Introduction to Biological Psychology

The study of physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience

Biological Psychology

Biological Psychology is synonymous to

Biopsychology, psychobiology, Physiological psychology, behavioral neuroscience

May be considered as a branch of Biological Psychology; it is concerned with relationship between brain functioning and behavior

Physiological Psychology

Its basic approach is cognitive, as it deals with brain or mental process

Physiological Psychology

Physiological Psychology focuses on _________ _____ and ______ in nature

Cognitive process and reductionist

reductionist, as it attempts to reduce human behavior to its possible basic biological explanations

Physiological Psychology

The study of cells of the nervous system and the organization of these cells into functional circuits that process information and mediate behavior.

Neurobiology

It is a sub-discipline of both biology and neuroscience.

Neurobiology

refers to study of the effect of chemicals and electrical impulses in the brain on human behavior.

Neurobiology

the scientific study of the nervous system. It is the branch of biology that deals with the anatomy, biochemistry, molecular biology, and physiology of neurons and neural circuits.

Neurosciences

is the application of the principles of biology to the study of genetic, physiological, and developmental mechanisms of behavior in humans and non-human animals.

Behavioral Neuroscience

Four biological Explanations of behavior

Physiological
Ontogenetic
Evolutionary
Functional

Explanation of behavior that relates behavior to the activity of the brain and other organs; it deals with the machinery of the body

Physiological explanation

ex of ________ explanation of behavior: the chemical reactions that enable hormones to influence brain activity and the pathways by which brain activity controls muscle contraction

Physiological Explanation

Explanation of behavior that describes how a structure or behavior develops including the influences of genes, nutrition, experiences, and their interactions

Ontogenetic Explanation

ex of ________ explanation of behavior: the ability to inhibit impulses develops gradually from infancy through teenage years, reflecting gradual maturation of the frontal parts of the brain

Ontogenetic Explanation

Behavioral explanation that reconstructs the evolutionary history of a structure of behavior

Evolutionary Explanation

ex. of ________ explanation of behavior: frightened people get goose bumps (erection of the hairs especially on their arms and shoulders). Goose bumps are useless to humans because we normally do not have hairs on arms and shoulders or they are short; but in most other mammals, hair erection makes a frightened animal look larger and intimidating

Evolutionary Explanation

Behavioral explanation that scribes why a structure of behavior evolved as it did. within a small, isolated population a gene can spread by accident through a process called “genetic drift”

Functional Explanation

ex. of ________ explanation of behavior: a dominant male with many offspring spreads all his genes, including neutral and harmful ones.  However, a gene that is prevalent in a large population presumably has an advantage.  A ______ explanation identified that advantage. 

Functional explanation

ex. of ________ explanation of behavior: many species have an appearance that matches their background.  A _______ explanation is that camouflaged appearance makes the animal inconspicuous to predators.

Functional explanation

proposed physical models to explain animal as well as human behavior.

Rene Descartes

suggested that the pineal gland, a midline unpaired structure in the brain of many organisms, was the point of contact between mind and body. also elaborated on a theory in which the pneumatics of bodily fluids could explain reflexes and other motor behavior.

Rene Descartes

a midline unpaired structure in the brain of many organisms that was believed as the point of contact between mind and body.

Pineal Gland

argues that the scientific study of psychology should be grounded in an understanding of biology.

William James

is the belief that mind and body are different kinds of substances (thought substance and physical substance) that exist independently but somehow interact.

Dualism

is the belief that the universe consists of only one kind of existence.

Monism

believed that the brain was where all mental thought and processes happened.

Plato

believed the brain served the purpose of cooling down the emotions derived from the heart.

Aristotle

One of the first textbooks in the new field that argues that the scientific study of psychology must be based on an understanding of biology.

The Principles of Psychology by William James

He was was able to develop a map of the cerebral cortex through studying epileptic patients along with Rassmussen.

Wilder Penfield

Positing that all areas of the brain are equally able to perform a task.

Equipotentiality

the idea that certain functions (e.g. language, memory, etc.) have certain locations or areas within the brain.

localization of function

Research Specialization that Studies the anatomy, biochemistry, or physiology of the nervous system. (This broad term includes any of the next five, as well as other specialties not listed.)

Neuroscientist

Research Specialization that Investigates how functioning of the brain and other organs influences behavior.

Behavioral Neuroscientist

Research Specialization that Uses brain research, such as scans of brain anatomy or activity, to analyze and explore people’s knowledge, thinking, and problem solving.

Cognitive Neuroscientist

Research Specialization that Conducts behavioral tests to determine the abilities and disabilities of people with various kinds of brain damage, and changes in their condition over time. Most ___________ have a mixture of psychological and medical training; they work in hospitals and clinics.

Neuropsychologist

Research Specialization that Measures heart rate, breathing rate, brain waves, and other body processes and how they vary from one person to another or one situation to another.

Psychophysiology

Research Specialization that Investigates the chemical reactions in the brain.

Neurochemist

Research Specialization that Compares the behaviors of different species and tries to relate them to their ways of life.

Comparative Psychology

Research Specialization that Relates behaviors, especially social behaviors, including those of humans, to the functions they have served and, therefore, the presumed selective pressures that caused them to evolve.

