Unit 7: Biological and Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology

what: evaluates how natural selection affects the expression of behavior and cognition (mental processes) to increase survival and reproductive success (ex. attraction)

“Survive, thrive, reproduce”

natural selection

what: evolutionary process through which adaptive traits are passed on to ongoing generations and maladaptive are suppressed.

heredity (nature)

It includes the genes we are born with and other hereditary factors that can impact how our personality is formed and influence the way that we develop from childhood through adulthood.

*not in concept maps

environment (nurture)

the factors that affect a person including their experiences in early childhood, family and social relationships, culture, and community

*not in concept maps

adoption studies

what: a research design used to evaluate “nature vs. nurture” by comparing the similarities of biological parent-child pairs with those of adoptive parent-child pairs

twin studies

what: a research design used to evaluate “nature vs. nurture” by comparing the similarities of identical (100% same genetics) to fraternal twins (50% same genetics) - reared together OR separate

family studies

what: a research design used to evaluate “nature vs. nurture” by comparing the similarities of families due to similar genetic structures (ex. response to dieting)

eugenics

what: a philosophy based on evolution that attempted to
“improve” society by controlling breeding to decrease “undesirable” heritable traits such as low IQ

• led to discriminatory practices such as forced sterilization

sensory neurons

what: neurons that send incoming sensory information detected by receptors to the brain/spinal cord for processing

interneurons

what: neurons within the brain and spinal cord that enable communication between sensory/motor neurons

motor neurons

what:neurons that activate muscles to enable motor movement (ex. lifting your arm)

M: MO = MOve

glial cells

what: non-neuron cells in the nervous system designed to support the function of neurons

• produce insulating myelin sheath

• remove “waste” (dead neurons)

dendrites

Function: receives information from other neurons at receptor sites (DAT way)

receptor sites

what: surface of dendrites that activate after stimulation from neurotransmitters

axon

function: sends messages received by the dendrites to the terminal (DAT way)

myelin sheath

function: fatty insulation produced by glial cells around the axon that increases how fast a neuron communicates

M: myelin SHEep

terminal

function: branches at the end of the neuron that release neurotransmitters used to activate surrounding neuron (DAT way)

resting potential

what: when a neuron is not sending or receiving a message because the interior of the neuron is more negative - than the outside

threshold

what: when a neuron has been stimulated enough to cause it to change from resting potential (negative) to action potential (positive)

action potential/depolarization

what: the brief electrical charge that is produced when a neuron reaches the threshold and changes to positive (called “firing”)

• leads to the stimulation of other neurons - producing more action potentials

M: AP - APp on

all-or-none principle

what: once a neuron’s threshold is reached - the neuron fully fires (resting to action potential) - with same magnitude of intensity every time

*think flushing

refractory period

what: short time period after a neuron fires - when a neuron returns to resting potential and cannot fire until the process is finished

M: RE Period - REset period

neurotransmitters

what: chemicals released into the synapse during action potentials and bind to receptor sites on the dendrites of other neurons

excitatory neurotransmitter

what: neurotransmitters that produce more action potentials when active in the synapse

inhibitory neurotransmitter

what: neurotransmitters that produce less action potentials when active in the synapse

synapse

what: location of neural communication between two neurons

Contains:

• terminal of the presynaptic neuron

• receptor sites on dendrites of the postsynaptic neuron

M: NAPS - hammock between neurons

reuptake

what: process of neurotransmitters in the synapse RETURNING to the PREsynaptic neuron after stimulating the POSTsynaptic neuron

multiple sclerosis

what: a disease that leads the immune system to attack and destroy myelin sheath throughout the nervous system

• slows action potentions

M: M S - Myelin Sheath

myasthenia gravis

what: a disease that leads to a weakening of voluntary muscles (ones you can control) by destroying acetylcholine receptor sites

M: a- acetylcholine

dopamine

primary function: pleasure/reward system, satisfaction

• food + gambling + love = release

High levels: linked to schizophrenia

Applications: cocaine “works” by blocking d reuptake

M: P = Pleasure

DOPe (cocaine slang)

serotonin

primary function: mood regulation

low levels: linked to depression

M: Sr. Rotten - think rotten for mood

norepinephrine

primary function: regulation of alertness and the fight/flight response

M: PINE - PINE falls alert!

