Chapter 1: Biopsychology as a Neuroscience

Vocabulary flashcards covering major definitions, theoretical perspectives, and key historical figures from Chapter 1.

Biopsychology

The scientific study of the biology of behavior, focusing on how the brain and physiology affect human thoughts and behaviors.

Supernaturalism

A view of the human mind holding that human behavior is explained by mysterious, otherworldly influences such as gods, spirits and possession, souls, and magic.

Naturalism

A view of the human mind holding that human behavior is explained by observable physical processes, including brain damage, neurons, neurotransmitters, genes, inheritance, and hormonal influences.

Humanism

A view of the human mind stressing the uniqueness of humanity and asserting that humans choose their behavior to give meaning to their lives, without relying on the supernatural or reducing behavior to physiology.

Dualism

A widely held belief stating that the mind is separate from the body and brain.

Scientific Inference

An empirical practice where scientists measure and observe the effects of physical processes—such as brain activity, gravity, or evaporation—that cannot be directly observed.

John Watson

A proponent of pure behaviorism who claimed in 1930 that he could train any healthy infant at random to become any type of specialist regardless of their talents, abilities, or race.

Antonio Moniz

A Nobel Prize winner who advocated for psychosurgery and developed prefrontal leukotomy, claiming it to be a simple, safe, and effective surgical treatment for certain mental disorders.

Prefrontal Lobotomy

A surgical operation that disrupts the connections of the right and left prefrontal lobes to the rest of the brain.

Konrad Lorenz

A historical figure who advocated for eugenics, comparing afflicted subpopulations to a malignant tumor or parasitic growth that must be eradicated to protect the host body.

Comparative Psychology

The branch of psychology that studies animal and human behaviors by examining similarities, differences, behavior purposes, triggers, and physiological control.

Ethology

The study of animal behavior in their natural environment, based on the belief that captive animals behave differently and that experimentation is required to determine a behavior's purpose.