Introduction - Quiz 1 Flashcards
Introduction: The biological approach to behavior
What did String theory beginning in the 1980s discover?
-the universe could have taken on a vast number of forms with different laws of physics, however very few could support life
Introduction: The biological approach to behavior
Define the mind-body problem/mind-brain problem (2).
-question about the relationship between mental experience and brain activity
-looks at the relationship between consciousness (mind) and the physical brain (or body)
Introduction: the three main points to remember from this book
What are the three main points of this book?
- Perception occurs in your brain. You may feel a sensation on your hand, but this is actually just in your brain (people without limbs can feel sensations still)
- Mental activity and certain types of brain activity are inseparable (monism).
- We should be cautious about what is an explanation and what is not. For example, people with depression have less activity in certain areas of their brains, but this does not tell us why people are depressed.
Introduction: the three main points to remember from this book
Define monism and give an example (2)
-the idea that the universe only consists of one type of being
-for example, does temperature cause the movement of molecules or does the movement of molecules cause temperature? Neither causes the other, they are different ways of describing the same thing
Introduction: the three main points to remember from this book
Define dualism
-the idea that minds are one type of substance and matter is another
Introduction: Biological Explanations of Behavior
What are the four categories of biological explanations?
-physiological, ontogenetic, evolutionary and functional
Introduction: Biological Explanations of Behavior
Define a physiological explanation and give an example. (2)
-relates behavior to activity of brain and organs, dealing with machinery of body
-if you feel hungry, this explanation would look at things like your stomach producing certain chemicals that signal to your brain that its time to eat
Introduction: Biological Explanations of Behavior
Define an ontogenetic explanation. (2)
-describes how a structure or behavior develops, including the influences of genes, nutrition, experiences and their interactions.
-focus on how something develops over time, looks at both social influences and genetic
Introduction: Biological Explanations of Behavior
What is an evolutionary explanation? (2)
-reconstructs evolutionary history of structure or behavior
-how traits evolved over time to adapt to our environments and improve our chances of survival
Introduction: Biological Explanations of Behavior
Define a functional explanation. (2)
-describes why a structure or behavior evolved as it did
-looks at the purpose of a trait in its present context
Introduction: Biological Explanations of Behavior Stop and Check
How does the textbook say evolutionary explanations 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 favored by natural selection.
Introduction: The Use of Animals in Research
What are the four reasons researches use animals?
-underlying mechanism is similar across species, but sometimes easier to study in a non-human species
-interest in animals for their own sake
-what we learn about animals sheds light on human evolution
-legal or ethical restrictions prevents research
Introduction: Degrees of Opposition
What kind of research do minimalists prefer?
-they tolerate certain types of animal research but wish to limit or prohibit others depending on the value of it and the animal’s distress
Introduction: Degrees of Opposition
What are the three R’s with animal research?
-reduction of animal numbers
-replacement models or other substitutions
-refinement (modifying to reduce pain or discomfort)
Introduction: Degrees of Opposition
How do abolitionists view animal rights?
-they believe all animals have the same rights as humans
-killing an animal is murder, putting them in a cage is slavery
