PSY36: TMA01 (Tutor-marked Assignment) – Biological Basis of Psychology, SUSS, Singapore

Question 1 

“American IQ test scores have dropped during a recent 13-year period, a remarkable finding that runs counter to the well-established trend of increasing IQ scores throughout much of the 20th century… Ability scores in the areas of verbal reasoning, matrix reasoning, and letter and number series dropped…Composite ability scores that were derived from multiple pieces of information were also lower among more recent samples of tested adults. The differences in scores were found regardless of participants’ age, education or gender.”

Adapted from: Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2023/03/23/american-iq-test-scores-showrecent-declines-according-to-new-study/?sh=5f7b9d73559f)

The article appears to suggest that there is a new phenomenon of a “reverse Flynn effect”. Discuss this article using your understanding of the biological basis and theories of language and learning. Appraise the brain regions involved in the areas of verbal reasoning and evaluate how the “reverse Flynn effect” could take place.

Question 2

“A global sleep study by health technology company Philips released on Wednesday (March 17) found that 51 per cent of Singaporeans have lost sleep over work, finances and Covid-19 related news. The survey, conducted from Nov 17 to Dec 7 last year, polled 13,000 adults across 13 places including the United States, Australia, Britain and China. It also surveyed 1,000 participants from Singapore, of which 27 per cent were found to have insomnia, up from 25 per cent in the same survey in 2019.”

Adapted from: The Straits Times (https://www.straitstimes.com/life/more-people-seeking-help-for-insomniaduring-the-covid-19-pandemic)

Illustrate your understanding of research methods by applying your knowledge of one suitable neuroimaging technique to diagnose insomnia. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using such a neuroimaging technique.

Question 3

“Fourteen-year-old student Nadheeruddin Tajuddin spends about four to five hours a day on social media, sometimes until the wee hours of the morning, which leaves him waking up the next day feeling “not that great”. At times, he even finds himself getting dizzy or sick after consecutive weeks of late-night scrolling. When this happens, he usually stops using social media for a few days but eventually returns to it.”

Adapted from: CNA (https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/big-read-teenagers-social-media-addictioncost-mental-health-3647121)

Social media addiction (although not currently recognized as a mental health disorder) is increasingly becoming a significant concern in this digitally connected world. Discuss the biological correlates in the brain that is involved in social media addiction and examine how potential intervention helps remediate addiction.

References

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The References lists the full reference of all sources cited or referred to in your assignment. Intext citations also need to be presented accurately in APA format.

5 marks: Perfect use of APA style. Demonstrates a thorough understanding of APA format and referencing conventions. A minimum of 5 academic references are cited.
4 marks: Near perfect use of APA style. Demonstrates a very good understanding of APA format and referencing conventions. A minimum of 5 academic references are cited.
0 marks: Fails to meet the above requirements.