IB HL Psychology Exam (Paper 1)
Kerr (1983) - 1.) Asked 75 undergrad males to pump air into a small ball
2.) 4 conditions: alone, with a capable partner who worked hard, with a capable partner who did not
work hard, and alone but with another person doing the same test with little effort
3.) Person with a capable partner who worked hard pumped less: free rider effect
4.) Person with capable partner who did not work hard pumped less: sucker effect
5.) First and fourth condition similar air pumped-Shows that our willingness to cooperate depends on
desire to do an equal amount of work as others
6. ) Strengths: large sample size
7.) Limits: cannot be generalized
Milner (1966) - 1.) HM was hit by a bike when he was 7.
2.) At the age of 27, his seizures and epilepsy became unlivable. 3.) Temporal lobe/ hippocampus
removed.
4.) He was observed, interviewed, and given cognitive tests (mirror drawings), and MRIs.
5.) Results: Lost episodic and semantic memory, but kept habitual, emotional, and procedural.
6.) Conclusion: Hippocampus plays a role in converting short term to long-term. Memory is not localized
in only one part of the brain.
Maguire et al (2000) - 1.) The aim of the study was to see whether the brains of London taxi drivers
would be somehow different as a result of their training and extensive use of spatial memory
2.) The participants for the study were 16 right-handed male London taxi drivers the taxi drivers were
compared with the MRI scans of 50 right-handed males who did not drive taxis.
3.) To participate the men had to have completed the "knowledge" test and have their license for at
least 1.5 years.
4.) There were two key findings of the study.
5.) First, the posterior hippocampi of taxi drivers were significantly larger relative to those of control
subjects and the anterior hippocampi were significantly smaller.
6.) Second, the volume of the right posterior hipper can't be correlated with the amount of time spent
as a taxi driver. 7.) McGuire argues that this demonstrates that the hippocampus may change in
,response to environmental demands. The posterior hippocampus plays a key role in spatial memory in
navigation.
Rosenzweig, Bennet and Diamond (1972) - 1.) The aim was to investigate the effect of an enriched
environment vs. an impoverished environment on the brain structure of rats.
2.) The rats were put in either an enriched or impoverished environment (a lot of stimulus vs. no
stimulus) for 30-60 days. Afterward, they were killed and dissected.
3.) Results of the study found that rats from the enriched environment had a thicker and heavier cortex
with more acetylcholine receptors (acetylcholine is associated with learning and memory).
4.) This suggests that environmental factors play a role in the development of the brain.
Antonova et al (2011) - 1.) 20 male adults were given 1 of 2 conditions. They were given either
scopolamine or a placebo, 19 minutes before putting in a complex VR game.
2.) Monitored with fMRI, they studied how they create spatial memories.
3.) They returned 3-4 weeks later and were given other conditions.
4.) Results: Scopolamine reduces activation of the hippocampus.
5.) Conclusion: Scopolamine blocks acetylcholine, so acetylcholine plays role in creating spatial
memories.
Ditzen et al (2000) - 1.) Performed an experiment with the aim of investigating the possible role of
oxytocin in how couples discuss a contentious issue.
2.) It was hypothesized that participants who received oxytocin engage in more positive communication
patterns in a placebo group.
3.) The researchers used a double-blind placebo-controlled design, with 47 heterosexual couples. Each
couple received either oxytocin or a placebo intranasally.
4.) They were then videotaped as they engaged in a discussion about a topic that would lead to conflict.
The level of the stress hormone cortisol in this life was repeatedly measured during the experiment.
5.) The results show that for both men and women oxytocin improve communication and lowers cortisol
compared to the placebo these results indicate a possible role of oxytocin in humans.
6.) Depends on oxytocin be regulated stress response by suppressing activity of the amygdala, lowering
conflict between couples
, Wedekind (1995) - 1.) The aim was to investigate the role of MHC (major histocompatibility Complex)
in human attraction, or how pheromones that are indicative of a person's immune system affect human
attraction.
2.) 49 female participants and 44 male participants were tested to identify their MHC genes.
