Functional magnetic resonance imaging | AQA A-Level Psychology Revision
- Revision Notes
- Aug 3
- 18 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
For 7182 specification, first teach in September 2025
AQA A-Level Psychology | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time: 45 minutes
These Functional magnetic resonance imaging A-Level Psychology revision notes explain how fMRI uses changes in blood oxygenation to investigate activity in different parts of the brain. You will learn what information an fMRI scan produces and evaluate its spatial resolution, temporal resolution, objectivity and practical limitations. This lesson develops the link between cognition and biology introduced in the scientific study of mind-brain relationships and prepares you to compare fMRI with electrical measurements of brain activity.
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Define functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Explain how fMRI is used to investigate brain activity.
Explain the relationship between neural activity and blood oxygenation.
Identify the type of information produced by fMRI.
Distinguish functional information from structural information.
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of fMRI as a way of studying the brain.
Revision Notes 📚
Functional magnetic resonance imaging A-Level Psychology revision overview
Functional magnetic resonance imaging, usually abbreviated to fMRI, is a brain-scanning technique used to identify changes in activity within different brain areas.
It works by detecting changes in:
Blood flow.
Blood oxygenation.
The relative demand for oxygen in different brain regions.
When a brain area becomes more active, its neurons require additional oxygen. Blood flow to that area increases, creating a change that can be detected by the scanner.
The scan therefore provides an indirect measure of brain activity.
The AQA specification identifies fMRI as one of the required ways of studying the brain, alongside EEGs, ERPs and post-mortem examinations.
What does fMRI stand for?
The abbreviation can be divided into four parts:
Term | Meaning |
Functional | It investigates activity or functioning |
Magnetic | It uses a powerful magnetic field |
Resonance | It detects responses produced within the magnetic field |
Imaging | It creates images or maps of the brain |
The word functional is especially important.
An fMRI scan is used to examine what the brain is doing while a person completes a task or experiences a stimulus. It does not simply provide a static picture of brain anatomy.
The relationship between brain activity and oxygen
Neurons require energy to function.
When a particular brain area becomes more active:
Neurons in that area use more oxygen.
The body increases blood flow to the area.
The balance of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood changes.
The fMRI scanner detects this change.
A computer converts the measurements into an image or activity map.
The basic sequence is:
Increased neural activity → increased oxygen demand → altered local blood flow and oxygenation → detectable fMRI signal
The scanner does not directly record thoughts or individual neurons firing. It measures a biological change associated with neural activity.
The BOLD signal
The change detected by fMRI is commonly described as the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal, abbreviated to the BOLD signal.
The BOLD signal reflects differences in blood oxygenation.
When a brain area is active, blood containing oxygen is supplied to that region. The scanner detects changes in the magnetic properties associated with oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.
The BOLD signal is therefore:
A biological measurement.
Associated with neural activity.
An indirect measure rather than a direct recording of electrical firing.
A precise examination answer should avoid saying that fMRI detects “thoughts” or directly photographs neurons working.
How an fMRI investigation is conducted
An fMRI study usually involves several stages.
Stage 1: The participant enters the scanner
The participant lies inside the fMRI scanner.
Their head must remain as still as possible because movement can affect the quality of the image.
Stage 2: The participant completes a task
The researcher may present:
Images.
Words.
Sounds.
Questions.
Memory tasks.
Decision-making tasks.
Other controlled stimuli.
The task is selected according to the cognitive or behavioural process being investigated.
Stage 3: Brain activity is measured
As the participant completes the task, the scanner detects changes in blood flow and oxygenation.
Stage 4: Conditions are compared
Researchers may compare activity during:
A task condition.
A control or baseline condition.
For example, activity while viewing emotional images might be compared with activity while viewing neutral images.
Stage 5: An activity map is produced
Computer analysis identifies where the BOLD signal differed between the conditions.
The results are displayed as images showing the location and relative level of activity.
The importance of a baseline condition
Brain activity occurs continuously, even when a participant is not completing the target task.
Researchers therefore need a comparison condition.
Suppose a psychologist wants to investigate the processing of spoken words.
The study might compare:
Brain activity while listening to words.
Brain activity while listening to non-verbal sounds.
The researcher examines the difference between the conditions to identify activity associated more specifically with processing words.
Without an appropriate baseline, it would be difficult to decide which activity was related to the process being investigated.
What information does fMRI produce?
fMRI produces functional information about activity within the brain.
