Behavioral Sciences 1: Biology and Behavior

Franz Gall

Phrenology

Pierre Flourens

Functions of major sections of the brain. Used extirpation to study parts of brain.

William James

Functionalism: How mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment.

John Dewey

Functionalism

Paul Broca

Studied people with lesions in specific regions of brain. Broca’s Area: Speech production.

Hermann von Helmholtz

Speed of impulse. Made psychology a science.

Sir Charles Sherrington

Synapses

Sigmund Freud

Psychoanalytic perspective.

Neurons: Sensory

Afferent, receptors → spinal cord

Neurons: Interneurons

Between other neurons. Mainly CNS.

Neurons: Motor

Efferent, CNS → muscles & glands

Reflex Arcs

Interneurons in spinal cord relay info to the source of stimuli while simultaneously routing it to the brain.

Central Nervous System

CNS. Brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System

PNS. Nervous tissue and fibers outside CNS

Somatic

Voluntary

Autonomic

Sympathetic = F/F, parasympathetic = R/D.

Sympathetic

Fight or flight

Parasympathetic

Rest and digest

Neurotransmitters

Released by neurons to carry a signal.

Acetylcholine

Used by somatic nervous system to move muscles. Also used by the parasympathetic and CNS.

Dopamine

Maintains smooth movements and steady posture.

Endorphins & Enkephalins

Natural pain killers.

Epinephrine & Norepinephrine

Maintain wakefulness and mediate F/F responses. Epinephrine tends to act as a hormone, norepinephrine a neurotransmitter.

γ-aminobutyric Acid (GABA)

Inhibitory neurotransmitters. Act as brain 'stabilizers'. Glycine serves a similar function.

Glutamate

Acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter.

Serotonin

Modulates mood, sleep, eating, and dreaming.

Cortisol

Stress hormone released by the adrenal cortex.

Testosterone & Estrogen

Mediate libido. Testosterone also increases aggressive behavior. Both are produced in gonads, released by adrenal cortex.

Epinephrine & Norepinephrine (Endocrine)

Released by adrenal medulla and cause physiological changes associated with the sympathetic nervous system.

Hindbrain

Cerebellum, medulla oblongata, reticular formation.

Midbrain

Inferior and superior colliculi.

Forebrain

Thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, limbic system, cerebral cortex.

Methods of Study

Electroencephalography (EEG), Regional cerebral blood flow.

Thalamus

Relay station for sensory information.

Hypothalamus

Homeostasis & the 4 F’s. Integrates with endocrine system. Hypothalamus → hypophyseal portal → anterior pituitary

Basal Ganglia

Smooths movements and helps postural stability.

Septal Nuclei

Pleasure and addiction.

Amygdala

Fear and aggression.

Hippocampus

Emotion and memory.

Frontal Lobe

Executive function, impulse control, speech, motor.

Parietal Lobe

Touch, pressure, temp, pain, spatial processing.

Occipital Lobe

Visual

Temporal Lobe

Sound, speech perception, memory, emotion.

Left Hemisphere

Analytic, language, logic, math. Usually dominant.

Right Hemisphere

Intuition, creativity, spatial processing.

Neural Tube

Becomes the CNS

Neural Crest Cells

Spread out throughout the body, differentiating into many different tissues.

Rooting Reflex

Turns head toward stimulus.

Moro Reflex

Extends arms, response to falling sensation.

Babinski Reflex

Big toe is extended and other toes fan out in response to brushing on sole of foot.

Grasping Reflex

Grabs anything put into hands.

Gross and Fine Motor Development

Progress head to toe and core to periphery.

Social Skills Development

Shift from parent-oriented to other-oriented.

Language Skills Development

Become increasingly complex.