AQA A Level Psychology Biopsychology
(Latest 2025/ 2026 Update) Questions and
100% Correct Verified Answers [Grade A] –
University of California
Outline the localisation of the brain -correct answer The motor cortex is responsible
for all voluntary movements and is located within the frontal lobe in the precentral
gyrus. Both hemispheres have a motor cortex with each side controlling opposing
sides of the body. Different parts of the motor cortex control different parts of the
body.
The somatosensory cortex detects sensory information from all over the body, it is
located within the parietal lobe in the postcentral gyrus.
The visual centre is located within the visual cortes inside the occipital lobe. nerve
impulses from the retina travel along the optic nerve to the thalamus, passing on this
information to the visual cortex.
Auditory cortex is concerned with hearing, it lies within the temporal lobes in each
hemisphere of the brain. The pathway begins in the cochlea within the ear where
sound waves are converted to impulses that travel down the auditory nerve to the
auditory cortex.
, AQA A Level Psychology Biopsychology
(Latest 2025/ 2026 Update) Questions and
100% Correct Verified Answers [Grade A] –
University of California
There are two language centres, the first is responsible for speech production and is
known as the Broca's area, it is said that this is in the posterior portion of the frontal
lobe in the left hemisphere. The other is responsible for speech understanding and is
called Wernicke's area, it lays within the posterior portion of the left temporal lobe.
Evaluate the localisation of the brain -
. correct answer :) - There is evidence that supports the localisation of function of
language. Patients with damage to the areas where language centres are experience
aphasia, this is an inability to understand and produce speech. Specific damage to
Broca's area demonstrates the importance of this region for speech production and
the same with Wernicke's area.
:( - Not all researchers agree that the brain has localisation of function. One
researcher founded the equipotential theory. It states that basic motor and sensory
, AQA A Level Psychology Biopsychology
(Latest 2025/ 2026 Update) Questions and
100% Correct Verified Answers [Grade A] –
University of California
functions are localised but higher mental functions are not and that if there is a brain
injury intact areas of the rain will take over for specific functions
:( - Some research shows us that how the brain communicate with each other is more
important than the specific brain regions being responsible for functions. Wernicke
stated that different brain areas must interact with each other to effectively function.
This is supported by a case study done into a man who lose the ability to read which
resulted from damage to the connection between the visual cortex and Wernicke's
area. This suggests that complex tasks require different structures of the brain to deal
with the same stimulus as opposed to localisation of function.
:( - Other research suggests that there are large individual differences in how peoples
brains are activated in language activities. Research done by Harasty found that there
were even gender differences in the size of the brain associated with language, and it
, AQA A Level Psychology Biopsychology
(Latest 2025/ 2026 Update) Questions and
100% Correct Verified Answers [Grade A] –
University of California
was further found that women have proportionally larger Broca's and Wernicke's
areas than men resulting in women using their language more. This therefore limits
the value of the insight that psychologists have regarding the localisation functioning
in the brain.
Outline lateralisation and the split brain research behind it -correct answer
Lateralisation of the brain simply means that the brain is split into two halves via a
corpus collosum (a bundle of nerve fibres). It is thought that each hemisphere has
functional specialisms ie. language is mostly on the left side whereas motor skills are
more on the right.
To test the abilities of each side of the brain two researchers conducted split brain
research. They had participants who had had there corpus collosum cut for medical
(Latest 2025/ 2026 Update) Questions and
100% Correct Verified Answers [Grade A] –
University of California
Outline the localisation of the brain -correct answer The motor cortex is responsible
for all voluntary movements and is located within the frontal lobe in the precentral
gyrus. Both hemispheres have a motor cortex with each side controlling opposing
sides of the body. Different parts of the motor cortex control different parts of the
body.
The somatosensory cortex detects sensory information from all over the body, it is
located within the parietal lobe in the postcentral gyrus.
The visual centre is located within the visual cortes inside the occipital lobe. nerve
impulses from the retina travel along the optic nerve to the thalamus, passing on this
information to the visual cortex.
Auditory cortex is concerned with hearing, it lies within the temporal lobes in each
hemisphere of the brain. The pathway begins in the cochlea within the ear where
sound waves are converted to impulses that travel down the auditory nerve to the
auditory cortex.
, AQA A Level Psychology Biopsychology
(Latest 2025/ 2026 Update) Questions and
100% Correct Verified Answers [Grade A] –
University of California
There are two language centres, the first is responsible for speech production and is
known as the Broca's area, it is said that this is in the posterior portion of the frontal
lobe in the left hemisphere. The other is responsible for speech understanding and is
called Wernicke's area, it lays within the posterior portion of the left temporal lobe.
Evaluate the localisation of the brain -
. correct answer :) - There is evidence that supports the localisation of function of
language. Patients with damage to the areas where language centres are experience
aphasia, this is an inability to understand and produce speech. Specific damage to
Broca's area demonstrates the importance of this region for speech production and
the same with Wernicke's area.
:( - Not all researchers agree that the brain has localisation of function. One
researcher founded the equipotential theory. It states that basic motor and sensory
, AQA A Level Psychology Biopsychology
(Latest 2025/ 2026 Update) Questions and
100% Correct Verified Answers [Grade A] –
University of California
functions are localised but higher mental functions are not and that if there is a brain
injury intact areas of the rain will take over for specific functions
:( - Some research shows us that how the brain communicate with each other is more
important than the specific brain regions being responsible for functions. Wernicke
stated that different brain areas must interact with each other to effectively function.
This is supported by a case study done into a man who lose the ability to read which
resulted from damage to the connection between the visual cortex and Wernicke's
area. This suggests that complex tasks require different structures of the brain to deal
with the same stimulus as opposed to localisation of function.
:( - Other research suggests that there are large individual differences in how peoples
brains are activated in language activities. Research done by Harasty found that there
were even gender differences in the size of the brain associated with language, and it
, AQA A Level Psychology Biopsychology
(Latest 2025/ 2026 Update) Questions and
100% Correct Verified Answers [Grade A] –
University of California
was further found that women have proportionally larger Broca's and Wernicke's
areas than men resulting in women using their language more. This therefore limits
the value of the insight that psychologists have regarding the localisation functioning
in the brain.
Outline lateralisation and the split brain research behind it -correct answer
Lateralisation of the brain simply means that the brain is split into two halves via a
corpus collosum (a bundle of nerve fibres). It is thought that each hemisphere has
functional specialisms ie. language is mostly on the left side whereas motor skills are
more on the right.
To test the abilities of each side of the brain two researchers conducted split brain
research. They had participants who had had there corpus collosum cut for medical