The resulting data may show:
Which brain areas were more active during a task.
Which areas were less active.
Differences in activity between experimental conditions.
Relationships between task performance and patterns of brain activity.
The location of activity within the brain.
The information is often presented as a colour-coded activity map over an image of brain structure.
Different colours may represent different levels of activity or statistical differences between conditions.
⚠️ The colours are added during computer analysis. Brain areas do not literally change colour during the task.
Functional and structural information
Functional information concerns what parts of the brain are doing.
Structural information concerns the brain’s physical anatomy.
Functional information | Structural information |
Shows activity associated with a task | Shows the physical structure of the brain |
Examines changes over time or between conditions | Examines anatomy |
Uses changes in blood oxygenation | Identifies structural features |
Helps researchers investigate brain function | Helps researchers identify physical location or damage |
An fMRI activity map is usually interpreted alongside structural information so that researchers can identify where activity occurred.
fMRI does not read minds
An fMRI scan does not display the exact content of a participant’s thoughts.
Researchers observe:
The task the participant completed.
Their behavioural response.
Changes in the BOLD signal.
The location of these changes.
They then make an inference about the cognitive or behavioural process associated with the activity.
For example:
A particular area shows increased activity while participants complete a memory task.
Researchers may infer that the area contributes to the processes required by the task.
They cannot conclude that the scan has directly displayed a memory or revealed exactly what the participant was thinking.
fMRI and localisation of function
Localisation of function is the principle that particular areas of the brain perform particular functions.
fMRI contributes to research into localisation because psychologists can examine which areas show increased activity during particular tasks.
For example, researchers may compare brain activity during tasks involving:
Movement.
Sensory processing.
Language.
Memory.
Decision-making.
If an area is repeatedly active during a particular type of task, researchers may infer that it contributes to that function.
The named brain centres required by AQA are studied in the functions of particular brain regions.
Activity does not always mean exclusive responsibility
A brain area becoming active during a task does not prove that the area is solely responsible for the process.
Several explanations are possible:
The area may contribute to the process.
It may work as part of a wider network.
It may be involved in another feature of the task.
It may support a general process required across several tasks.
For example, an area active during a memory task might be involved in:
Memory itself.
Attention to the material.
Understanding the instructions.
Producing a response.
Researchers therefore use carefully designed control conditions to isolate the process as far as possible.
Applying fMRI to cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience investigates relationships between internal mental processes and biological activity.
An fMRI study might follow this sequence:
A cognitive model predicts that a particular process is involved in a task.
Participants complete the task inside an fMRI scanner.
Behavioural information is recorded.
Changes in the BOLD signal are measured.
Researchers compare brain activity across conditions.
An inference is made about the biological basis of the cognitive process.
This links:
Cognitive explanations.
Biological measurements.
Behavioural data.
The relationship is examined more broadly in the contribution of cognitive neuroscience.
Example of an fMRI investigation
Imagine that psychologists want to investigate decision-making.
Participants complete two conditions:
A simple decision task.
A more demanding decision task.
The researchers record:
Accuracy.
Response time.
The BOLD signal in different brain areas.
Suppose one brain region shows greater activity during the more demanding condition.
Researchers might infer that this region contributes to processing demands involved in difficult decisions.
However, they should not automatically conclude that:
The region alone causes decision-making.
Every participant used the same mental process.
Greater activity always means better performance.
The conclusion must remain consistent with the evidence.
Interpreting an fMRI activity map
When interpreting an activity map, students should ask:
Which conditions are being compared?
Which area shows a difference?
Is activity greater or lower?
What task was the participant completing?
What conclusion is supported?
Is the conclusion correlational or causal?
Could other processes explain the activity?
An activity map cannot be interpreted accurately without knowing the task and the comparison condition.
Strength: high spatial resolution
Spatial resolution refers to the ability of a method to identify where activity occurs.
A major strength of fMRI is its relatively high spatial resolution.
It can produce detailed images that allow researchers to distinguish activity in different brain areas.
This is useful for:
Investigating localisation of function.
Comparing activity across regions.
Identifying networks of associated brain areas.
Connecting biological activity with cognitive tasks.
Compared with a method that records general electrical activity across a broad area, fMRI can usually identify the location of activity more precisely.
Why spatial resolution matters
A researcher may know that brain activity changed during a task, but this information is limited if they cannot identify where the change occurred.
