PSY 300 Topic Proposal and Literature Review Worksheet

This worksheet will help you complete Milestone One of the final project. Using the feedback received from your instructor and classmates in Module One, describe your chosen topic in the box below.

Many individuals seek oral care yearly and many have had bad and painful experiences. This has resulted in many of the patients developing anxiety while going to the dentist; dental anxiety. They fear injection, pain, fear of loss of control while being treated, among others. I want to discuss ways that will ensure that going to the dentist is less stressful for the patient.

Reference One

Cite reference in APA style.

Talo et al. (2017). Is there a relation between dental anxiety, fear, and general psychological status? PeerJ, 5: 2978, https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2978

What claims do the authors of the study make about the influence of the brain and nervous system on human behavior?

The claims that the author makes in oral health are that if patients have anxiety disorders such as dental anxiety or even depression, they would neglect their oral health and overall dental care, which could lead to other health issues (Talo et al., 2017). The problem is widespread because according to research, about 64% of adults experience dental anxiety (Talo et al., 2017).

What evidence does the study present for how the brain and nervous system influence human behavior?

The brain and nervous system play a big factor in one’s oral health. The brain is responsible for human emotions. According to Talo et al. (2017), many factors result in dental anxiety includes a previous trauma, depression, trait-state anxiety among others. These psychological conditions develop when the human brain and the nervous system have been subjected to shocks that they are unable to control.

If your reference covers a study, what research design was used for the study, and why do you think the researchers chose it?

The research study comprised of collecting data using questionnaires, 231 patients comprising of 115 males and 116 females participated. They filled different scales such as the beck depression Inventory (BDI) and dental fear scale (DFS) for evaluation (Talo et al., 2017). SPSS statistical tool was used to analyze data. The researcher used the research design because it was pretty easy to use such scales in analyzing data. The need for the questionnaire was to collect information from as many participants as possible, compared to interviews which would be time-consuming.

How did the researchers address potential ethical issues in the study, and did they do so adequately? Why or why not?

Ethical issues were adequately addressed. First, the project was approved by the Ethics Committee of Firat University (21.04.2015-08-10) (Talo et al., 2017). Besides, the participants were informed about the study and those who volunteered agreed to give consent before the study began. Those with mental challenges, uncooperative and illiterate were not included.

Reference Two

Cite your reference in APA style.

Velundandi, S., & Chitre, S. (2017). The Effects of Tooth Loss on the Brain. Dentistry: Advanced Research, 4(4), DOI: 10.29011/2574-7347.100041

What claims do the authors of the study make about the influence of the brain and nervous system on human behavior?

The author discusses that tooth loss affects the brain. Ideally, a tooth loss causes a physical and cognitive brain change. In a representative sample of adults in the United States, who had six teeth or more removed, experienced depression and anxiety (Velundandi & Chitre, 2017).

What evidence does the study present for how the brain and nervous system influence human behavior?

Considering how tooth loss may lead to eventual nerve loss and several motor/emotional complications, this review analyzes how tooth loss affects the physical components of the brain as well as the cognitive impacts (Velundandi & Chitre, 2017). Essentially, teeth are connected with the nervous system which makes them highly sensitive to cold and hot meals and drinks.

If your reference covers a study, what research design was used for the study, and why do you think the researchers chose it?

There was a study conducted on rats. It shows that neuroplastic changes that last one to two months. This study monitors physical brain changes, whit matter and Parkinson’s disease in patients. The need to include rats and not humans is because of the risks that could be associated with analyzing the human brain. In the study, Velundandi & Chitre (2017) conclude that the tooth loss decreased the grey matter in the brain (a brain loss), a test, which is the removal of teeth, which is unethical to humans.

How did the researchers address potential ethical issues in the study, and did they do so adequately? Why or why not?

The ethics issue has not been discussed in the research. The molar teeth were extracted from the rats (Velundandi & Chitre, 2017). Well, it would be unethical if these teeth were extracted from humans because of their brain damage. For not conducting a study with people, ethics were somehow considered.

Reference Three

Cite your reference in APA style.

Chen et al. (2016). Effect of deep pressure input on parasympathetic system in patients with wisdom tooth surgery. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association, 115(10): 853-859

What claims do the authors of the study make about the influence of the brain and nervous system on human behavior?

The claim the author makes it that when having any type of dental procedure done especially having extraction can cause high pain levels, high stress, and anxiety levels in patients. Chen et al. (2016) specify that these extraction procedures commonly lead to unpleasant sensory experiences that may complicate dental procedures resulting in inferior postoperative recovery.

What evidence does the study present for how the brain and nervous system influence human behavior?

The wisdom tooth extraction affects the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which in turn leads to the adaptation to anxiety. ANS sends information to the heart, a condition that increases heart rate and rhythm (Chen et al., 2016). This causes restlessness, behavioral and cognitive instability and emotional dysregulation.

If your reference covers a study, what research design was used for the study, and why do you think the researchers chose it?

Patients who experienced wisdom tooth extraction participated in experimental and control groups. One group was treated with deep heat input while the other was not (Chen et al., 2016). The need to have such a research design was to investigate whether the deep heat input worked by comparing both groups.

How did the researchers address potential ethical issues in the study, and did they do so adequately? Why or why not?

The ethical issue was adequately addressed because the participants were briefed about the study and signed informed consent forms before the study. Additionally, Chen et al. (2016) indicate that the approval of the procedure was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of NTUH.

Questions

Considering all three references, address the questions below.

How have advancements in technology influenced research on human behavior?

Technology has been used to conduct some studies such as magnetic resonance imaging technology which was used to generate images of the decreased grey matter in the rats’ brains. Different tests have also been introduced to test and analyze human behavior such as DFS and BDI, as well as the SPSS analytical tool to analyze such data.

How have views on your topic changed over time?

My topic is about making dentistry less anxious as it has been. The views about dental anxiety have been emphasized by the studies above because the anxiety is caused by psychological issues such as depression, trauma, and fear of pain, among others.

What conclusions can be reached, based on these studies and references?

Dental anxiety is a popular phenomenon. In addition, it can affect the brain (tooth loss can cause a decrease in the brain). The tooth extraction procedures, such as the wisdom teeth extraction, have also been deemed painful.

How have issues of ethics in biopsychology been viewed historically?

In biopsychology, ethics has not been carried with the weight it deserves. Dental care is a crucial aspect of the overall human health. However, dental anxiety has not been fully addressed to ensure that people no longer fear dentistry.

What gaps exist in these studies that could be addressed in future research?

The gap in the study is that dental care patients have not been able to overcome dental anxiety that challenges their willingness to access dental care. The research articles have revealed that dental anxiety is a common phenomenon and that lack of dental care can lead to brain damage, affecting many psychological functions. However, less (if any) has been done to address this.

Based on your topic selection and initial resources, what is your research question?

My research question is: what can be done to make dental care less stressful and less anxious? Thus, it will address the strategies that can be incorporated to ensure that patients no longer experience dental anxiety which can prohibit them to access quality dental care.