acetylcholine

primary function: enables muscle movements (via motor neurons) and linked to memory

applications: alzheimer’s disease (memory impairments), myasthenia gravis

M: A for Alzheimer’s

“Ace in the hole” - Need for movement/memory of the golf course

substance P

primary function: perception (detection) of pain (ex. spicy food, hot surface)

M: P = Perceive Pain

endorphins

Primary function: pain relief

application: “runner’s high” - feeling of wellbeing after exercise

M: dorphins - racing dolphins - runner’s high

glutamate

primary function: most common excitory neurotransmitter - active for most normal cognitive functioning (thinking)

M: need GLUE TO MAKE on exciting project

GABA

primary function: most common inhibitory neurotransmitter - reduces brain activity - (ex. sleeping/relaxing)

low levels: insomnia, anxiety

applications: gaba reuptake inhibitors treat epilepsy

M: make you wanna gaba pillow

stimulant

what: psychoactive drugs such as caffeine (reduces GABA) and cocaine (blocks dopamine reuptake) that increase neural activity

depressant

what: psychoactive drugs such as alcohol (increase GABA and dopamine) that decrease neural activity

hallucinogen

what: psychoactive drugs such as marijuana that distort sensory processing (perception) and cognition

opiate

what: psychoactive drugs that reduce pain

Example:

• heroin

mimic endorphins to modulate pain

tolerance

what: declining physiological effects of a drug after sustained use - requiring larger amounts for previous effects

addiction

what: a state of psychological and/or physical dependence on a substance (drugs) or behavior

• can create significant withdrawal

• dependence (physical need to use a drug to avoid withdrawal) can occur without addiction

withdrawal

what: physical discomfort/pain when a substance is stopped (terminated)

brain stem

made up of the medulla and the reticular activating system (RAS)

medulla

function: controls vital automatic functions such as breathing and heart rate

Location: brain stem

M: MED - MEDal

medal over heart/lungs (vital functions)

reticular activating system (RAS)

function: regulation of arousal, alertness, wakeness, sleep (rapid eye movement)

location: brainstem

damage: coma

M: TICULAR - alert when tickled

cerebellum

function: coordination of muscle movement (smooth), balance, and procedural memory (learning)

M: BELL - balancing on a bell

brain’s reward center

what: group of structures that are activated by regarding or reinforcing behaviors (ex. drug use, sugary foods)

• major dopamine pathways

limbic system

made up of the thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala

thalamus

function: relays sensory signals (Except smell) to the corresponding cortex

M: TS

T- The

S- Senses

hypothalamus

function: manages “maintenance activities” by regulating hormone levels via the pituitary gland

Maintenance:

• hunger

• thirst

• sex drive

• body temperature

M: POT - pot of soup (food + water + body temp)

hippocampus

function: formulation of long-term memory (remember Clive)

M: campus - school campus = need memory

amygdala

function: emotion expression, fear, aggression and the “fight or flight response”

M: A G

AnGer

AGgression

Afraid

frontal lobe

function: enables linguistic production, higher-order thinking, executive functioning and movement

Contains:

• Broca’s area

• motor cortex

• prefrontal cortex

M: RON = RUN

R = Reason

Broca’s Area

function: enables muscle movements for speech production

Damage: Broca’s Aphasia (slow/labored/no speech)

M: BRO - Bro do you even lift? (muscles)

Motor Cortex

function: enables skeletal muscle movements

Examples: run, type, throw, etc.

M: MOtor = MOve

Prefrontal Cortex

function: high level cognition, judgement, planning, decision-making

• fully developed ~25

M:

Plan

Reason

Formulate

occipital lobe

function: enables the processing of visual information

M: CC - eyes

“Eyes in the back of your head”

parietal lobe

function: controls association areas and contains the somatosensory cortex for the process of TOUCH

M: P - Pain

somatosensory cortex

function: processing of TOUCH

• larger regions for body parts with higher sensitivity

M: TO - TOuch

association areas

function: organizes and gives meaning - with long-term memories to messages regarding your sense of touch processed in the somatosensory cortex

Examples: Have I touched this before? How often?

M: Already Ached?

temporal lobe

function: linguistic understanding and auditory sensory processing and recognizing human faces

M: TEMPO - TEMPO for music - and location where your ears are located!

