3.2.4.4.1 Biological explanation: imbalance of neurotransmitters such as serotonin Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 8

The 20 questions

1. What does the biological explanation of depression focus on, according to the specification?

   • An imbalance of neurotransmitters such as serotonin in the brain
   • Repeated exposure to loud noise and crowded places during childhood years
   • A shortage of vitamin C and other nutrients in the daily diet over time
   • Learned patterns of thinking that are passed on from parents to children

2. What is the role of serotonin in the brain?

   • It is a type of brain cell that stores long-term memories in the cortex
   • It is a chemical that controls heart rate only in the muscles of the arm
   • It is a hormone that breaks down food in the stomach after each meal
   • It is a neurotransmitter that helps pass messages between neurons across synapses

3. Which process describes how neurotransmitters work at synapses?

   • Conversion into oxygen within the nerve cell during each electrical impulse
   • Absorption straight into the blood after being stored in the bone marrow
   • Storage in the skin, where it is held until it is needed for thinking
   • Release into the synapse, followed by reuptake back into the neuron

4. A biological explanation proposes that depression is caused by low serotonin. Which type of explanation is this?

   • A cognitive explanation, which focuses on distorted thoughts and beliefs about self
   • A nature explanation, which focuses on biological influences on the person
   • A nurture explanation, which focuses on behaviour learned from the environment
   • A social explanation, which focuses on pressure from groups of other people

5. Which statement best reflects the imbalance explanation of depression?

   • Depression is caused by too much bone density in the skull of the person
   • Depression is caused entirely by learned social behaviour from the family
   • Depression may be linked to too little serotonin being active in certain brain pathways
   • Depression occurs only when the person eats too much sugar in their diet

6. A drug increases the amount of serotonin available at synapses. Based on the biological explanation, what would be expected?

   • A possible improvement in mood as serotonin signalling increases
   • A complete loss of memory of the drug and its effects over time
   • A rise in the number of neurons in the frontal lobe within a single day
   • An immediate increase in the thickness of the skull of the patient

7. Why might reuptake be relevant to the serotonin explanation?

   • Reuptake creates new neurons in the temporal lobe during adulthood
   • Reuptake removes serotonin from the synapse, which affects how much remains available
   • Reuptake is important only for the processes of the digestive system
   • Reuptake stops all electrical activity in the brain for a short time

8. In the biological approach, which factor is a nature influence on mood?

   • Inherited vulnerability to changes in brain chemistry
   • Learned negative thinking that is passed on through social experience
   • Peer approval that encourages a person to try substances at parties
   • Poor housing conditions that increase stress within a family home

9. What is a limitation of explaining depression only through serotonin?

   • It may ignore other factors, such as thoughts and experiences, that contribute to depression
   • It requires a radioactive tracer to be injected into every participant each time
   • It shows that depression can never be treated by any type of intervention
   • It proves that depression is caused entirely by serotonin in every single person

10. Which brain scan could help researchers study neurotransmitter activity linked to depression?

    • A skull X-ray, which shows the shape of the skull and nothing inside
    • A PET scan, which can use a tracer to show chemical activity in the brain
    • A plain photograph of the brain taken with no tracer or special equipment
    • A CT scan, which shows only the density of the bone in the skull

11. A researcher finds lower serotonin activity in people with depression. Which conclusion is most appropriate?

    • This shows that depression is never linked to any chemistry in the brain
    • This shows that the depressed group has no neurons in their brains at all
    • This proves that serotonin is the only cause of depression in people
    • This shows a correlation, which is not proof that low serotonin alone causes depression

12. Which feature of the biological explanation is most likely to be tested with a drug study?

    • Whether the participant has a specific family name that is common locally
    • Whether the participant lives close to a school in the local neighbourhood
    • Whether changing serotonin levels changes depressive symptoms in participants
    • Whether the participant prefers a particular colour of clothing for the study

13. Which term describes a chemical that passes signals between neurons?

    • Hormone, a chemical that is secreted by glands into the bloodstream
    • Neurotransmitter, a chemical messenger that carries signals across synapses
    • Antibody, a protein produced by the immune system to fight infection
    • Enzyme, a protein that breaks down starch and other molecules in food

14. A person's neurotransmitter balance is disturbed. What is the most likely consequence according to the biological explanation?

    • Altered communication between neurons that may affect mood
    • Immediate loss of all sight and hearing for the person affected
    • Complete removal of the spinal cord from the body of the person
    • Permanent growth of the skull that changes the shape of the head

15. Which statement about serotonin and synapses is correct?

    • Serotonin is destroyed in the synapse before it can carry any signal across
    • Serotonin never leaves the neuron in which it was originally produced
    • Serotonin is stored only in the blood and never in the brain tissue at all
    • Serotonin is released into the synapse and can be reabsorbed by the neuron

16. Why might a biological explanation be described as reductionist?

    • It expands a simple condition into a long list of many social causes
    • It treats depression as the result of learned behaviour and nothing else
    • It considers only thoughts and never the body or the brain at all
    • It reduces a complex condition to a single biological cause

17. Which is the best example of nature influence in the biological explanation?

    • Reading about mental health in a magazine that is sold in shops
    • Learning to reduce negative thinking through a course of therapy sessions
    • Inherited differences in how neurotransmitters are regulated in the brain
    • Observing a friend who has depression and copying their behaviour

18. Why is it important to consider the timing of neurotransmitter changes in depression research?

    • Timing has no effect on neurotransmitter levels at any point in the body
    • Timing matters only for physical injuries and not for mental health problems
    • Changes in levels may be linked to when symptoms begin or improve
    • Timing only affects the skin and not the chemistry of the brain at all

19. What does the biological explanation suggest about antidepressant treatments?

    • They work only by stopping all thinking for the rest of the day
    • They work by removing all neurons from the brain of the person affected
    • They work by changing the person's favourite food and daily diet
    • They may work by altering the availability of neurotransmitters such as serotonin

20. Which of the following shows how the biological explanation differs from the psychological explanation?

    • It focuses on thinking patterns, while the psychological explanation focuses on brain chemistry
    • Both focus entirely on the immune system and its response to infection
    • Both focus only on the thickness of the skull and the bones of the face
    • It focuses on brain chemistry, while the psychological explanation focuses on thinking patterns

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