AQA · A-Level · Psychology
Course version: 7182-2025 · Exams from 2027
Ways of studying the brain: scanning techniques, including functional…
Full specification wording
Biopsychology: Ways of studying the brain: scanning techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); electroencephalogram (EEGs) and event-related potentials (ERPs); post- mortem examinations.
Psychologists use various methods to study the brain.
Checked against the AQA 7182-2025 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 5 of 6
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Psychologists use various methods to study the brain. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures changes in blood oxygenation and flow, providing high spatial resolution 3D images of brain activity during tasks. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) record general electrical activity via scalp electrodes, offering excellent temporal resolution to detect sleep patterns or epilepsy. Event-related potentials (ERPs) refine EEG data by using statistical averaging to isolate specific neural responses to a presented stimulus. Finally, post-mortem examinations involve analysing a person's brain after death to link observed anatomical abnormalities, such as Broca's area lesions, to behavioural deficits exhibited during their lifetime.
What earns the marks
- fMRI detects blood oxygenation changes (haemodynamic response) to map active brain areas with high spatial resolution.
- EEGs measure overall electrical activity using electrodes, providing high temporal resolution useful for diagnosing conditions like epilepsy.
- ERPs extract specific cognitive or motor responses from EEG data by averaging multiple presentations of a stimulus to filter out background noise.
- Post-mortem examinations allow detailed anatomical investigation of brain structures after death to establish neurobiological causes of behaviour.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing EEGs and ERPs.
Put it right: ERPs isolate specific responses to stimuli from raw EEG data.
Misunderstanding fMRI: Claiming fMRI measures electrical activity directly.
Put it right: fMRI measures blood flow and oxygenation changes.
Evaluating post-mortems: Stating post-mortems show active brain function.
Put it right: They only show structural anatomy, meaning causation between damage and behaviour is inferred retrospectively.
Exam tips
- Always compare spatial and temporal resolution when evaluating fMRI against EEG and ERP techniques.
- Use specific examples, such as Broca's patient 'Tan', to illustrate the historical value of post-mortem examinations.
- Clearly distinguish between the non-invasive nature of scanning techniques and the retrospective nature of post-mortems.
Try the lesson
The start of the Biopsychology: Ways of studying the brain: scanning techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); electroencephalogram (EEGs) and event-related potentials (ERPs); post- mortem examinations. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which method of studying the brain involves measuring changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur as a result of neural activity?
Listen
Psychologists use various methods to study the brain. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures changes in blood oxygenation and flow, providing high spatial resolution 3D images of brain activity during tasks. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) record general electrical activity via scalp electrodes, offering excellent temporal resolution to detect sleep patterns or epilepsy. Event-related potentials (ERPs) refine EEG data by using statistical averaging to isolate specific neural responses to a presented stimulus. Finally, post-mortem examinations involve analysing a person's brain after death to link observed anatomical abnormalities, such as Broca's area lesions, to behavioural deficits exhibited during their lifetime. A strong answer earns marks for these points. fMRI detects blood oxygenation changes (haemodynamic response) to map active brain areas with high spatial resolution. EEGs measure overall electrical activity using electrodes, providing high temporal resolution useful for diagnosing conditions like epilepsy. ERPs extract specific cognitive or motor responses from EEG data by averaging multiple presentations of a stimulus to filter out background noise. Post-mortem examinations allow detailed anatomical investigation of brain structures after death to establish neurobiological causes of behaviour. A common slip: Confusing EEGs and ERPs: Students often state ERPs record general activity. Instead, ERPs isolate specific responses to stimuli from raw EEG data. Exam tip: Always compare spatial and temporal resolution when evaluating fMRI against EEG and ERP techniques.
See it
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