biopsych

neurons

cells that receive and transmit electrochemical signals

neuroscience

the scientific study of the nervous system

thinking creatively

thinking in productive, unconventional ways

clinical

pertaining to ill-ness or treatment

evolutionary perspective

trying to understand biological phenomena by comparing them in different species

neuroplasticity

It is a plastic (changeable) organ that continuously grows and changes in response to the individual's genes and experiences

biopsychology

the scientific study of the biology of behavior

psychological phenomenas

perceptions, emotions, thoughts, memories

neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, neuroendocrinology, neuropathology, neuropharmacology, neurophysiology

the disciplines of neuroscience that are particularly relevant to biopsychology

neuroanatomy

the study of the nervous system

neurochemistry

the study of chemical bases of neural activity

neuroendocrinology

the study of interactions between the nervous system and the endocrine system

neuropathology

the study of nervous system disorders

neuropharmacology

the study of the effects of drugs on neural activity

neurophysiology

the study of the functions and activities of the nervous system

comparative approach

the study of biological processes by comparing different species

quasiexperimental studies and case studies

biopsychological research involves both experiments and nonexperimental studies

what are the two common types of nonexperimental studies

experiment

the method used by scientists to study causation

between subjects design

a different group of subjects is tested under each condition

within subjects design

to test the same group of subjects under each condition

independent variable

This difference between the conditions is called the

dependent variable

The variable measured by the experimenter to assess the effect of the independent variable is called the

independent variable

any differences in the dependent variable between the conditions must have been caused by the

confounded variable

difficult to determine whether it was the independent variable or the unintended difference

coolidge effect

the fact that a copulating male who becomes incapable of continuing to copulate with one sex partner can often recommence copulating with a new sex partner

lordosis

the arched-back, rump-up, tail-diverted posture of female rodent sexual receptivity

quasiexperimental studies

studies of groups of subjects who have been exposed to the conditions of interest in the real world

case studies

Studies that focus on a single case or subject are called

generalizability

the degree to which their results can be applied to other cases.

pure research

is motivated primarily by the curiosity of the researcher

applied research

is intended to bring about some direct benefit to humankind.

translational research

research that aims to translate the findings of pure research into useful applications for humankind

motor neurons

neurons that control muscles

hypothalamus

a small neutral structure at the base of the brain

corpus callosum

the large neural pathway that connects the left and right halves of the brain

physiological psychology, psychopharmacology, neuropsychology, psychophysiology, cognitive neuroscience, comparative psychology

divisions of biopsychology

physiological psychology

studies the neural mechanisms of behavior through the direct manipulation and recording of the brain in controlled experiments

physiological psychology

Focuses on the direct manipulation of the nervous system in controlled laboratory settings

psychopharmacology

focuses on the manipulation of neural activity and behavior with drugs.

neuropsychology

the study of the psychological effects of brain damage in human patients

cerebral cortex

The outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres

neuropsychology

deals almost exclusively with case studies and quasiexperimental studies of patients with brain damage resulting from disease, accident, or neurosurgery

psychophysiology

studies the relation between physiological activity and psychological processes in human subjects.

electroencephalogram

the usual measure of brain activity is the scalp

autonomic nervous system

the division of the nervous system that regulates the body's inner environment

cognitive neuroscience

the youngest division of biopsychology

cognition

a term that generally refers to higher intellectual processes such as thought, memory, attention, and complex perceptual processes

functional brain imaging

the major method of cognitive neuroscience is

comparitive psychology

biology of behavior, rather than specifically with the neural mechanisms of behavior, is

ethological research

the study of animal behavior in its natural environment

evolutionary psychology

a subfield that focuses on understanding behavior by considering its likely evolutionary origins

behavioral genetics

the study of genetic influences on behavior

converging operations

Progress is most likely when different approaches are focused on a single problem in such a way that the strengths of one approach compensate for the weaknesses of the others; this combined approach is called

korsakoff's syndrome

severe memory loss

thiamine

Korsakoff's syndrome is largely caused by the brain damage associated with (vitamin b1)

perception, learning, memory, emotion, language

psychological phenomenas

scientific inference

The empirical method that biopsychologists and other scientists use to study the unobservable is called

paralyctic

movement-inhibiting

curare

this paralytic substance was the active ingredient of

critical thinking

the process by which these weaknesses are recognized is called

morgan's canon

When there are several possible interpretations for a behavioral observation, the rule is to give precedence to the simplest one; this rule is called

prefrontal lobotomy

a surgical procedure in which the connections between the prefrontal lobes and the rest of the brain are cut as a treatment for mental illness

prefrontal lobes

are the large areas, left and right, at the very front of the brain

leucotome

Lima cut out six large cores of prefrontal tissue with a surgical device called a

transorbital lobotomy

It involved inserting an ice pick-like device under the eyelid, driving it through the orbit

psychosurgery

any brain surgery, such as prefrontal lobotomy, performed for the treatment of a

psychological problem