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BIOLOGICAL APPROACH PRACTICE QUESTIONS

DEMENT AND KLEITMAN:

1) State one aim of the study (2 marks)
2) Describe the background of the study (4 marks)
3) Describe the psychology being investigated (5 marks)
4) In the study the procedure that the researchers first used to measure
participants’ estimations of REM sleep duration was unsuccessful and had
to be revised.
a) Describe how the researchers first attempted to measure
participants’ estimations of REM sleep duration. (2 marks)
b) Describe the revised procedure used to measure participants’
estimations of REM sleep duration. (2 marks)
5) Describe why the participants were told to come to the lab at their regular
sleeping hours (2 marks)
6) Describe why the participants were told not to consume alcohol, coffee or
any stimulants before the procedure (2 marks)
7) Describe the part of the procedure testing dream recall, after the
participants are placed on the bed (4 marks)
8) Describe the part of the procedure testing whether participants can
estimate length of REM sleep, after the participants are placed on the bed
(4 marks)
9) Describe the part of the procedure testing if eye movement patterns match
dream content, after the participants are placed on the bed (4 marks)
10) Describe two ways the procedure was standardized (2 marks)
11) Describe how the awakenings of the participants PM and KC were decided
(1 mark)
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12) Describe how the awakening of the participant WD was decided (2 marks)
13) Describe how the awakening of the participant IR was decided (1 mark)
14) Describe how the awakening of the participant DN was decided (1 mark)
15) Outline one result that supports the individual explanation and one that
supports the situational explanation (6 marks)
16) Outline one result that supports the nature side and one that supports the
nurture side of the nature-nurture debate (6 marks)
17) Outline two real world application of the study (4 marks)
18) Outline one conclusion of the study (2 marks)
19) Describe whether each of the following ethical guidelines were followed or
not in the study:
Informed Consent
Deception
Confidentiality
Privacy
(8 marks)
20) Outline one similarity and one difference between Dement & Kleitman and
any other core study from the biological approach (8 marks)
21) Outline two results of dream recall (4 marks)
22) Outline two results of the participants’ estimations of REM sleep (4 marks)
23a) Outline one type of dream reported by a participant for horizontal eye
movement (2 marks)
b) Outline one type of dream reported by a participant for vertical eye
movement (2 marks)
24) Two friends Sarah and Sana are discussing the study in terms of its validity.
Sarah says the study is valid while Sana says it is not valid. Outline why both
are correct (6 marks)
25) Explain why the study is part of the biological approach (2 marks)
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26a) Outline two assumptions of the biological approach (4 marks)

b) Describe one result from the study that supports either of the two
assumptions stated in part (a) (2 marks)
27) Describe the sample of the study (4 marks)
28) Evaluate the study in terms of two strengths and two weaknesses. At least
one of your evaluative points must be about use of machines (10 marks)

HASSETT:
1) Outline the aim of the study (2 marks)
2) Describe the background of the study (4 marks)
3) Describe the psychology being investigated of the study (4 marks)
4) Describe how social rank of monkeys are determined (2 marks)
5) Describe three features of the sample of the study (3 marks)
6) Describe the wheeled toys used in the study (4 marks)
7) Describe the plush toys used in the study (4 marks)
8) Describe how the data was recorded in the study (2 marks)
9) Describe why the position of the toys were counterbalanced (2 marks)
10) Outline what the monkeys were fed other than monkey chow (1 mark)
11) 14 adult monkeys and 39 infants were excluded from the sample. Outline
why they were excluded (2 marks)
12) Describe the procedure after the monkeys were released into the outdoor
enclosure (5 marks)
13) Outline why one particular trial had to be concluded 7 minutes early (1
mark)
14) State the minimum number of recorded behaviours required for analysis
for each monkey (1 mark)
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15) Suggest one real world application of the study (2 marks)

