Week 1

Major approaches on the nature/nurture continuum include:

• Biological: Integrates biology with behavior; emphasizes nature and acknowledges environmental influences.

• Behaviorist: Focuses on learned behavior through conditioning; emphasizes nurture.

• Cognitive: Explains behavior via mental processes; incorporates both nature and nurture.

• Psychodynamic: Examines unconscious conflicts and early experiences; strong emphasis on nurture.

• Humanistic: Highlights free will and self-actualization; focuses on subjective experience and environmental factors.

• Evolutionary: Views behavior as adaptations shaped by natural selection; strong nature emphasis.

Key Theorists by Approach:

• Biological: Donald Hebb, Roger Sperry

• Behaviorists: John Watson, B. F. Skinner

• Cognitive: Ulric Neisser, Jean Piaget

• Psychodynamic: Sigmund Freud

• Humanistic: Abraham Maslow

• Evolutionary: Charles Darwin

Mind-Body Dualism:
The belief that the mind and body are separate; dualism posits the mind as nonphysical, while monism equates mental events with brain processes.

Biopsychology:
Studies biological processes' influence on behavior, encompassing aspects like brain function, neurotransmitters, and hormones.

Research Designs:

• Experiments: Strong causal inference, but may be limited by ethical concerns.

• Quasi-experiments: Allows study of non-random groups but weakens causal inference.

• Case Studies: Rich detail for rare conditions but poor generalizability.

Critical Thinking in Biopsychology:
Evaluate claims by checking evidence, considering alternative explanations, and recognizing biases.