Biological Correlates Notes & Resources

Neurotransmitter NT

Chemicals that travel across the synapse between neurons where they cause a chemical reaction that has an excitatory or inhibitory effect

Hormones

Biological substances that affect the body in locations different from where they were produced

Dopamine

Control body movement and with response to reward and tendencies to approach appealing objects and people

• Activate behavioral activation syste,

Behavioral activation system (BAS)

Reinforces the motivation to seek rewards

Serotonin

Plays a role in the control of behavioral impulse fear and anxiety

• Helps people to organize t

Selective serotonin in reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)

May be useful in reducing neuroticism

Epinephrine and norepinephrine

Fight or flight response

Tend and befriend

Calm others down and get people to work together to deal with the threat

Oxytocin

Promotes nurturant and sociable behaviors

Testosterone

Men: Related to aggression, behavioral control problems, criminal behavior

Women: Produced of adrenal cortex, reported by higher self reported sociability, impulsivity, lack of inhibition, and lack of conformity

Cortisol

Stress

Hypothalamus

Connected to everythin, secretes seeveral hormones

Amygdala

Central role in emotion, including learning what objects to fear

Hippocampus

Important in processing memories

Cortex

Wrapped all around these inner organs and the most distinctive part of the human part

NeoCortex

Outermost layer of cortex

Fromtal lobr

Crucial for human cognition

Electroencephalography (EEG)

Eloctrodes on the scalp pick up electrical signals generated by the brain

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Detects magenetic indications of brain activity

Computed tomography (CT) scan

Creates a image of a very thin slices of the brain

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Map brain activity based on blood flow

Functional magnetic resistance imaging (fMRI)

Map brain on magnetic impuses generated by oxygen in the vlood

Stability big five

onscientiousness, agreeableness

Big fice: Plasticity

Extraversion and openness

Insula

Plays a role in C

Sociometer theory

Feeling of self esteem involved to monitor the degree to which a person is accepted by others

Altruism

motivation to help another person out of concern

for their well-being

Inclusive Fitness

= A tendency to aid and protect other

people, especially close relatives (kin altruism)

Challenges to Evolutionary Psych

• volutionary psychology ignores culture

  • An evolutionary argument could be created for any

  finding

  • Impossible to prove evolution caused these

  preferences

  • Evolutionary psychology sometimes used to justify

  bad behavior

Epigenetics

nongenetic influences, determine how a gene is expressed