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Intro Flashcards

1
Q

Physiological Psychology definition

A

Link between brain & behavior; how we perceive the world; “study of the physiological, evolutionary & developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience.” With a strong emphasis on brain functioning.

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2
Q

Hard problem:

A

Given a universe of matter and energy, why is there such a thing as consciousnes?”

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3
Q

“Mind-body” or “Mind-brain problem”

A

relationship between mental activity and the brain; what is happening in the brain when experiencing a perception

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4
Q

Dorsal view of brain

A

top of the brain, view from above

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5
Q

Ventral

A

from below

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6
Q

Anterior

A

front

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7
Q

Posterior

A

back

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8
Q

Which cells in the brain produce perceptions and experiences?

A

neurons and glia

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9
Q

glia

A

support cells, many involved in neural functioning

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10
Q

neurons

A

specific function

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11
Q

Central sulcus

A

furrow on the side of the brain allows us to know location of objects

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12
Q

neuron cell body

A

soma

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13
Q

neuron

A

trees with branches and roots; info comes in through the branches and out through the roots

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14
Q

Physiological explanation of behavior

A

(Descriptive) relates a behavior to the activity of the brain & other organs; What’s happening in the brain and other parts of the body.

ie: the chemical reactions that enable hormones to influence brain activity and the routes by which brain activity controls muscle contractions.

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15
Q

Ontogenetic explanation of behavior

A

(Developmental) describes the development of a structure or behavior; describes how a structure or behavior develops, including the influences of genes, nutrition, experiences, and their interactions. What happens over the course of the development in the organism?

ie: ability to inhibit impulses develops gradually from infancy through the teenage years, reflecting gradual maturation of the fron

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16
Q

Evolutionary explanation of behavior

A

(Historical) reconstructs evolutionary history of a behavior or structure. The characteristic features of an animal are almost always modifications of something found in ancestral species. Evolutionary explanations call attention to behavioral similarities among related species.

ie: vestigial structures; looking at how brain changes over time? Only way to look at changes in the brain is look at other organisms.
ie: bat wings are modified arms, and porcupine quills are modified hairs. In behavior, monkeys use tools occasionally, and humans evolved elaborations on those abilities that enable us to use tools even better

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17
Q

Functional explanation of behavior

A

(Necessity) Describes why a structure or behavior evolved as it did; Why and how does it help us to survive? What’s the benefit?

ie: many species have an appearance that matches their background. A functional explanation is that camouflaged appearance makes the animal inconspicuous to predators. Some species use their behavior as part of the camouflage. For example, zone-tailed hawks, native to Mexico and the southwestern United States, fly among vultures and hold their wings in the same posture as vultures. Small mammals and birds run for cover when they see a hawk, but they learn to ignore vultures, which pose no threat to healthy animals. Because the zone-tailed hawks resemble vultures in both appearance and flight behavior, their prey disregard them, enabling the hawks to pick up easy meals

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18
Q

What are the four (4) categories of biological explanations of behavior?

A

Physiological, Ontogenetic, Evolutionary & Functional

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19
Q

Sea dragon. Evolutionary explanation? Functional explanation?

A

Australian fish, looks like kelp.

Evolutionary explanation is that genetic modifications expanded smaller appendages that were present in these fish’s ancestors.

A functional explanation is that the potential predators overlook a fish that resembles inedible plants.

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20
Q

What two factors shape human behavior?

A

genes & environment

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21
Q

Gregor Mendel

A

19th century monk demonstrated that inheritance occurs through genes

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22
Q

Genes

A

aligned along chromosomes & come in pairs; portion of chromosome composed of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

