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Athabasca University
Psychology Biological Psychology Questions
and Answers Latest 2026
Label brain structure and functions. Ans: Frontal: Cognitive skills,
behaviour, problem solving, STM, language, judgement.
Parietal: Relates visual information to motor skills, in response to
perception and sensation.
Occipital: Visual processing
Temporal: Memory ans auditory processing.
Cerebellum: Co-ordinates muscle activity and stores motor skills.
Limbic System: (hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala) Prepares
an animal for action and is responsible for emotion, aggression
and memory.
Striatum: Controls motivation.
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Corpus Callosum: Connects the two hemispheres.
Describe fMRI scans. Ans: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
A magnetic field causes oxygen in the brain to align, and the
oxygen is shown on a computer screen as 'voxels'. More active
areas have more oxygenated haemoglobin for respiring tissues.
Used to detect diseased tissue, monitor tumours and observe brain
function.
Evaluate fMRI scans. Ans: Advantages:
Shows brain function.
Non-invasive.
Low risk.
No radiation.
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Produces images from every angle.
Disadvantages:
Expensive.
Any movement from patient can distort readings.
Cannot distinguish between tumour types.
Claustrophobic.
Readings susceptible to non-neural changes.
Describe CAT scans. Ans: Computerised Axial Tomography.
X-rays used to create a detailed image of brain sructure, which can
be layered together to produce a 3D image.
Used to detect infraction, tumour, haemorrhage and trauma etc.
© 2025 All rights reserved
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Evaluate CAT scans. Ans: Advantages:
Provides detailed images of structure.
Non-invasive.
Disadvantages:
Radiation risk.
Needs a 7 hour fast.
Specialist required.
Any movement from patient can distort reading.
Describe PET scans. Ans: Positron Emission Tomography.
Used to show images of funtion and structure, as radioactive
tracer (FDG) is injected which attaches to glucose and shows the
© 2025 All rights reserved
Athabasca University
Psychology Biological Psychology Questions
and Answers Latest 2026
Label brain structure and functions. Ans: Frontal: Cognitive skills,
behaviour, problem solving, STM, language, judgement.
Parietal: Relates visual information to motor skills, in response to
perception and sensation.
Occipital: Visual processing
Temporal: Memory ans auditory processing.
Cerebellum: Co-ordinates muscle activity and stores motor skills.
Limbic System: (hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala) Prepares
an animal for action and is responsible for emotion, aggression
and memory.
Striatum: Controls motivation.
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
Corpus Callosum: Connects the two hemispheres.
Describe fMRI scans. Ans: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
A magnetic field causes oxygen in the brain to align, and the
oxygen is shown on a computer screen as 'voxels'. More active
areas have more oxygenated haemoglobin for respiring tissues.
Used to detect diseased tissue, monitor tumours and observe brain
function.
Evaluate fMRI scans. Ans: Advantages:
Shows brain function.
Non-invasive.
Low risk.
No radiation.
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
Produces images from every angle.
Disadvantages:
Expensive.
Any movement from patient can distort readings.
Cannot distinguish between tumour types.
Claustrophobic.
Readings susceptible to non-neural changes.
Describe CAT scans. Ans: Computerised Axial Tomography.
X-rays used to create a detailed image of brain sructure, which can
be layered together to produce a 3D image.
Used to detect infraction, tumour, haemorrhage and trauma etc.
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4 | Page
Evaluate CAT scans. Ans: Advantages:
Provides detailed images of structure.
Non-invasive.
Disadvantages:
Radiation risk.
Needs a 7 hour fast.
Specialist required.
Any movement from patient can distort reading.
Describe PET scans. Ans: Positron Emission Tomography.
Used to show images of funtion and structure, as radioactive
tracer (FDG) is injected which attaches to glucose and shows the
© 2025 All rights reserved
