HOMEWORK IN INTRODUCTION

TO PSYCHOLOGY

Biazon, Janna Mikaela B.

BS Psychology 1-3
 1. What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and how will you get
diagnosed?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder
that basically affects one’s ability to focus and self-control; with that said, persons with ADHD
may be hyperactive, impulsive and inattentive (Parekh, 2017).
One of the reasons behind the cognitive and mental dysfunctions in ADHD is that parts of the
brain responsible for executive functioning (EF) are influenced and/or impaired. EF includes
problem solving, planning for the future, evaluating behaviors, regulating emotions, and
controlling our impulses (Smith, 2019); it is controlled in the prefrontal regions of the brain and
researches show that individuals with ADHD have smaller prefrontal cortex and frontal lobes
develop a few years later, as claimed by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry (“Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a Condition”, 2017).
Consequently, children with head injuries to the frontal lobe of the brain have higher risks of
having ADHD (Bhandari, 2019).
Aside from the aforementioned abnormality in the brain, medical practitioners and researchers
have also linked ADHD with heredity. In a family study, it is discovered that 25% of relatives of
families with a child with ADHD also had the condition, a much higher rate than in families
without a child with ADHD (Smith, 2019). Moreover, Phyllis Teeter, a Professor of Educational
Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, stated that a parent with ADHD has a 57%
chance of having an ADHD offspring (Teeter, 1998). However, scientists are still investigating
whether certain genes, especially ones linked to the neurotransmitter dopamine, play a defined role
in developing ADHD (Dodson, 2019).
Usually discovered during the early years of a child, ADHD actually has three different
subtypes – the first one is primarily hyperactive-impulsive ADHD (described as having little
impulse control and patience, moving and talking excessively. Kids mostly fidget and clown
around); next is the primarily inattentive: people with this type forgets and gets distracted easily,
daydreams a lot, and misplaces things. Children with this type often don’t get the treatment they
need because parents or guardians only perceive them as quiet, shy kids, resulting to frustration,
extreme sadness and academic failure; this fact is recognized by the National Institute of Mental
Health of America. Last is the combined type where one shows a combination of the previously
mentioned symptoms (Williams, 2019).
 Though different, doctors use an instrument that can identify if an individual has ADHD and
which type it is; using the systemized and globally recognized checklist and symptom criteria in
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders or DSM (DSM-5, the latest version),
medical practitioners can easily diagnose a person. If a child shows 6 out of 9 symptoms listed in
DSM in any of the type, then a physician or psychiatrist can diagnose him or her with ADHD.
Furthermore, if one is suspicious or curious about having ADHD, self-tests can be found in
websites online, but one must bear in mind that only health professionals can clinically diagnose
if someone has ADHD or other disorders.

2. Is criminal behavior biological?

Firstly, criminal behavior generally pertains to the series of committing offends, unlawful acts,
and/or illegal actions that are punishable in accordance to a particular country’s law. There are two
main categories – property crimes (e.g. theft, fraud, burglary), and violent crimes (e.g. homicide,
rape, harassment). Crimes are classified by degrees; some are petty (minor crimes, minimal
punishment, small fine and short-term imprisonment) and some are heinous (crimes that manifest
extreme manifest wickedness, viciousness, atrocity and perversity) (Gavilan, 2019). A crime’s
severity is often a case-to-case basis and depends on the jurisdiction.
With crime defined, the biological factor surrounding it can now be further studied. Whatever
a person intakes can affect his or her mood, behavior and mental processes. Alcohol affects
neurological functioning, thus, an intoxicated person has less or bad control over his or her actions
and thoughts. In an article published by Psychology Today, the more alcohol in their system, the
more they become sedated and the more they lose control of their movement and may experience
impaired thinking and memory (Gowin, 2010). Alcohol depresses the behavioral inhibitory
centers in the cerebral cortex, the region of the brain where thought processing and consciousness
are centered; this results to having difficulty in thinking clearly. This is probably the reason why
around 40% of lawbreakers were under the influence of alcohol when they committed offenses
(Galbicsek, 2019).
Meanwhile, if pertaining to genetics, genes and criminal behavior have been linked. For
example, low activity in the MAOA gene, found on the X chromosome, added to a history of
childhood maltreatment, has been associated with an increased number of convictions for violent
crime (Appelbaum, 2017).
 In general, deviance or criminal behavior is driven and affected by several factors including
upbringing, financial needs, environment, social and peer pressure among others; however,
biological factors such as brain functions and genetics have one of the greatest influences on one’s
criminal behavior because the brain organ plays a major role in controlling and affecting one’s
conduct, may it be good or wicked.
It is needless to say that this is a sensitive and difficult topic because it is both a legal and a
psychological matter. Despite inheriting genes of a criminal, being raised in a depressed area,
having financial problems, a holistically healthy individual would still not venture into deviance
because of the knowledge that it is illegal, immoral and has negative impacts on the doer and the
victim.

