CHAPTER 3: SHAPING HUMAN BEHAVIOR: GENETICS AND EXPERIENCE

Central Nervous System (CNS)

- The division of the nervous system located within the skull and spine

- The central brain and spinal cord nerve structures enclosed by bone.

Example: The brain interpreting sensory input and sending motor output down the spinal cord.

Abnormal behavior

General causes:

- genes and family history

- life experiences and chronic stress

biological factors

brain injury, chemical imbalances

environment influences

society and culture

psychotherapy

given for a specific disorder

pharmacological treatment

medicines, hospitalization

dsyfunction

breakdown in cognition, emotion, and/or behavior

abnormal

away from the norm

deviation

From the unwritten rules of the society, age and culture are also considered

danger

How behavior affects the well-being of the individual and/or social group; inappropriate and disruptive

distress

affects the subjective feelings of the individual rather than his or her behavior; anxious and depressed

genetics, environment, chemicals, and nutritional deficiencies

are a few factors that can result in over-or under-production of neurotransmitters

dsyfunction

deviation

danger

distress

(4) determining abnormality in behavior

serotonin

endorphins

gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

dopamine

epinephrine

norepinephrine

(6) inhibitory neurotransmitters

serotonin

regulate mood, sleep patterns, sexuality, anxiety, appetite, and pain

Endorphins

- body's natural pain reliever; perception of pain

- reduces pain as well as causes feel-good feelings

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

prevent problems like anxiety, irritability, concentration, sleep, seizures, and depression

dopamine

- sense of pleasure

- influences a person's motivation

- part of your reward system

epinephrine

- adrenaline: the body's fight-or-flight response

- it plays a role in metabolism, attention, and focus. panic and excitement

Norepinephrine

- increases alertness, arousal, and attention; maintains blood pressure during stress

- affects sleep-wake cycle, mood and memory

excitatory neurotransmitters

inhibitory neurotransmitters

modulatory neurotransmitters

3 Types of Neurotransmitters

genes

hormone levels

brain chemistry

neurotransmitters

4 Biological factors that affect behavior

genes (inherited and altered)

- intellectual ability, personality, and risk for mental illness

hormone levels

increasing the likelihood that specific behaviors occur in the presence of precise stimuli

brain chemistry

- release of chemicals that influence mood, emotions, and behavior

biological approach

Behavior or personality is influenced by biological factors such as genetics and biochemistry, and is influenced by these factors

physiological psychology

relates behavior and psychological states to the activity of the brain, nervous system, and other organs