IB Psychology – Biological Approach Practice Test

Post-mortem studies in the biology of behavior are best described as:

They reveal structural pathology and historical data but cannot establish causality. They can generalize findings to all populations. They have no ethical concerns about consent. They can directly measure neurotransmitter levels in living brains.

Correct Answer:

They can directly measure neurotransmitter levels in living brains.

Explanation:

Post-mortem studies involve examining brains after death to identify structural changes and to gather historical pathology. A key strength is the ability to measure biochemical markers directly in brain tissue, such as neurotransmitter levels, providing a direct look at the brain’s chemical state in the tissue that was present at the time of death. This direct biochemical analysis is what makes that description the best fit among the choices. However, these studies cannot establish causality, and their findings may not generalize to living individuals. There are also important ethical considerations regarding consent and the use of human tissue.

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