High spatial resolution allows psychologists to ask:
Which particular region was active?
Were several regions involved?
Did different conditions activate different areas?
Did the activity occur in the predicted location?
This makes fMRI especially useful for research into localisation.
Strength: objective information
fMRI produces biological measurements that can be recorded and analysed quantitatively.
This can improve objectivity, because the initial measurement is not based solely on a researcher’s personal judgement.
Researchers can:
Record BOLD responses.
Compare activity between conditions.
Apply statistical analysis.
Produce numerical and visual data.
Use standardised analysis procedures.
Objective measurement supports psychology’s use of the empirical method.
However, researchers still need to interpret what the pattern of activity means psychologically.
Strength: non-invasive scanning
fMRI is described as non-invasive because it does not require surgery or the insertion of instruments into the brain.
Participants can complete tasks while their brain activity is measured without researchers physically entering the brain.
The technique also does not use ionising radiation.
This can make repeated scanning possible, subject to appropriate safety procedures.
The non-invasive nature of fMRI is an advantage over methods that can investigate the brain only after death.
The contrast can be explored through examining the brain after death.
Strength: investigation of the living brain
fMRI allows researchers to investigate the functioning of a living brain while the participant:
Processes information.
Responds to stimuli.
Completes a cognitive task.
Makes decisions.
Produces behavioural responses.
This means biological activity can be studied at the same time as behaviour.
Researchers can therefore examine a direct relationship between:
The condition presented.
The participant’s performance.
Changes in brain activity.
Post-mortem examinations cannot show activity taking place during a task because the person is no longer alive.
Strength: repeated measurements
Because fMRI is non-invasive, researchers may be able to scan participants more than once.
This can allow them to:
Compare different conditions within the same participant.
Investigate changes over time.
Repeat tasks.
Examine brain functioning before and after an experience.
Reduce some individual differences by using repeated measures.
Repeated measurements can provide richer information about how brain activity changes.
Researchers must still consider possible order effects and participant fatigue.
Strength: testable predictions
fMRI can be used to test predictions about brain function.
For example:
If a particular brain area contributes to a cognitive process, activity in that area should increase when the process is required.
Researchers can design a task that requires the process and compare the findings with a control condition.
This supports:
Hypothesis testing.
Empirical investigation.
Theory development.
Falsifiability.
The role of testable predictions is explored in objectivity and hypothesis testing.
Limitation: fMRI is an indirect measure
One major limitation is that fMRI does not directly measure electrical neural activity.
It measures changes in blood oxygenation associated with neural activity.
The reasoning is:
A brain area shows a change in blood oxygenation.
Researchers infer that neural activity changed.
They then infer that the area contributed to the psychological process.
This creates at least two levels of interpretation:
From blood flow to neural activity.
From neural activity to psychological function.
The conclusion may be reasonable, but the psychological process has not been observed directly.
Limitation: poor temporal resolution
Temporal resolution refers to the ability of a method to identify when activity occurs.
fMRI has relatively poor temporal resolution because changes in blood flow occur more slowly than electrical activity in neurons.
Neural activity may change very rapidly, but the blood-oxygen response follows after a delay.
This means fMRI is less effective at showing:
The exact moment a neural process began.
The precise order of very rapid brain events.
Fast changes occurring within fractions of a second.
The technique identifies location more effectively than exact timing.
This creates an important comparison:
Feature | fMRI performance |
Spatial resolution | Relatively high |
Temporal resolution | Relatively low |
Spatial and temporal resolution are different
Students sometimes confuse the two types of resolution.
Spatial resolution asks: Where did activity occur?
Temporal resolution asks: When did activity occur?
fMRI is strong at locating activity but weaker at identifying the precise timing of rapid neural processes.
The contrasting properties of methods recording electrical activity are studied in EEGs and ERPs.
Limitation: movement can affect the results
Participants must remain very still during an fMRI scan.
Movement can distort the signal and reduce image quality.
This can be a problem when investigating:
Young children.
Participants who find remaining still difficult.
Behaviour involving physical movement.
Lengthy or demanding tasks.
Head movement may be mistakenly interpreted as a change in brain activity if it is not identified and controlled appropriately.
Researchers therefore need careful procedures for:
Positioning participants.
Monitoring movement.
Removing affected data.
Standardising instructions.
Limitation: the scanning environment may be uncomfortable
An fMRI scanner is an unusual environment.
