Chapter 1 Flashcards
Intricate network of neurons
Human brain
Cells that receive and transmit electrochemical signals
Neurons
Scientific study of the nervous system
Neuroscience
Brain’s ultimate challenge?
Does the brain have the capacity to understand something as complex as itself?
4 major themes in biopsychology
Thinking creatively in biopsychology, clinical implications, evolutionary perspective, neuroplasticity
What is biopsychology?
scientific study of the biology of behavior
Biopsych’s relations to other disciplines of neuroscience
An integrative discipline - draw together knowledge from other disciplines and apply it to study of behavior
Disciplines related to biopsych
Neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, Neurochemistry, Neuropharmacology, Neuropathology, Neuroendicrinology
Neurophysiology
Functions and activities of the nervous system
Neuropharmacology
Effect of drugs on neural activity
Neuroanatomy
Structure of the nervous system
Neurochemistry
Chemical bases of neural activity
Neuroendocrinology
Interactions between nervous and endocrine system
Used to determine cause and effect relationships
Experiments
Pure research
For the purpose of acquiring knowledge
Applied research
To bring direct benefit to humankind
Converging operations
Using multiple operations to address single question (strength of one compensate the weakness of the other)
How do biopsychs study the unobservable workings of the brain?
Through scientific inference, specifically the empirical method (observation->measures->basis for inference)
Ability to evaluate scientific claims by identifying potential omissions or weaknesses in the evidence
Critical thinking