Evolutionary Psyhchologist

Practitioner field of psychology that Employed by hospital, clinic, private practice, or college; helps people with emotional problems.

Clinical Psychologist

Practitioner field of psychology that Employed by hospital, clinic, private practice, or college. Helps people make educational, vocational, and other decisions.

Counseling Psychologist

Practitioner field of psychology that is mostly employed by a school system. Identifies educational needs of schoolchildren devises a plan to meet the needs, and then helps teachers implement it.

School Psychologist

Medical field of psychology that Treats people with brain damage or diseases of the brain.

Neurologist

Medical field of psychology that Performs brain surgery.

Neurosurgeon

Medical field of psychology that Helps people with emotional distress or troublesome behaviors, sometimes using drugs or other medical procedures.

Psychiatrist

Allied medical field of psychology that Provides exercise and other treatments to help people with muscle or nerve problems, pain, or anything else that impairs movement.

Physical Therapist

Allied medical field of psychology that Helps people improve their ability to perform functions of daily life, for example, after a stroke.

Occupational Therapist

Allied medical field of psychology that Helps people deal with personal and family problems. The activities of a _____ overlap those of a clinical psychologist.

Social Worker

ordinarily require a PhD. Researchers are employed by universities, hospitals, pharmaceutical firms, and research institutes.

Research fields

Require a PhD, PsyD, or master’s degree. In most cases, their work is not directly related to neuroscience. However, practitioners often need to understand it enough to communicate with a client’s physician.

Practitioner Fields

Require an MD plus about four years of additional specialized study and practice. Physicians are employed by hospitals, clinics, medical schools, and in private practice. Some conduct research in addition to seeing patients.

Medical Field

Ordinarily require a master’s degree or more. Practitioners are employed by hospitals, clinics, private practice, and medical schools.

Allied Medical Field

Dorsal means

Top

Ventral means

Bottom

convey messages to one another and to muscles and glands, vary enormously in size, shape, and functions.

Neurons

generally smaller than neurons, have many functions but do not convey information over great distances.

Glia

Below is an example of what Biological Explanation.

A particular area of a songbird's brain grows

under the influence of testosterone; hence,

it is larger in breeding males than in females

or immature birds. That brain area enables a

mature male to sing.

Physiological Explanation

Below is an example of what Biological Explanation.

In certain species, a young male bird learns its

song by listening to adult males. Development

of the song requires certain genes and the

opportunity to hear the appropriate song during

a sensitive period early in life.

Ontogenetic Explanation

Below is an example of what Biological Explanation.

In most bird species, only the male sings. He sings only during the reproductive season and only in his territory. The behavior of singing a song has the purpose of attracting females and warn away other males.

Functional Explanation

Below is an example of what Biological Explanation.

Certain pairs of species have similar songs. For example, dunlins and Baird’s sandpipers, two shorebird species, give their calls in distinct pulses, unlike other shorebirds. The similarity suggests that the two evolved from a single ancestor.

Evolutionary Explanation

Below is an example of what Biological Explanation.

Unlike other birds, doves and pigeons can drink with their heads down. Others fill their mouths and then raise their heads. This explanation of behavior will focus on the nerves and throat muscles of the bird that enables this skill.

Physiological Explanation

Below is an example of what Biological Explanation.

Unlike other birds, doves and pigeons can drink with their heads down. Others fill their mouths and then raise their heads. This explanation of behavior will focus on the relationship between the common ancestry of doves and pigeons that enabled them to inherit similar traits.

Evolutionary Explanation

Below is an example of what Biological Explanation.

A seadragon, an Australian fish related to the seahorse, lives among kelp plants, looks like kelp, and usually drifts slowly, acting like kelp. This explanation of behavior will try to elaborate on the advantage of this camouflage by saying that most predators do not mind unsuspecting sea vegetation.

Functional Explanation

Below is an example of what Biological Explanation.

A seadragon, an Australian fish related to the seahorse, lives among kelp plants, looks like kelp, and usually drifts slowly, acting like kelp. This biological explanation will explain this behavior by saying that the sea dragon genetically modified the short appendages of their ancestors over millions of years, in order to achieve this comoflauge.

Evolutionary Explanation

What is meant by “monism”?

A. The idea that all forms of life evolved from a single

ancestor

B. The idea that conscious and unconscious motivations

combine to produce behavior

C. The idea that the mind is made of the same substance

as the rest of the universe

D. The idea that the mind is one type of substance as

matter is another

C. (ata?)

An ontogenetic explanation focuses on which of the following?

A. How a behavior develops

B. The brain mechanisms that produce a behavior

C. The conscious experience that accompanies a

behavior

D. The procedures that measure a behavior

A.

Of the following, which one is an example of an evolutionary explanation (as opposed to a functional explanation)?

A. People evolved a fear of snakes because many snakes

are dangerous.

B. Humans have a (tiny) tailbone because our ancient

monkey-like ancestors had a tail.

C. People evolved an ability to recognize faces because

that ability is essential for cooperative social behaviors.

D. People evolved a tendency to form long-term male–

female bonds because human infants benefit from

the help of two parents during their long period of

dependence.

B