Psychology Q2c – Gut–brain axis | VCE Units 3 & 4 Practice – StudyPulse
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Psychology VCE Units 3 & 4 Practice Question 2c – Gut–brain axis

Q2c Psychology Gut–brain axis Unit 3 - AOS 1

A group of researchers is investigating the relationship between stress levels and gut health in university students during exam period. All students completed a questionnaire assessing perceived stress and provided a stool sample for analysis of gut microbiota composition.

Question 2c

1 mark

c. Identify one way that stress can influence the composition of gut microbiota.

Your Answer

0 words

About This Psychology Question

This is a free VCE Units 3 & 4 Psychology practice question worth 1 mark, testing your understanding of Gut–brain axis. It falls under How does the nervous system enable psychological functioning? in Unit 3: How does experience affect behaviour and mental processes?. Submit your answer above to receive instant AI-powered marking and personalised feedback.

Subject
Psychology – Victorian Certificate of Education Units 3 & 4
Unit 3
How does experience affect behaviour and mental processes?
Area of Study 1
How does the nervous system enable psychological functioning?
Key Knowledge
Gut–brain axis

Unit 3 Overview

In this unit students investigate the contribution that classical and contemporary research has made to the understanding of the functioning of the nervous system and to the understanding of the biological, psychological and social factors that influence learning and memory. Students examine how the human nervous system enables a person to interact with the world around them and explore how stress may affect a person’s psychological functioning. Students investigate how mechanisms of learning and memory lead to the acquisition of knowledge and the development of new and changed behaviours. A student-designed scientific investigation involving the generation of primary data related to mental processes and psychological functioning may be undertaken in either Unit 3 or Unit 4, or across both Units 3 and 4, and is assessed in Unit 4 Outcome 3.

How does the nervous system enable psychological functioning?

In this area of study students explore the role of different subdivisions of the nervous system in enabling a person to integrate, coordinate and respond to internal and external stimuli. Students examine neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in the transmission of neural information. They investigate stress as a psychobiological process and consider the ways in which stress can affect psychological functioning. Students explore models that describe stress and consider strategies for coping with stress and improving mental wellbeing.

Key Knowledge Detail

the gut–brain axis (GBA) as an area of emerging research, with reference to the interaction of gut microbiota with stress and the nervous system in the control of psychological processes and behaviour

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