chapter 1: introduction

Question 1

what is behavior?

Answer 1

a combination of perceived stimuli and movement

Question 2

generalization

Answer 2

explanations of examples of general laws that are revealed through experiments

Question 3

reduction

Answer 3

explanations of complex phenomena in a simpler manner

Question 4

what is the goal of research in behavioral neuroscience?

Answer 4

to understand the function of a given behavior and how it relates to other physiological factors

Question 5

where was the original seat of thought and emotion thought to be and why?

Answer 5

the heart because its movement was necessary for life in response to varying emotions

Question 6

hippocrates

Answer 6

believed the brain was responsible for thought and emotion

Question 7

what are the two major perspectives of the mind-body question?

Answer 7

monism and dualism

Question 8

monism

Answer 8

the body and mind are both just matter and energy, and the mind is a product of the nervous system

Question 9

dualism

Answer 9

the mind is a nonphysical entity, separate from the brain

Question 10

rené descartes

Answer 10

-dualist who believed that the mind and the brain were linked through the pineal gland
-that the brain contains hollow chambers called ventricles filled with pressurized fluid, he believed the mind controlled the pineal gland like a joystick that pushed ventricles in the direction of a specific muscle, inflating it and causing it to move
-viewed the body as a machine with reflexes that did not require participation of the mind

Question 11

luigi galvani

Answer 11

-monist who electrically stimulated frog legs which led to muscle contraction
-discovered that nerves are what make movement happen

Question 12

johannes muller

Answer 12

developed the doctrine of specific nerve energies

Question 13

doctrine of specific nerve energies

Answer 13

all nerves send electrical impulses, but the type is dependent on the stimuli being perceived; the brain is like a walkie talkie with different channels for each type of stimuli (auditory, visual, etc.)

Question 14

experimental ablation

Answer 14

removing parts of the brain to see what behavioral function is lost

Question 15

pierre fluorens

Answer 15

performed experimental ablations on animals and discovered the brain regions responsible for heart rate, breathing, purposeful movements, and visual/auditory reflexes

Question 16

paul broca

Answer 16

observed behavioral impairments amongst stroke victims

Question 17

broca’s area

Answer 17

portion of the cerebral cortex on the frontal left side responsible for speech production

Question 18

jan purkinje

Answer 18

discovered purkinje fibers by processing and staining brain tissue of sheep

Question 19

what are purkinje fibers responsible for?

Answer 19

heart contractions

Question 20

santiago ramon y cajal

Answer 20

-developed the golgi stain to examine the individual structure of neurons in the brain
-discovered that there are billions of neurons in the nervous system
-received the nobel prize in 1906

Question 21

what are the four f’s of natural selection?

Answer 21

fight, flee, feed, f*ck

Question 22

how are new genetic traits most often brought about?

Answer 22

genetic mutations

Question 23

can behaviors themselves be inherited?

Answer 23

no, but the brain structure which causes them can

Question 24

what is most correlated with IQ: brain size or quantity of neurons?

Answer 24

quantity of neurons in the brain available for executive functions

Question 25

neoteny

Answer 25

the slowing of brain development to allow for more adaptability (plasticity)

Question 26

how many neurons are babies born with approximately?

Answer 26

86 billion

Question 27

synaptic pruning

Answer 27

as we age, neurons and synapses that are not needed are removed

Question 28

what does any institution with federal funding for animal research require?

Answer 28

an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocol

Question 29

what are the two main requirements to be able to do research on animals?

Answer 29

must be both humane (good health, sanitation, and comfort while minimizing suffering) and worthwhile

Question 30

what must human research be in compliance with and what does it require?

Answer 30

the Institutional Review Board (IRB), which requires informed consent and protections of participants