# Biological factors in cognition

> IB Psychology · IB Psychology 2027 First Assessment
> Source: https://www.owlsprep.com/study/ib-psychology-lc-biological-factors-in-cognition/

The role of one or more biological factors in one or more cognitive processes.

## Learning objectives

- The role of one or more biological factors in one or more cognitive processes.

## Core concept

Cognitive processes have a biological basis: specific brain structures and systems support specific kinds of thinking and remembering. The hippocampus is critical for forming new long-term declarative memories, while the amygdala adds emotional weight that can make some memories especially vivid. Evidence comes mainly from brain-damage case studies and imaging, which link a structure to a cognitive function — showing biology shapes cognition, though such links are largely correlational rather than proof of cause.

## Key studies

IB Psychology answers must be supported by named studies. Learn these to cite as evidence:

**Scoville and Milner (1957)** — The case of H.M. showed that removing the hippocampus caused severe anterograde amnesia for new declarative memories, while procedural memory was preserved. — *A biological factor (the hippocampus) is critical for forming new long-term memories — and reveals that memory is not a single system.*

**Sharot et al. (2007)** — People who had been closer to the 9/11 attacks showed selective amygdala activation when recalling the event. — *A biological factor (the amygdala / emotional processing) underlies vivid 'flashbulb' memory — emotion influencing a cognitive process biologically.*

## Evaluation (AO3)

**Strength — converging, objective evidence** — Brain-damage case studies and imaging point to the same structures, giving a replicable, biologically grounded picture of where a cognitive process is supported.

**Limitation — correlational and case-bound** — Imaging shows co-occurring activity, not cause, and single cases like H.M. are unique and unrepeatable, so localised biological claims must be made cautiously.

## Scope

> **note**
>
> Biological factors AS APPLIED to cognition (memory) are the focus. The general biological-approach concepts are BIO_3 (imaging) and BIO_7 (localization); cognitive MODELS of the same memory are LC_7 / COG_4.

## Common pitfalls

- **Wrong:** Naming a brain area's general job (e.g. 'the hippocampus is for memory') without linking it to the specific cognitive process, or reading a scan/case as proof of cause.
  - Why it fails: A frequently penalised misconception in IB Psychology exams.
  - Correct: Identify the biological factor AND show HOW it shapes the named cognitive process; and treat imaging/case-study links as correlational — vivid emotional memory needs the amygdala evidence linked to the process, not just a region named.

---

From [OwlsPrep](https://www.owlsprep.com) — free study guides for A-Level, IB, AP and IGCSE, written against the official syllabus. Canonical page: https://www.owlsprep.com/study/ib-psychology-lc-biological-factors-in-cognition/