Psyc1200 L1 Bio_LZ_24
Page 1: Introduction
Course Title: Biological Psychology
Lecturer: Dr. Monika Sobczak-Edmans
Page 2: Lecture Aims
Introduction to Biological Psychology
Recommended reading
Overview of content and historical overview
Page 3: Lecturer Information
Lecturer: Monika Sobczak-Edmans
Teaching duration: 8 lectures
Email for contact: monika.sobczak-edmans@dmu.ac.uk
Office hours available upon appointment request
Page 4: Course Information
Lecture handouts on LearningZone
Importance of attending lectures to grasp content
Recommendations to take notes from slides
Encouraged reading of textbook chapters post-lecture
Inclusion of short quizzes in some lectures
Page 5: Recommended Textbook
Kolb, B., Whishaw, I.Q., & Teskey, C. (2016). An Introduction to Brain and Behavior (5th edition). New York: Worth
Page 6: Companion Textbooks
Breedlove, S.M. & Watson, N.V. (2013). Biological Psychology (7th edition). Sinauer.
Kalat, J.W. (2013). Biological Psychology (11th edition). Cengage Learning.
Page 7: Overview of Biological Psychology Topics
Introduction and Historical Overview (Lecture 1)
Nervous System Anatomy (Lecture 2)
Neural Communication (Lecture 3)
Visual Perception (Lecture 4)
Visual Agnosia (Lecture 5)
Emotion (Lecture 6)
Schizophrenia (Lecture 7)
Revision Lecture (Lecture 8)
Page 8: Acknowledgement
Slides include figures from various textbooks
Citation of academic sources required in essay writing
Page 9: Definition of Biological Psychology
Also known as Behavioral Neuroscience
Focuses on biological foundations of behavior, emotions, and mental processes
Interdisciplinary field
Page 10: The Brain Hypothesis
Assertion: Our experiences and behaviors are fundamentally linked to our brain's function
Page 11: Historical Views of the Nervous System
Ancient perspectives misunderstood the brain's control over behavior
Page 12: Contributions of the Ancient Greeks
Plato (4th century BC): Importance of the head
Aristotle (4th century BC): Believed heart as organ of thinking and feeling
Page 13: Hippocrates' Contribution
Hippocrates (460-377 BC): Recognized epilepsy as a brain-originating condition; supported brain hypothesis
Page 14: Contributions by the Romans
Galen (129-199 BC): Proposed cerebral ventricles involved in thinking and behavioral processes
Observed behavior changes from brain injuries in gladiators
Page 15: The Mind-Body Problem
Ongoing philosophical debate: Can the mind (non-physical) be explained by the body (physical)?
Emergence of MIND-BRAIN problem as an important issue
Page 16: Perspectives on the Mind-Body Relation
Monism: Only one reality exists (materialism or idealism)
Dualism: Both mind and body exist; Descartes' view on their interaction via the pineal gland
Page 17: Contemporary Understanding of Mind-Body Relation
Modern view asserts the mind can be explained by physical processes in the brain
Course focus on connecting mental processes with neural activity
Page 18: Understanding Brain Function
Importance of both structure (physical parts) and function (what it does)
Page 19: Phrenology
Early attempt to link brain functions with skull shapes
Phrenologists associated specific personality traits with bumps on the skull
Page 20: Legacy of Phrenology
Popularity of phrenology prompted empirical study of brain functions
Page 21: Neuropsychology
Study of brain damage to understand brain function
Page 22: Contribution of Paul Broca
Broca (1824-1880): Suggested specific brain regions control language
Worked on patients with language impairments
Page 23: Broca's Patient
Patient Leborgne: Limited speech ability, but comprehension intact and could produce speech sounds
Page 24: Postmortem Findings
Broca's examinations revealed lesions in Leborgne's left hemisphere
Similar findings across patients with related language issues
Page 25: Aphasia
Language disorder identified as Aphasia (specifically Broca's Aphasia)
Location of impairment identified as Broca's Area
Page 26: Specialization of Function
Demonstrated special functions within the left hemisphere of the brain
Page 27: Early Advances in Neuropsychology
Contribution from Carl Wernicke (1874): Identified different type of aphasia affecting language comprehension
Page 28: Wernicke's Aphasia
Patients articulate full speech but cannot comprehend language
Page 29: Interactions of Broca and Wernicke's Area
Implications on understanding language processing in the brain
Page 30: Reciprocal Relationship of Brain and Behavior
Both brain and behavior influence each other
Experiences can alter brain structure and function: NEURAL PLASTICITY
Page 31: Definition of Neural Plasticity
Refers to the brain's flexibility and ability to change
Page 32: Examples of Neural Plasticity
Research on cats: Cells for vertical line perception decline if not exposed
Page 33: Stroke Recovery and Plasticity
Stroke patients may regain functions through reorganization to non-damaged areas
Page 34: Social Influences on the Brain
Study by Rainville et al (1997): Effect of pain perception
Page 35: Findings from Social Experiment
Pain ratings influenced by the believed temperature of the water
Page 36: Result of Social Influence
Group informed of higher temperature exhibited more pain-related brain activity despite identical conditions
Page 37: Summary of Key Points
The brain controls behavior and mental processes.
Evidence supports brain-mind connection.
Specialization of function and plasticity are central to brain function.
Social and environmental factors influence brain activity.
Page 38: Additional Recommended Reading
Chapters 1 and 10.4 in Kolb and Whishaw's textbook covering Broca’s and Wernicke’s aphasia.