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EnglandPsychology

Component 2: Core studies - Biological area (regions of the brain)

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Is the ability to resist temptation linked to lasting differences in how specific brain regions work?

Contemporary study: Casey et al. (2011), Behavioral and neural correlates of delay of gratification. Aim, method, results and conclusions, evaluation, and links to the biological area and Sperry.
An OCR A-Level Psychology answer to the contemporary biological study, Casey et al. (2011) on the neural correlates of delay of gratification. Covers the aim, the longitudinal follow-up of Mischel's marshmallow participants, the go/no-go task and fMRI, the prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum findings, evaluation, and links to Sperry and the biological area.
14 min answer →

What happens to perception and awareness when the two hemispheres of the brain are surgically separated?

Classic study: Sperry (1968), Hemisphere deconnection and unity in conscious awareness. Aim, method, results and conclusions, evaluation, and links to the biological area and hemispheric lateralisation.
An OCR A-Level Psychology answer to the classic biological study, Sperry (1968) on hemisphere deconnection. Covers the aim, the quasi-experiment with split-brain patients, the tachistoscope and tactile tasks, the lateralisation findings, evaluation, and links to Casey and the biological area.
15 min answer →

Can years of navigating a city physically change the size of a region of the adult human brain?

Contemporary study: Maguire et al. (2000), Navigation-related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers. Aim, method, results and conclusions, evaluation, and links to the biological area and Blakemore and Cooper.
An OCR A-Level Psychology answer to the contemporary biological study, Maguire et al. (2000) on the hippocampi of London taxi drivers. Covers the aim, the MRI quasi-experiment with VBM and pixel counting, the posterior and anterior hippocampus findings, the correlation with experience, evaluation, and links to Blakemore and Cooper and the biological area.
14 min answer →

Does early visual experience physically shape how the brain develops?

Classic study: Blakemore and Cooper (1970), Development of the brain depends on the visual environment. Aim, method, results and conclusions, evaluation, and links to the biological area and neuroplasticity.
An OCR A-Level Psychology answer to the classic biological study, Blakemore and Cooper (1970) on how the visual environment shapes brain development. Covers the aim, the controlled-rearing animal study with vertical or horizontal stripes, the behavioural and neural findings, evaluation, ethics, and links to Maguire and the biological area.
14 min answer →