3.) The men were given cotton t-shirts to wear to sleep for two nights. The researchers collected the t-
shirts and placed them in boxes with a hole to smell.
4.) Seven boxes were presented to the women for them to smell, one control, meaning it had not been
slept in, three from men who had similar immune systems to the women, and three from men who had
different immune systems to the women. 5.) The women were asked to rate each t-shirt on a scale of 1-
10 in terms of its intensity, pleasantness, and sexiness.
6.) They found that the women all chose the shirts belonging to men with different immune systems as
smelling the most appealing.
7.) These results were used to validate the evolutionary theory, as according to the theory of evolution,
the women would choose to mate with the man who had a different immune system so their offspring
would have the strongest immune system possible.
8.) (Pheromone research is inconclusive, lack of evidence to prove the direct existence of pheromones in
humans)
Zhou et al (2014) - 1.) 24 straight men, gay men, straight women, and gay women asked to look at stick
figure made of dots moving.
2.) Asked to identify its sex.
3.) Straight women and gay men exposed to AND identified it as male.
4.) Straight men and gay women exposed to EST identified it as female.
5.) Conclusion: EST and AND have effect on human behavior.
Caspi et al (2003) - 1.) Caspi and his team looked at a sample of 847 New Zealand 26-year-olds.
2.) All were members of a cohort that had been assessed for 3.) mental health on an every-other-year
basis until they were 21. 3.) They were divided into three groups based on their 5-HTT alleles: Group 1
had two short alleles; Group 2 had one short and one long allele; Group 3 had two long alleles. The
mutation of the 5-HTT gene has the shorter alleles. Roughly 43% of people have the shorter alleles.
4.) The participants were asked to fill in a "Stressful life events" questionnaire which asked them about
the frequency of 14 different events - including financial, employment, health, and relationship stressors
- between the ages of 21 and 26. They were also assessed for depression.
5.) People who had inherited one or more short versions of the allele demonstrated more symptoms of
depression and suicidal ideation in response to stressful life events.
Kerr (1983) - 1.) Asked 75 undergrad males to pump air into a small ball
2.) 4 conditions: alone, with a capable partner who worked hard, with a capable partner who did not
work hard, and alone but with another person doing the same test with little effort
3.) Person with a capable partner who worked hard pumped less: free rider effect
4.) Person with capable partner who did not work hard pumped less: sucker effect
5.) First and fourth condition similar air pumped-Shows that our willingness to cooperate depends on
desire to do an equal amount of work as others
6. ) Strengths: large sample size
7.) Limits: cannot be generalized
Milner (1966) - 1.) HM was hit by a bike when he was 7.
2.) At the age of 27, his seizures and epilepsy became unlivable. 3.) Temporal lobe/ hippocampus
removed.
4.) He was observed, interviewed, and given cognitive tests (mirror drawings), and MRIs.
5.) Results: Lost episodic and semantic memory, but kept habitual, emotional, and procedural.
6.) Conclusion: Hippocampus plays a role in converting short term to long-term. Memory is not localized
in only one part of the brain.
Maguire et al (2000) - 1.) The aim of the study was to see whether the brains of London taxi drivers
would be somehow different as a result of their training and extensive use of spatial memory
2.) The participants for the study were 16 right-handed male London taxi drivers the taxi drivers were
compared with the MRI scans of 50 right-handed males who did not drive taxis.
3.) To participate the men had to have completed the "knowledge" test and have their license for at
least 1.5 years.
4.) There were two key findings of the study.
5.) First, the posterior hippocampi of taxi drivers were significantly larger relative to those of control
subjects and the anterior hippocampi were significantly smaller.
6.) Second, the volume of the right posterior hipper can't be correlated with the amount of time spent
as a taxi driver. 7.) McGuire argues that this demonstrates that the hippocampus may change in
,response to environmental demands. The posterior hippocampus plays a key role in spatial memory in
navigation.