Participants must lie inside a confined scanner that produces loud sounds while operating.
This may make some participants:
Anxious.
Distracted.
Uncomfortable.
Less able to concentrate on the task.
Their behaviour and brain activity may therefore differ from how they would respond in an ordinary environment.
This can affect the validity of the findings.
Limitation: low ecological validity
Ecological validity concerns whether findings represent behaviour in everyday settings.
Tasks completed inside an fMRI scanner may be artificial because the participant:
Must lie still.
Is surrounded by specialist equipment.
Completes simplified tasks.
Knows their brain is being scanned.
May respond using buttons rather than natural behaviour.
For example, looking at images inside a scanner is not identical to responding to complex events in everyday life.
The high level of control may improve scientific investigation while reducing the realism of the task.
Limitation: high cost
fMRI scanners are expensive to purchase, operate and maintain.
Research may also require:
Specialist staff.
Technical expertise.
Dedicated scanning facilities.
Computer analysis.
Considerable participant time.
This can restrict:
The number of participants.
The number of scans.
Opportunities for replication.
Access for smaller research teams.
A small sample may limit the extent to which findings can be generalised.
Limitation: data analysis is complex
fMRI generates a large amount of data.
Researchers must make decisions about:
Which brain areas to examine.
How to process the measurements.
Which statistical threshold to use.
How to compare conditions.
How to deal with movement.
How activity maps should be interpreted.
Different analytical choices may produce different conclusions.
Although the original measurement is objective, analysis is not completely free from researcher decisions.
Limitation: correlation does not prove causation
An fMRI scan may show that activity in a brain area is associated with a task.
This does not necessarily prove that the activity caused the behaviour.
Possible explanations include:
The brain area contributed to the behaviour.
Another brain area initiated the process.
Several areas worked together.
The observed activity was related to another feature of the task.
A third variable affected both activity and performance.
A careful conclusion should state that an area is associated with or contributes to a process unless stronger causal evidence is available.
Limitation: reverse inference
A reverse inference occurs when a researcher observes activity in a brain region and concludes that a particular mental process must have occurred.
For example:
A brain area has previously been associated with a particular process.
The area becomes active during a new task.
The researcher concludes that the participant must have been using that process.
This conclusion may be inaccurate because the same brain area might contribute to several functions.
Researchers should therefore consider:
The task demands.
Behavioural evidence.
Control conditions.
Alternative explanations.
Activity across wider neural networks.
Limitation: active areas do not work alone
Brain functions often involve networks of areas rather than one isolated location.
An fMRI image may highlight one region strongly, but the behaviour could depend on interactions between several regions.
Overemphasising one active area may lead to biological reductionism, where complex behaviour is explained mainly through one biological component.
This can overlook:
Cognitive processes.
Social context.
Environmental experience.
Interactions between different brain areas.
A scan should therefore be interpreted as part of a broader explanation of behaviour.
Evaluating fMRI using validity
Validity concerns whether a method measures what it claims to measure.
fMRI validity can be considered at several levels.
Measurement validity
Does the BOLD signal accurately reflect the neural activity being investigated?
Task validity
Does the task genuinely require the psychological process named by the researcher?
Ecological validity
Does behaviour inside the scanner represent behaviour in everyday life?
Interpretation validity
Does the observed activity support the conclusion that the researcher has drawn?
The method’s detailed images do not automatically make every interpretation valid.
The wider principles can be reviewed through assessing whether research measures what it intends to measure.
Evaluating fMRI using reliability
Reliability concerns consistency.
An fMRI investigation may be more reliable when researchers use:
Standardised tasks.
Consistent scanning procedures.
Clear instructions.
The same analysis process.
Controlled comparison conditions.
However, results may vary because of:
Participant movement.
Differences in strategy.
Changes in attention.
Variation in data analysis.
Differences between scanning sessions.
Repeated findings across studies increase confidence that an activity pattern is reliable.
The broader concept is covered in consistency in psychological measurement.
Comparing fMRI with post-mortem examinations
fMRI | Post-mortem examination |
Studies the living brain | Studies the brain after death |
Shows functional activity | Examines physical structure |
Can record activity during a task | Cannot record live activity |
Non-invasive | Requires examination of brain tissue |
Produces indirect measures of activity | Can provide detailed structural evidence |
May be repeated | Cannot be repeated with the same individual in life |
The methods can provide complementary evidence.
fMRI shows patterns of functioning, while post-mortem examinations may reveal structural differences or damage.
