BLoA Outcome Link: Function of one neurotransmitter on human behaviour
When we think of psychology, we often think of the sociocultural factors that influence our behaviour - the environment, the upbringing of an individual etc. However, biological factors can also influence our minds! As a psychology student, this might not be true, but for the average layman, one would probably unknowingly neglect this aspect.
There are two main biological factors that influence behaviour: hormones and neurotransmitters. Acetycholine is a neurotransmitter which is believed to help with the smooth functioning of memory. Neurotransmitter, are electrical chemical messages produced in the human body that are fired across gaps known as synapses. These messages are then transported around our body and eventually affecting the brain and its functioning in some way or another. In the case of the study conducted by Martinez and Kesner, they found that when acetycholine levels were increased through injections, the memory of rats enhanced, as opposed to a lack of acetycholine and the control group.
The study consisted of 3 groups of rats. The rats were trained to remember the path of a maze using food as motivation. The researchers then injected one group with a chemical which enhanced the production of acetycholine, the second group with a chemical which blocked the reception of acetycholine, and the last group was left untampered. as they were the control group. When put into a maze, the researchers found that the experimental rats in condition 1 had an easier and faster time finding their way after a few trials, while the second condition rats took a long time, finding difficulty in remembering the path to the end of the maze. The control group had a time in between the two conditions. Thus, the researchers suggested that acetycholine supported the idea that as a neurotransmitter, it could help enhance the spacial memory of rats. Because the biological level of analysis believes animals could be used in experiments to help us as humans understand the way our body works, it could be said that acetycholine in humans could too enhance our memory. This is because rats as mammals have a similar biology to that of a human. This suggests that the effect of a neurotransmitter on animals would have the same effect on humans. With that said, it is believed acetycholine is a neurotransmitter that helps with the spacial memory of humans.
When we think of psychology, we often think of the sociocultural factors that influence our behaviour - the environment, the upbringing of an individual etc. However, biological factors can also influence our minds! As a psychology student, this might not be true, but for the average layman, one would probably unknowingly neglect this aspect.
There are two main biological factors that influence behaviour: hormones and neurotransmitters. Acetycholine is a neurotransmitter which is believed to help with the smooth functioning of memory. Neurotransmitter, are electrical chemical messages produced in the human body that are fired across gaps known as synapses. These messages are then transported around our body and eventually affecting the brain and its functioning in some way or another. In the case of the study conducted by Martinez and Kesner, they found that when acetycholine levels were increased through injections, the memory of rats enhanced, as opposed to a lack of acetycholine and the control group.
The study consisted of 3 groups of rats. The rats were trained to remember the path of a maze using food as motivation. The researchers then injected one group with a chemical which enhanced the production of acetycholine, the second group with a chemical which blocked the reception of acetycholine, and the last group was left untampered. as they were the control group. When put into a maze, the researchers found that the experimental rats in condition 1 had an easier and faster time finding their way after a few trials, while the second condition rats took a long time, finding difficulty in remembering the path to the end of the maze. The control group had a time in between the two conditions. Thus, the researchers suggested that acetycholine supported the idea that as a neurotransmitter, it could help enhance the spacial memory of rats. Because the biological level of analysis believes animals could be used in experiments to help us as humans understand the way our body works, it could be said that acetycholine in humans could too enhance our memory. This is because rats as mammals have a similar biology to that of a human. This suggests that the effect of a neurotransmitter on animals would have the same effect on humans. With that said, it is believed acetycholine is a neurotransmitter that helps with the spacial memory of humans.