Rosenzweig, Bennet and Diamond (1972) - 1.) The aim was to investigate the effect of an enriched
environment vs. an impoverished environment on the brain structure of rats.
2.) The rats were put in either an enriched or impoverished environment (a lot of stimulus vs. no
stimulus) for 30-60 days. Afterward, they were killed and dissected.
3.) Results of the study found that rats from the enriched environment had a thicker and heavier cortex
with more acetylcholine receptors (acetylcholine is associated with learning and memory).
4.) This suggests that environmental factors play a role in the development of the brain.
Antonova et al (2011) - 1.) 20 male adults were given 1 of 2 conditions. They were given either
scopolamine or a placebo, 19 minutes before putting in a complex VR game.
2.) Monitored with fMRI, they studied how they create spatial memories.
3.) They returned 3-4 weeks later and were given other conditions.
4.) Results: Scopolamine reduces activation of the hippocampus.
5.) Conclusion: Scopolamine blocks acetylcholine, so acetylcholine plays role in creating spatial
memories.
Ditzen et al (2000) - 1.) Performed an experiment with the aim of investigating the possible role of
oxytocin in how couples discuss a contentious issue.
2.) It was hypothesized that participants who received oxytocin engage in more positive communication
patterns in a placebo group.
3.) The researchers used a double-blind placebo-controlled design, with 47 heterosexual couples. Each
couple received either oxytocin or a placebo intranasally.
4.) They were then videotaped as they engaged in a discussion about a topic that would lead to conflict.
The level of the stress hormone cortisol in this life was repeatedly measured during the experiment.
5.) The results show that for both men and women oxytocin improve communication and lowers cortisol
compared to the placebo these results indicate a possible role of oxytocin in humans.
6.) Depends on oxytocin be regulated stress response by suppressing activity of the amygdala, lowering
conflict between couples
, Wedekind (1995) - 1.) The aim was to investigate the role of MHC (major histocompatibility Complex)
in human attraction, or how pheromones that are indicative of a person's immune system affect human
attraction.
2.) 49 female participants and 44 male participants were tested to identify their MHC genes.
3.) The men were given cotton t-shirts to wear to sleep for two nights. The researchers collected the t-
shirts and placed them in boxes with a hole to smell.
4.) Seven boxes were presented to the women for them to smell, one control, meaning it had not been
slept in, three from men who had similar immune systems to the women, and three from men who had
different immune systems to the women. 5.) The women were asked to rate each t-shirt on a scale of 1-
10 in terms of its intensity, pleasantness, and sexiness.
6.) They found that the women all chose the shirts belonging to men with different immune systems as
smelling the most appealing.
7.) These results were used to validate the evolutionary theory, as according to the theory of evolution,
the women would choose to mate with the man who had a different immune system so their offspring
would have the strongest immune system possible.
8.) (Pheromone research is inconclusive, lack of evidence to prove the direct existence of pheromones in
humans)
Zhou et al (2014) - 1.) 24 straight men, gay men, straight women, and gay women asked to look at stick
figure made of dots moving.
2.) Asked to identify its sex.
3.) Straight women and gay men exposed to AND identified it as male.
4.) Straight men and gay women exposed to EST identified it as female.
5.) Conclusion: EST and AND have effect on human behavior.
Caspi et al (2003) - 1.) Caspi and his team looked at a sample of 847 New Zealand 26-year-olds.
2.) All were members of a cohort that had been assessed for 3.) mental health on an every-other-year
basis until they were 21. 3.) They were divided into three groups based on their 5-HTT alleles: Group 1
had two short alleles; Group 2 had one short and one long allele; Group 3 had two long alleles. The
mutation of the 5-HTT gene has the shorter alleles. Roughly 43% of people have the shorter alleles.
4.) The participants were asked to fill in a "Stressful life events" questionnaire which asked them about
the frequency of 14 different events - including financial, employment, health, and relationship stressors
- between the ages of 21 and 26. They were also assessed for depression.
5.) People who had inherited one or more short versions of the allele demonstrated more symptoms of
depression and suicidal ideation in response to stressful life events.
