biolpsy1_2024fall_-_lecture01

Biological Psychology Introduction

• Instructor: Dr. Richárd Reichardt

• Email: reichardt.richard@ppk.elte.hu

Overview of Biological Psychology

• Definition: Biological psychology aims to understand the biological basis of behavior and cognition.

  • Behavior: Collection of observable actions by an animal or human.

  • Cognition: Sum of mental processes produced by the brain.

Key Concepts in Biological Psychology

Definition and Scope

• Behavioral Neuroscience: Also called biological psychology, biopsychology, or psychobiology. It applies biological principles to study physiological, genetic, and developmental mechanisms influencing behavior in humans and other animals.

Major Insights

• Neuroscience transforms understanding of self, others, and society. The brain's plasticity indicates that behavior and cognition can be altered.

• Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) Expansion: Recent studies suggest the genetic basis for the PFC's expansion, crucial for human evolution and intellectual capabilities.

Impact on Mental Disorders

• Mental disorders and neurological diseases are significant issues, with neuroscience aiding in their understanding, countering societal stigma.

Research Findings

Social-Reward Learning Study

• Recent experiments with mice injected with a psychedelic drug demonstrated significant social-reward learning capabilities based on bedding preferences, highlighting behavioral changes linked to neurobiological interventions.

Neural Activity Measurements

• Innovative research using Neuropixels by Leonard et al. and Khanna et al. observed single neurons in brain regions crucial for processing speech and word planning during speech tasks, revealing neuron-specific tuning to phonemes.

Understanding the Scientific Method

Definition

• The scientific method is a systematic approach for acquiring knowledge:

  1. Observation: Initial step in gathering data.

  2. Hypothesis: Formulated based on observations through induction.

  3. Experiments: Planned to test hypotheses.

  4. Interpretation: Relies on deduction and skepticism.

Falsifiability

• Introduced by Karl Popper in "The Logic of Scientific Discovery" (1934). A hypothesis must be falsifiable by empirical testing to be considered scientific.

• Non-falsifiable claims (e.g., phrenology) do not meet scientific criteria.

Research Methodology in Neuroscience

Main Questions

• The primary question in neuroscience focuses on how the brain generates behavior and cognition.

  • Observations of biological processes and behavioral responses are conducted simultaneously.

Control Groups

• Used to assess the impact of specific states or interventions in experimental designs.

Validity in Research

Control vs Ecological Validity

• Controlled environments enhance experimental reliability but may lack ecological validity, potentially overlooking key environmental behavior influences.

Data Analysis Methods

• Statistical Analysis: Essential for determining significance in observed differences.

  • Classic methods are being supplanted by Bayesian approaches, estimating likelihoods of hypotheses over one another.

Scientific Theory Construction

• Scientific theories explain phenomena based on empirical research and must be falsifiable.

• Established theories have withstand scrutiny over time.

Challenges in Scientific Research

• Although the scientific method is robust, human error can occur at any research stage, both inadvertently and intentionally.

Open Science Movement

• Modern technology fosters transparency in research data and analyses, aligning with the foundational principles of the scientific method.

• Goal: Make scientific research openly accessible and comprehensible.

Conclusion

• Acknowledgment of attention; next lecture focuses on Basic Ideas in Modern Neuroscience.