3. What is the biological basis of the climate / weather on a person’s mood?

Weather is technically defined as the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place.
Weather, together with its parameters or variables such as heat or cold (temperature), wetness or
dryness (precipitation), wind, and cloudiness, are widely believed to affect an individual’s mood
(Fondriest, n.d.).
As an example, when it rains, people tend to feel lonelier, which can be attributed to the
surroundings that got darker because of the presence of cumulonimbus clouds. In relation to this,
serotonin production is better when individuals are exposed to sunlight because the human skin
has an inherent serotonergic system that appears capable of generating serotonin; serotonin levels
increase when under sunshine. In a nutshell, people are susceptible to sadness during the rainy
season because of low levels of serotonin, caused by lack of sunlight (Sansone R., Sansone L.,
2013). To further strengthen that claim, a study published in Psychological Science in 2005 found
that a weather with higher temperature was related to improved mood, better memory and
cognitive style because they were deprived of heat and high levels of serotonin during the previous
winter (Keller et al., 2005)
In connection to that, rainy days cause people to eat more, especially those who are diagnosed
with depression. According to Judith Wurtman, former scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, intaking food rich in carbohydrates such as rice, past and bread helps depressed
people to feel better because “because the carbs spark an immediate serotonin increase.”
(Bernstein, 2015).
 As mentioned above, sunny days have positive effects on moods, however, the opposite can
be said when warmth turns to extreme heat. Dr. Susie Burke of the Australian Psychological
Society affirmed that extreme heat leads to increased aggression and irritation. The reason behind
this, according to Gupta (2018), is inclined to physical factors like stress and discomfort are more
felt during hot weather because of the sweat, thus intensified temper or aggression.
Climate is not a cookie cutter that limits a particular mood to a particular weather; people
should be reminded that sensitivity levels, behavior and moods are complex and can be entirely
different from person to person. According to Haslam (2013), though there are scientific
explanations, studies and researches that can support the claims of the effects of weather to mood,
one’s mood is still highly dependent on his or her complex personality and mentality.
References:
 “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a Condition” (2017, February)
ADHD and the Brain, Retrieved from
https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-
Guide/ADHD_and_the_Brain.aspx
 Appelbaum, P. (2017, September 18), Behavioural Genetics in Criminal Court, Retrieved
from https://phys.org/news/2017-09-genes-behavioral-genetic-evidence-criminal.html
 Bernstein, M., (2015, September 29), 6 Scientific Ways Weather Affects Your Mood, So
You Can Adapt Your Mind And Body Through The Changing Seasons, Retrieved from
https://www.bustle.com/articles/113278-6-scientific-ways-weather-affects-your-mood-
so-you-can-adapt-your-mind-and-body-through
 Bhandari, S. (2019, June 07), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Causes of ADHD,
Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/adhd-causes
 Dodson, W. (2019, July 10), What Is ADHD? Meaning, Symptoms & Tests, Retrieved
from https://www.additudemag.com/what-is-adhd-symptoms-causes-treatments/
 Galbicsek, C. (2019, July 24) Alcohol-Related Crimes, Retrieved from
https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/alcohol/crimes/
 Gavilan, J. (2019, September 03), What are Heinous Crimes? Retrieved from
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/239205-things-to-know-heinous-crimes-
philippines
 Gowin, J. (2010, June 18), Your Brain on Alcohol, Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/you-illuminated/201006/your-brain-alcohol
 Gupta, A., (2018, November 11), How Weather Can Affect Your Mental State, Mood and
Behaviour, Retrieved from https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/health/body-soul-
daily/how-weather-can-affect-your-mental-state-mood-and-behaviour/news-
story/65619a69d326f869a97b7a452c5b82f6
 Haslam, N. (2013, October 23), Here Comes the Sun: How the Weather Affects Our
Mood, Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/here-comes-the-sun-how-the-weather-
affects-our-mood-19183
 Keller, M. et al., (2005, September 01), A Warm Heart and a Clear Head: The
Contingent Effects of Weather on Mood and Cognition, Retrieved from
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01602.x
 Parekh, R. (2017, July), What is ADHD? Retrieved from
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd
 Sansone L., Sansone R., (2013, August), Sunshine, Serotonin, and Skin: A Partial
Explanation for Seasonal Patterns in Psychopathology, Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3779905/
 Smith, K. (2019, July 02), Causes of ADHD, Retrieved from
https://www.psycom.net/adhd-causes
 Teeter, P.A. (1998), Interventions for ADHD: Treatment in Developmental Context,
Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1998-06594-000