CH 1: Biopsychology as a Neuroscience

Question 1

Define BIOPSYCHOLOGY

Answer 1

The biological approach to the study of psychology (not the other way around)

Question 2

List the 6 fields of neuroscience relevant to biopsychology

Answer 2

1. Neuroanatomy
2. Neurochemistry
3. Neuroendocrinology
4. Neuropathology
5. Neuropharmacology
6. Neurophysiology

Question 3

Define NEUROANATOMY

Answer 3

Study of the structure of the NS

Question 4

Define NEUROCHEMISTRY

Answer 4

Study of the chemical bases of neural activity

Question 5

Define NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY

Answer 5

Study of interactions b/w the NS & endocrine sys

Question 6

Define NEUROPATHOLOGY

Answer 6

Study of NS disorders

Question 7

Define NEUROPHARMACOLOGY

Answer 7

Study of the effects of drugs on neural activity

Question 8

Define NEUROPHYSIOLOGY

Answer 8

Study of the functions & activities of the NS

Question 9

List the advantages of HUMANS as subjects in biopsychological research (3)

Answer 9

1. Can follow instructions
2. Can report their subjective experiences
3. Have human brains = most accurate model of human brain trying to study

Question 10

List the advantages of NONHUMANS as subjects in biopsychological research (2)

Answer 10

1. ^Likely reveal fundamental brain-behaviour interactions bc brains & behaviours simpler than humans
2. Comparative approach - ie) study behaviour of sp w/o cerebral cortex vs. sp w/ cerebral cortex = clues about cortical function

Question 11

Define PURE RESEARCH

Answer 11

• Done solely for purpose of acquiring knowledge

- Less likely to receive political funding/support

Question 12

Define APPLIED RESEARCH

Answer 12

Intended to bring about some direct benefit to humankind

Question 13

List the 6 divisions of biopsychology

Answer 13

1. Physiological psychology
2. Psychopharmacology
3. Neuropsychology
4. Psychophysiology
5. Cognitive neuroscience
6. Comparative psychology

Question 14

Describe 1. PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Answer 14

• Studies the neural mech of behaviour via direct manipulation & recording of the brain in controlled experiments
• Surgical & electrical methods
• Mainly on lab animals

Question 15

Describe 2. PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

Answer 15

• Study effects of drugs on brain (neural activity) & behaviour

Question 16

Describe 3. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY

Answer 16

• Study of psychological effects of brain damage in human patients
• Specifically case studies & quasi-experimental studies
• Always applied research
• CEREBRAL CORTEX = outer layer of cerebral hemispheres = most likely to be damaged by accident/surgery

Question 17

Describe 4. PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY

Answer 17

• Studies physiology of psychological processes
• ie) attention, emotion, info processing
• Noninvasive recording procedures
• ie) EEG = measure brain activity via scalp

Question 18

Define 5. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE

Answer 18

• Studies the neural bases of cognition
• Cognition = humans = noninvasive methods
• ie) Functional Brain Imaging = recording images of activity of living human brain

Question 19

Define 6. COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Answer 19

• Compare the behaviour of diff sp IOT understand the evolution, genetics & adaptiveness of behaviour

Question 20

Define CONVERGING OPERATIONS

Answer 20

• The use of several research approaches to solve a single problem
• ie) using both physiological psychology neuropsychological case studies to study a phenomenon.

Question 21

Discuss Delgado’s bull-ring demonstration & its flawed interpretation

Answer 21

• Assumed electrical current –> caudate stimulation –> eliminate bull aggression
• But stimulation may have rendered the bull confused, dizzy or blind rather than non-aggressive

Question 22

Define PREFRONTAL LOBOTOMY - discuss its rise & fall

Answer 22

• Surgical procedure in which the connections b/w the prefrontal lobes &the rest of brain are cut as treatment for mental illness
• Largely based on observation of a single chimp in a single situation
• Learned it was of little therapeutic benefit & prod wide range of undesirable side effects

Question 23

Define SCIENTIFIC INFERENCE

Answer 23

• The logical process by which observable events are used to infer the properties of unobservable events
• ie) measuring relevant behaviour & neural activity to make inferences about the nature of the neural processes that regulate behaviour.

Question 24

Compare EXPERIMENTS, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES, & CASE STUDIES.

Answer 24

• EXPERIMENTS = study causation – any diff in dependent variable b/w 2 conditions must be caused by independent variable
• QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES = observe groups of subjects who’ve been exposed to conditions of interests in real world
• CASE STUDIES = focus on single subject –> more in-depth picture –> limited generalizability