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23
Q

Chromosomes

A

strands of genes

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24
Q

Darwin

A

evolution and natural selection but didn’t know how it worked

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25
Phenotype
The way they look
26
DNA
serves as a model for synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA); self replicating molecule
27
RNA
copy of one strand of DNA serves as template/model for synthesis of proteins
28
amino acid
a triplet of bases
29
Protein
Some proteins become part of the body's structure. Others are enzymes that control the rate of chemical reactions. Format part of the body structure. Building blocks of many cellular structures. Coded by DNA.
30
enzymes
biological catalysts that regulate chemical reactions in the body
31
What happens when there's errors in DNA?
Protein fails to function properly
32
homozygous gene
identical pair of genes on two chromosomes
33
heterozygous gene
unmatched pair of genes on two chromosomes
34
Are all genes turned on? Example?
No, not always ie: Grasshoppers and Locusts are the same insect.
35
Why & what causes changes in Grasshoppers and Locusts?
Crowding in Africa, Middle East and Asia cause spikes in serotonin levels.
36
What happens as a result of Serotonin spike in Grasshoppers?
Locusts form Changes gene expression in behavior, appearance and form as follows: Legs and wings shrink color changes "Brain grows to manage animal's newly complicated social world, which includes the fact that if a locust moves too slowly amid its million cousins, the cousins directly behind might eat it" ~Die Selfish Gene, Die
37
Phenylthiocarbamide
PTC. Some found it extremely bitter, slightly bitter or no taste at all. 1931 Arthur Fox
38
Phenylthiocarbamide
PTC. Some found it extremely bitter, slightly bitter or no taste at all. 1931 Arthur Fox
39
What percentage of people taste PTC?
75%
40
Why do things taste bitter?
Plants are much more likely than animals to contain toxins. Because avoiding bitter plants would severely limit their food sources, strict herbivores have fewer bitter taste genes than omnivores or carnivores. Instead, animals that graze on plants have a high tolerance to toxins. Grazers have large livers that are able to break down toxic compounds.
41
Why tasters and non-tasters of PTC?
Plants produce a variety of toxic compounds in order to protect themselves from being eaten. The ability to discern bitter tastes evolved as a mechanism to prevent early humans from eating poisonous plants. Humans have about 30 genes that code for bitter taste receptors. Each receptor can interact with several compounds, allowing people to taste a wide variety of bitter substances.
42
If the ability to taste bitter compounds conveys a selective advantage, then shouldn't non-tasters have died off long ago?
Why do so many people still carry the non-tasting PTC variant? Some scientists believe that non-tasters of PTC can taste another bitter compound. This scenario would give the greatest selective advantage to heterozygotes, or people who carry one tasting allele and one non-tasting allele. • (Evolutionary/Functional explanations)
43
Dominant gene
strong effect in either the homozygous or heterozygous condition
44
recessive gene
shows its effect only n the homozygous condition
45
3 types of genes?
dominant, recessive or intermediate
46
Single gene combination completely controls a characteristic?
False, some genes are only expressed partly in some cells and not others or only under certain circumstances
47
Autosomal genes
all other genes except for sex-linked genes
48
Sex genes
located on the sex chromosomes;
49
Male gene
XY
50
Female gene
XX
51
Y chromosome codes for how many proteins?
27 proteins
52
X chromosomes codes for how many proteins?
1500 proteins
53
X-linked gene and example?
Sex linked genes example: Red-green color deficiency
54
Sex-limited genes
present in both sexes but mainly have effect on one sex, ie: chest hair, breast size, etc
55
Gene mutation
heritable change in DNA molecule; most are bad that end up in deficiency or miscarriages
56
microduplication/microdepletion and example?
part of a chromosome that might appear once might appear twice or not at all ie: schizophrenia might be a result of microduplications and microdeletions of brain relevant genes
57
Epigenetics
field that is concerned with changes in gene expression without the modifications of the DNA sequence. *some genes are active only at a certain point in one's life, a certain time of day, etc ie: girl/boys vs women/men
58
Are changes in gene expression central to learning and memory?
yes!
59
What is an explanation for differences in monozygotic "identical" twins? ie?
Epigenetic | Grasshopper and Locust
60
Almost all behaviors have both a genetic component and environmental component?
Yes!
61
Monozygotic twins
from one egg
62
fraternal twins
from two eggs
63
Why do researchers study twins?
To infer contributions of heredity & environment
64
Why do researchers study adopted children?
To infer resemblance to their biological parents and hereditary influences
65
Heritability?
How much a characteristic depends on genetic differences
66
True or False? | Researchers have found evidence for heritability in almost every behavior they have tested?
True
67
True or False? | Heritability of a certain trait is specific to a given population.
True
68
True or False? | Strong environmental influences may cause genetic influences to have less of an effect
True
69
Traits with strong hereditary influence?
