biolpsy_01

Biological Psychology Lecture Overview

• Instructed by Dr. Richárd Reichardt

• Focus on the intersection of brain, behavior, cognition, and the scientific method

Definition of Biological Psychology

• Aims to understand the biological basis of behavior and cognition.

• Behavior: Observable actions produced by humans or animals.

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

Key Concepts in Biological Psychology

Behavioral Neuroscience

• Known also as biological psychology, biopsychology, or psychobiology.

• Applies biological principles to study physiological, genetic, and developmental mechanisms of behavior in all animals.

Neuroscience's Impact

• Alters perspectives on self, others, and society.

• Brain plasticity suggests behavior and cognition can change over time.

Evolutionary Insight

• Study indicates a genetic basis for the expansion of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), linked to human intellectual abilities.

Mental Disorders

• Mental disorders and neurological diseases represent severe conditions.

• Neuroscience can deepen understanding and reduce stigma around mental disorders.

Research on Social Reward Learning

• Experiment conducted with mice injected with a psychedelic drug to evaluate social-reward learning.

• Results indicated drug-treated mice had a preference for social bedding, suggesting changes in reward processes due to the drug.

Advancements in Technology

• New technologies can potentially modify the brain for medical and human improvement.

Experimental Research in Neuroscience

Neuropixels Study

• Leonard et al. used an intracranial probe to measure activity in the superior temporal gyrus for speech processing.

• Khanna et al. examined neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex during speech production or comprehension.

• Findings show specific neurons are tuned to phonemic features of speech.

Understanding the Scientific Method

Overview

• Method for acquiring knowledge begins with observation.

• Hypotheses formulated through induction lead to experiments for evaluation.

• Outcomes are interpreted through deduction and skepticism.

Falsifiability Principle

• Proposed by Karl Popper in 1934, it asserts that scientific claims must be falsifiable via empirical tests.

• Non-falsifiable claims (e.g., phrenology) are not scientific.

Neuroscience Research Strategies

Main Research Question

• How does the brain generate behavior and cognition?

• Approach involves parallel observation of biological processes and behavioral responses.

Control Groups in Experiments

• Used to determine the effect of interventions.

• Essential in experimental designs for clarity in results.

Validity Considerations

• Controlled environments lead to reliable observations, but ecological validity is crucial for understanding real-world behaviors.

Data Analysis Techniques

• Statistical methods assess the significance of differences in experiments.

• Traditional null-hypothesis significance testing is increasingly replaced by Bayesian methods, which evaluate hypothesis likelihoods.

Scientific Theory

Characteristics

• Scientific theories explain aspects of the natural world based on empirical research.

• Must be falsifiable to remain valid across time.

Human Element in Science

• Despite the reliability of the scientific method, human errors can occur at any step in the research process.

Open Science Movement

• Emphasizes sharing of experimental data and analyses to enhance transparency and accessibility in research.

Conclusion

• Thank you for your attention! Next lecture will cover basic ideas in modern neuroscience.