Introduction Lecture Flashcards
What is biological psychology?
the study of physiological, genetic, and developmental mechanisms of behaviour.
Dorsal view
view of the human brain from the top.
Ventral view
view of the human brain from the bottom.
Monism
position that mental activity and certain types of brain activity are inseparable.
Dualism
the idea that minds are one type of substance and matter is another.
Biological psych is important for ___________
evidence based practice.
Biological psych is closely tied to __________
our medical model.
biological explanations of behavior fall into four categories:
physiological
ontogenetic
evolutionary
functional
physiological explanation
relates behavior to the activity of the brain and other organs.
ontogenetic explanation
describes how a structure or behavior develops, including the influences of genes, nutrition, experiences, and their interactions.
evolutionary explanation
reconstructs the evolutionary history of a structure or behaviour, states what evolved from what.
functional explanation
describes why a structure or behaviour evolved as it did.
genetic drift
Within a small, isolated population, a gene can spread by accident.
four reasons why do they scientists non-humans:
- ) similar underlying mechanisms of behaviour & easier to study.
- ) interested in animals for their own sake.
- ) learning about animals sheds light on human evolution.
- ) legal or ethical restrictions prevent certain kinds of research on humans.
Minimalists
tolerate certain types of animal research but wish to limit others depending on the probable value of the research, the amount of distress to the animal, and the type of animal.
the three R’s
- ) reduction of animal numbers
- ) replacement
- ) refinement (modifying the procedures to reduce pain).
Abolitionists
maintain that all animals have the same rights as humans.
Cardiocentric view
the heart initiates thought and behaviour.
Aristotle
- organs located near the brain were connected to the heart via vascular channels.
- the brain existed only to help balance the hearts function.
- heart is root of intelligence and source of nerves.
Cephalocentric view
brain centered view.
Hippocrates
- father of western medicine.
- first to propose that the brain is seat of thought and emotion.
- referred to heredity in his writings.
Galen
- father of experimental physiology.
- first to study structure of the nervous system through dissection and observation.
What did Galen uncover when studying the nervous system?
- arteries carry blood to parts of the body.
- described valves of the heart.
- observations around bones, muscles and nerves.
Typology of human temperament theory
personality types; choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic, sanguine.
Choleric
- person is bad tempered, irritable.
- yellow bile.
Melancholic
- person is gloomy, pessimistic.
- black bile.
Phlegmatic
- person is sluggish, non-excitable.
Sanguine
- person is cheerful, passionate.
4th-17th century view
- ventricles and the pineal gland.
anterior = perception/imagination.
middle = reason.
posterior = memory.
Descartes
- pineal gland as the seat of the soul.
- withdrawal reflex.
Withdrawal reflex
spirits released from the ventricles.
Who had the first systematic account of mind-body relationship?
Descartes
Mind body relationship
mind and body are two independent substances
- mind is invisible (consciousness).
- body has physical size.
- pineal gland is point of contact.
Thomas Willis
- founder of neurology.
- assigned behavioural and physiological functions to the brain.
Circle of Willis
circle of arteries at based of the brain.
Johannes Peter Muller
- isolated components of nervous system (afferent vs efferent fibers).
- doctrine of nerve energies.
doctrine of nerve energies
nature of perception is defined by the pathway over which the sensory information is carried, origin of sensation isn’t important.
Darwin
- natural selection
- functionalism
natural selection
process in nature by which only the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characters.