Wernicke’s Area

function: enables understanding written/spoken speech

Damage: Wernicke’s Aphasia (no understanding of language)

spinal cord

what: series of interneurons that connect the brain to the peripheral nervous system

• carries motor movement messages from the brain

• carries messages from sensory neurons (ex. touch) to the brain

• enables spinal reflex arc

spinal reflex arc

what: an involuntary motor movement produced when specific sensory neurons (ex. knee jerk reflex, pain) are stimulated facilitated by the spinal cord without input from the brain

peripheral nervous system

functions: relays messages from the central nervous system (brain/spinal cord) to the rest of the body

• neural connections OUTSIDE of brain/spinal cord

M: Periphery - on the sides

somatic nervous system

Function: enables voluntary movement of effectors (muscle) you CAN control via motor neurons

M: SOM - SOMersault

autonomic nervous system

function: responsible for enabling, bodily activities via effectors (ex. stomach) that are NOT voluntarily controlled

Examples: digestion, heartbeat, etc.

M: AUTO - AUTOmatic

sympathetic nervous system

function: active when you are aroused by using energy in order to deal with stress (ex. fear, nervous, threatened)

Physiological Changes:

• dilates pupils

• increases hearbeat/respiratory rate

• decreases digestion

• relaxes bladder

• increases adrenaline/cortisol

“Fight or Flight”

parasympathetic nervous system

function: active when you are relaxing and saving energy

Physiological Changes:

• constricts pupils

• decreases heartbeat/respiratory rate

• increases digestion

• contracts bladder

• increases salivation

M: PARA - parachute goes DOWN - calm down

“Rest and Digest”

corpus callosum

function: collection of (neuron) axons that connect both hemispheres

• severed to stop epileptic seizures

M: Sum - Sum = addition (adding both hemispheres)

split-brain research

what: achieved by severing (cutting) the corpus callosum to treat epilepsy

• shows contralateral hemispheric organization (left controls right / right controls left)

• shows cortex specialization (each hemisphere has specialized functions)

contralateral hemisphere organization

• left controls right

• right controls left

cortex specialization

each hemisphere has specialized functions

left hemisphere vs. right hemisphere

left: contralateral touch/movement (controls right side)

• Language

• Logic

M: L = Left, Language, Logic

Right: contralateral touch/movement (controls left side)

• spatial / visual reasoning

brain plasticity

what: the ability of the brain to rewire/modify/create neural connections during developmental and at times in order to regain lost function

• youth more likely to regain function (ex. hemispherectomy)

• taxi driver structural differences

long-term potentiation

what: process by which synaptic connections between neurons become stronger with frequent activation

• biological basis for memory

lesion

what: studying brain injury or intentional surgical procedure

• could be a case study

electroencephalogram (EEG)

what: most common slEEP research method - records overall brain activity by attaching electrodes to the scalp

M: EEG - slEEp

function Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

what: used to identify areas of cognitive activity by assessing changes in blood flow (which correlates to brain activity)

endocrine system

function: includes the glands that produce/secrete hormones

• bloodstream (not at synapse)

• longer lasting / “big picture” (ex. growth)

• linked to the nervous system via hypothalamus (“maintenance”)

M: DOC - Docs work with blood

pituitary gland

function: secretes growth hormone during sleep and the hormones that are responsible for the production/secretion of other hormones in the endocrine system

• functions as a result of messages from the hypothalamus

M: PIT - pit (core of glands)

UIT - “unit” - for growth hormones

Master Gland

growth hormone

is produced by the pituitary gland to promote physical growth during childhood and adolescence. Deficiencies in growth hormone can lead to growth abnormalities

*not in concept map

adrenaline

function: hormone that increases heart rate and directs blood to muscles when secreted in large amounts due to fear, anxiety, or stress as part of the “fight or flight” response

leptin

function: hormone secreted by body fat that signals feelings of satiety (fullness) when eating

M: L = Loaded

ghrelin

function: hormone secreted by the stomach to signal hunger

M: G - stomach Growling Gremlin

melatonin

function: hormone secreted to initiate sleep and regulate the sleep/wake cycle

oxytocin

function: hormone secreted to facilitate contractions during childbirth, contributes “tend and befriend” response and may be linked to romantic feelings

M: OX - OX hugs ad kisses

Love Hormone

tend-and-befriend

what: stress response more common in females in which one seeks to protect their children and associate with a social group for mutual protection

• linked to elevated oxytocin