PKU | Can be modified by environmental intervention
70
PKU
genetic inability to metabolize amino acid phenylketonuria
71
Genes directly produce behaviors? True or False
False, not directly
72
Genes produce proteins that increase the probability that a behavior will develop under certain circumstances. True or False?
True
73
Genes can alter your environment by producing behaviors or traits that alter how people in your environment react to you. True or False?
True
74
Genes can also have an indirect affect on environment. Provide example
Easy vs hard baby. Parents will respond differently to a hard babys vs an easy baby.
75
Evolution of behavior
Evolution refers to a change in the frequency of various genes in a population over generations, Regardless if helpful or harmful to the species
76
What does evolution of behavior attempt to answer?
why a characteristic developed
77
Eugenics
set of beliefs and practices that aims at improving the genetic quality of the human population by killing off people with unwanted traits
78
Artificial selection ie?
choosing individuals with desired traits and making them parents of the next generation ie: animal husbandry-dumb docile meaty cows
79
Lamarckian evolution
Misconception that "The use or disuse of some structure or behavior causes an increase or decrease in that behavior.”
80
Humans have stopped evolving. True or False?
False
81
Evolution means improvement. | True or False?
False
82
Evolution acts to benefit the individual or the species. | True or False?
False
83
Evolutionary psychology focus
functional and evolutionary explanations of how behaviors evolved
84
Evolutionary psychology assumes that behaviors characteristic of a species have arisen through natural selection and provide a survival advantage. True or False?
True
85
Characteristics that have arisen through natural selection and provide survival advantage?
differences in peripheral/colorvision, sleep | mechanisms in the brain, eating habits, temperature regulation
86
Behaviors are more debatable regarding the influence of natural selection
Life span length Gender differences in sexual promiscuity Altruistic behavior: a behavior that benefits someone other than the actor, ie: Consider vervet monkeys benefits the species that goes beyond the individual
87
A gene only spreads if individuals with it reproduce more than individuals without it. True or False?
True
88
A gene that benefits the species but not the individual dies out with that individual. True or False?
True
89
Group selection is a controversial hypothesis that states that altruistic groups survive better than less cooperative ones. True or False?
True
90
Example of kin selection is the favored explanation: selection for a gene that benefit’s the individual’s relatives
Genes that causes the female relatives of gay male to have more children. some of the male relatives would be homosexual
91
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Approves animal research. Oversees and determine acceptable procedures
92
Minimalists
favor firm regulation on research and place consideration upon the type of animal used and the amount of stress induced
93
Abolitionists
maintain that all animals have the same rights as humans and any use of animals is unethical
94
Genetic drift
process of how a gene can spread by accident through a process
95
How does an evolutionary explanation differ from a functional explanation?
An evolutionary explanation states what evolved from what. For example, humans evolved from earlier primates and therefore have certain features that we inherited from those ancestors, even if the features are not useful to us today. A functional explanation states why something was advantageous and therefore evolutionarily selected.
96
Describe reasons biological psychologists conduct much of their research on nonhuman animals.
Sometimes the mechanisms of behavior are easier to study in a nonhuman species. We are curious about animals for their own sake. We study animals to understand human evolution. Certain procedures that might lead to important knowledge are illegal or unethical with humans.
97
“the three Rs” in research
*reduction* of animal numbers (using fewer animals), *replacement* (using computer models or other substitutes for animals, when possible), and *refinement* (modifying the procedures to reduce pain and discomfort).
98
How does the “minimalist” position differ from the “abolitionist” position?
A “minimalist” wishes to limit animal research to studies with little discomfort and much potential value. An “abolitionist” wishes to eliminate all animal research regardless of how the animals are treated or how much value the research might produce.
99
monism
belief that the universe consists of only one kind of substance
100
dualism
belief that mind and body are different kinds of substance that exist independently
101
What is meant by “monism”?
The idea that the mind is made of the same substance as the rest of the universe
102
Humans have a (tiny) tailbone because our ancient monkey-like ancestors had a tail. This is an example of what type of physiological explanation of behavior
evolutionary explanation
103
Why do researchers use of animals in biological psychology research aimed at solving human problems?
The nervous system of nonhuman animals resembles that of humans in many ways.
104
What does a “minimalist” favor with regard to animal research?
Animal research is permissible but should be held to a minimum.

BioPsychology (27 decks)

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