Comparing fMRI with EEGs and ERPs
A detailed comparison is covered in the next lesson, but the central distinction is:
fMRI | EEGs and ERPs |
Measures changes in blood oxygenation | Measure electrical activity |
High spatial resolution | Lower spatial resolution |
Lower temporal resolution | Higher temporal resolution |
Shows where activity occurs relatively precisely | Shows when activity occurs relatively precisely |
Researchers may select a method according to whether their main question concerns:
Location.
Timing.
Structure.
Overall electrical activity.
Using more than one method may provide a fuller understanding.
Applying fMRI to an unfamiliar scenario
Consider the following study:
Researchers ask participants to view familiar and unfamiliar faces while inside an fMRI scanner. A particular brain area shows a stronger BOLD response when familiar faces are viewed.
A developed interpretation could state:
fMRI detected changes in blood oxygenation.
The stronger BOLD response suggests greater neural activity in that area during the familiar-face condition.
The area may contribute to processing familiar faces.
A control condition allows activity in the two conditions to be compared.
The result does not prove that the area works alone.
The scan provides an indirect measure rather than directly recording recognition.
A method for answering application questions
Use the following steps.
1. Identify the task
State what the participants are doing.
2. Identify the comparison
Explain which conditions or baseline measurements are being compared.
3. Identify what fMRI measures
Refer to changes in blood flow and oxygenation, or the BOLD signal.
4. Identify the information produced
State which brain areas showed relatively greater or lower activity.
5. Make a cautious inference
Explain what the pattern may suggest about brain function.
6. Include a limitation where required
Consider temporal resolution, movement, artificiality or the indirect nature of the measure.
Writing an effective description of fMRI
A strong description might state:
Functional magnetic resonance imaging detects changes in blood oxygenation associated with neural activity. When a brain area becomes more active, it requires more oxygen and receives increased blood flow. The scanner detects the resulting BOLD signal and produces an activity map showing where changes occurred. Researchers compare activity between task and control conditions to make inferences about the functions of different brain areas.
This answer:
Explains what fMRI measures.
Links oxygen demand with neural activity.
Names the BOLD signal.
Identifies the type of information produced.
Explains the use of comparison conditions.
Uses cautious language about inference.
Writing an effective evaluation paragraph
A developed evaluation paragraph should identify a feature, explain why it matters and connect it to the quality of the evidence.
For example:
One strength of fMRI is its high spatial resolution. It produces detailed activity maps that allow researchers to identify which brain regions are associated with a task. This makes it useful for investigating localisation of function. However, the method measures changes in blood oxygenation rather than neural firing directly, so researchers must infer the relationship between the BOLD signal and the psychological process.
This paragraph balances:
A methodological strength.
Its research value.
An important interpretative limitation.
Key Words 🔑
Key word | Student-friendly definition | How it may be used in an exam |
Functional magnetic resonance imaging | A scanning technique that detects changes in blood oxygenation associated with brain activity. | Explain how fMRI is used to study the brain. |
fMRI | The abbreviation for functional magnetic resonance imaging. | Use accurate terminology in short and extended answers. |
BOLD signal | The blood-oxygen-level-dependent change detected by fMRI. | Explain how the scan identifies relative activity. |
Neural activity | Activity within neurons and neural networks. | Explain why active brain areas require more oxygen. |
Blood oxygenation | The amount or balance of oxygen carried in the blood. | Identify what changes are detected by fMRI. |
Functional information | Information about activity or functioning within the brain. | Distinguish fMRI findings from structural information. |
Structural information | Information about the physical anatomy of the brain. | Compare functional and anatomical evidence. |
Spatial resolution | The ability to identify where activity occurs. | Explain a major strength of fMRI. |
Temporal resolution | The ability to identify when activity occurs. | Explain why fMRI is limited when studying rapid processes. |
Baseline condition | A comparison condition used to identify activity associated with a particular task. | Explain how researchers interpret fMRI data. |
Activity map | A visual representation showing differences in the BOLD signal across brain areas. | Identify the type of information produced. |
Non-invasive | Not requiring surgery or instruments to be inserted into the brain. | Explain an ethical or practical strength. |
Localisation of function | The principle that particular brain areas perform particular functions. | Explain one use of fMRI. |
Movement artefact | Distortion in scan data caused by participant movement. | Evaluate the reliability or validity of fMRI. |
Reverse inference | Concluding that a mental process occurred because an associated brain area was active. | Explain a limitation in interpreting brain scans. |
Ecological validity | The extent to which findings represent behaviour in everyday settings. | Evaluate tasks completed inside the scanner. |
Objectivity | Measurement that is not based solely on personal opinion. | Explain a scientific strength of biological data. |
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Saying that fMRI directly measures electrical activity.
