did Luby find the nurturing and non-nurturing mothers?
They made the mothers fill out a form and have the kids wait with opening a present until the forms were completed to see the parent's reaction.
Explain the Hebb Williams Maze and its relevance to the study
Maze designed to test spatial memory.
Has potential for cross-species application.
spell red
Explain the Trust Game and Ultimatum Game - what did the participants show?
lster
Trust/split games
Testosterone - stingy
Oxytoxin - more trust
Explain why this can be seen as a reductionist study
Most probably our sexual orientation is not attributable to a single gene, nor solely to biological factors. It is most probably an interaction between biological and environmental factors.