16) Outline one result that supports the individual side of the debate (4 marks)
17) Outline one result that supports the nature side of the debate and one
result that supports the nurture side of the debate (6 marks)
18) Outline one similarity and one difference between Hassett and any other
core study from the biological approach (8 marks)
19) Outline one conclusion from the study (2 marks)
20) Explain whether each of the following ethical guidelines was followed or
broken:
Numbers
Deprivation
Housing
Pain and Distress
(8 marks)
21) Outline how the male monkeys’ magnitude of preference was calculated
for frequency (2 marks)
22) Outline how the female monkeys’ magnitude of preference was calculated
for duration (2 marks)
23) Describe the behaviour of “extended touch” from the behavioural checklist
(1 mark)
24) Outline the results for frequency of interactions for the male monkeys with
the wheeled toys compared to the frequency of interactions for the female
monkeys with the wheeled toys (3 marks)
25) Outline the results for duration of interactions for the female monkeys with
plush toys compared to the duration of interactions for the male monkeys
with the plush toys (3 marks)
26) Previous research was conducted to test for sex differences in toy
preferences on vervet monkeys while the masculine and feminine toys
were presented to the monkeys separately rather than simultaneously.
What are two ways the study by Hassett differs from this (2 marks)
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27) Evaluate the study in terms of two strengths and two weaknesses. At least
one of your evaluative points must be about quantitative data (10 marks)

HOLZEL:
1) Describe the background of the study (4 marks)
2) Describe the psychology being investigated (4 marks)
3) Outline the aim of the study (2 marks)
4a) Describe three features of experimental group of the study (3 marks)
b) Describe three features of the control group of the study (3 marks)
5) Describe why the control group was referred to as a wait-list control group
(2 marks)
6) Outline one item from the FFMQ that measures the facet of ‘observing’ (2
marks)
7) Outline one item from the FFMQ that measures the facet of ‘describing’ (2
marks)
8) Outline one item from the FFMQ that measures the facet of ‘non-judging’
(2 marks)
9) Outline one item from the FFMQ that measures the facet of ‘non-reactivity’
(2 marks)
10) Outline one item from the FFMQ that measures the facet of ‘acting with
awareness’ (2 marks)
11) State the machine used for the brain scans 2 weeks before and 2 weeks
after the MBSR training (1 mark)
12) Outline 3 inclusion criteria for a participant to be part of the procedure (3
marks)
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13) Two friends Anant and Radhika are discussing the study in terms of its
validity. Anant says the study is valid while Radhika says it is not valid.
Outline why both are correct (6 marks)
14) One of the training techniques used in MBSR is ‘body scanning’. Name the
other two (2 marks)
15) Outline the two ‘regions of interest’ the researchers wanted to scan to
observe for increase in gray matter (2 marks)
16) Outline the purpose of a control group in this study (2 marks)
17) Name the method used to differentiate between gray matter and white
matter in the brain scans (1 mark)
18) Describe the results of the experimental group compared to the control
group for increase in gray matter concentration in the left hippocampi (2
marks)
19) Outline one result that supports the individual explanation and one result
that supports the situational explanation (6 marks)
20) Outline one result that supports the nurture side and one result that
supports the nature side of the debate (6 marks)
21) Suggest one real world application of the findings of the study (2 marks)
22) Explain why this study is part of the biological approach (2 marks)
23) Outline one similarity and one difference between Holzel and any other
core study from the biological approach (8 marks)
24) Outline one conclusion from the study (2 marks)
25) Describe the correlation between ‘body scanning’ and ‘sitting meditation’
that was observed in the study (3 marks)
26a) Outline two assumptions of the biological approach (4 marks)
b) Describe one result of the study that supports either of the two
assumptions mentioned in part (a) (2 marks)
27) Outline the ‘homework’ task the participants were required to do (2 marks)
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29) Explain whether each of the following ethical guidelines was followed or
broken:
Confidentiality
Right to withdraw
Protection from psychological harm
Protection from physical harm
(8 marks)

30) Evaluate the study in terms of two strengths and two weaknesses. At least
one of your evaluative points must be about longitudinal studies (10 marks)