Biologic Bases of Behaviour
Your essay should be 2,500 words in total
Write an essay answering one of two questions:
1) Critically evaluate the contribution of TWO research methods in biopsychology to the study of memory OR mental illness such as fMRI, TMS or even psychopharmacology
2) Critically evaluate the evidence for genetic contributions to a chosen behavioural or mental disorder, (such as, addictive behaviour, personality disorders).
Question 1
A passing answer must attempt to:
• Clearly describe the research methods evaluated
• Explain how the use of these methods has contributed to our understanding of the topic area, using relevant research evidence.
In addition, the general requirement for a good answer is to:
• Be well-written, showing evidence of sound argument and critical insight.
• Show reading of relevant recent research and an ability to integrate this research into the answer in a well-structured manner.
Furthermore, an excellent answer will include one or more of the following:
• Critical understanding of the research area
• Detailed critique of the practical and theoretical aspects of the methods selected
• Explanation of how the methods described are integrated with other biological research methods.
Question 2
A passing answer must attempt to:
• Clearly explain the link between the behaviour, brain function and genetics.
• Evaluate the strength of the evidence provided by different studies.
In addition, the general requirement for a good answer is to:
• Be well-written, showing evidence of sound argument and critical insight.
• Show reading of relevant recent research and an ability to integrate this research into the answer in a well-structured manner.
Furthermore, an excellent answer will include one or more of the following:
• Critical understanding of the chosen research area.
• Detailed critique of the methods used by researchers.
• Evaluation of the social and ethical consequences of researching the genetic bases of behavioural or mental disorders.
• Identification of appropriate follow-up research that could shed more light onto the chosen disorder.