Why this is incorrect:fMRI measures changes in blood flow and oxygenation associated with neural activity.
How to improve:Describe fMRI as an indirect measure using the BOLD signal.
Mistake: Saying that fMRI shows exactly what a person is thinking.
Why this is incorrect:The scan shows biological activity. Researchers infer the possible cognitive process from the task and activity pattern.
How to improve:Use cautious terms such as “associated with”, “may contribute to” or “suggests”.
Mistake: Saying that active brain areas genuinely turn red or yellow.
Why this is incorrect:Colours are added by computer analysis to represent differences in activity.
How to improve:Describe the output as a colour-coded activity map.
Mistake: Confusing spatial and temporal resolution.
Why this is incorrect:Spatial resolution concerns location. Temporal resolution concerns timing.
How to improve:Remember: fMRI is stronger for where than for precisely when.
Mistake: Claiming that high spatial resolution proves causation.
Why this is incorrect:A detailed location still shows an association between activity and the task.
How to improve:Separate precision of location from evidence of cause and effect.
Mistake: Treating the BOLD signal as a direct recording of neurons firing.
Why this is incorrect:The BOLD response is based on blood oxygenation and occurs after neural activity.
How to improve:Explain the sequence from neural demand to blood-flow change.
Mistake: Identifying an active area without explaining the comparison condition.
Why this is incorrect:Researchers need a baseline to decide which activity is associated with the target task.
How to improve:State which two conditions were compared.
Mistake: Saying that fMRI has high temporal resolution.
Why this is incorrect:The blood-flow response is slower than rapid electrical neural activity.
How to improve:Describe fMRI as having relatively poor temporal resolution.
Mistake: Describing fMRI as invasive because the participant enters a scanner.
Why this is incorrect:Entering equipment is not the same as inserting an instrument into brain tissue.
How to improve:State that fMRI is non-invasive because it does not require surgery.
Mistake: Assuming one active brain region works alone.
Why this is incorrect:Complex tasks may involve networks of regions, and one region may support several processes.
How to improve:Refer to the area as contributing to the process unless stronger evidence is available.
Mistake: Listing strengths and limitations without explaining their effects.
Why this is incorrect:Evaluation requires the significance of each point to be developed.
How to improve:Explain how spatial resolution, temporal resolution, cost or movement affects the conclusions researchers can draw.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Question 1
Which one of the following is measured by fMRI?
A. The direct electrical firing of individual neurons
B. Changes in blood oxygenation associated with neural activity
C. Hormones travelling through the bloodstream
D. Neurotransmitters crossing a synapse
[1 mark]
Question 2
Define functional magnetic resonance imaging.
[2 marks]
Question 3
Explain why increased activity in a brain area produces a change that can be detected using fMRI.
[3 marks]
Question 4
Identify two types of information that may be obtained from an fMRI scan.
[2 marks]
Question 5
Explain why researchers may use a baseline condition when conducting an fMRI investigation.
[4 marks]
Question 6
A researcher asks participants to complete a memory task while inside an fMRI scanner.
Explain how fMRI could be used to investigate the brain areas involved in the task.
[4 marks]
Question 7
A psychologist reports:
The scan proves that the highlighted brain area stores all long-term memories.
Explain two reasons why this conclusion may be inappropriate.
[4 marks]
Question 8
Explain one strength of fMRI relating to spatial resolution and one limitation relating to temporal resolution.
[6 marks]
Question 9
Participants complete two tasks while undergoing fMRI scanning.
Condition | Mean accuracy | Mean BOLD activity score in Area X |
Simple task | 92% | 38 |
Difficult task | 71% | 57 |
a) Calculate the difference in mean accuracy between the two conditions.
[2 marks]
b) Describe the difference in the mean BOLD activity score.
[2 marks]
c) Explain one conclusion that could reasonably be drawn from these findings.
[2 marks]
Question 10
Evaluate functional magnetic resonance imaging as a way of studying the brain.
[8 marks]
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