INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY Flashcards
the study of the physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience.
biological psychology
This term emphasizes that the goal is to relate biology to issues of psychology.
biological psychology
includes much that is relevant to behavior but also includes more detail about anatomy and chemistry.
neuroscience
a view of the brain from the top (what anatomists call a d_ _ _ _ l view) and from the bottom (a v_ _ _ _ _l view).
dorsal & ventral
convey messages to one another and to muscles and glands, vary enormously in size, shape, and functions.
Neurons
generally smaller than neurons, have many functions but do not convey information over great distances.
glia
Relates a behavior to the activity of the brain and other organs. It deals with the machinery of the body—- for example, the chemical reactions that enable hormones to influence brain activity and the routes by which brain activity controls muscle contraction.
Physiological explanation
The term ontogenetic comes from Greek roots meaning the origin (or genesis) of being. It describes how a structure or behavior develops, including the influences of genes,nutrition, experiences, and their interactions. For example, the ability to inhibit impulses develops gradually from infancy through the teenage years, reflecting gradual maturation of the frontal parts of the brain.
Ontogenetic explanation
Reconstructs the evolutionary history of a structure or behavior. For example, frightened people get “goose bumps”—–erections of the hairs especially on the arms and shoulders.
Evolutionary Explanation
Describes why a structure or behavior evolved as it did. Within a small, isolated population, a gene can spread by accident through a process called genetic drift. For example, a dominant male with many offspring spreads all his genes, including neutral and harmful ones.
Functional explanation
the belief that mind and body are different kinds of substance that exist independently.
dualism
the belief that the universe consists of only one kind of substance.
monism
The view that everything that exists is material or physical.
materialism
The view that only the mind really exists and that the physical world could not exist unless some mind were aware of it.
mentalism
The view that mental processes and certain kinds of brain processes are the same thing, described in different terms.
Identity position
- Neuroscientist
- Behavioral neuroscientist
- Cognitive neuroscientist
- Neuropsychologist
- Psychophysiologist
- Neurochemist
- Comparative psychologist
- Evolutionary psychologist
Research field
- Clinical psychologist
- Counseling psychologist
- School psychologist
Practitioner fields of Psychology
- Neurologist
- Neurosurgeon
- Psychiatrist
Medical field
- Physical therapist
- Occupational therapist
- Social worker
Allied medical field
is an exciting and challenging question, but we cannot go far with it until we discuss the elements of how the nervous system works.
mind-brain issue
units of heredity that maintain their structural identity from one generation to another.
genes
(strands of genes), which also come in pairs.
chromosomes
a gene has been defined as a portion of a chromosome, which is composed of the double-stranded molecule
DNA deoxyribonucleic
A strand of DNA serves as a template (model) for the synthesis of _____ molecules. __ is a single-strand
chemical.
ribo nucleic acid (RNA)
a biological catalysts that regulate chemical reactions in the body.
enzymes
an identical pair of genes on the two chromosomes is?
homozygous
An individual with an unmatched pair of genes is
heterozygous
a gene that shows a strong effect in either the homozygous or heterozygous condition.
dominant gene
A gene shows its effects only in the homozygous condition.
recessive gene
The genes located on the sex chromosomes are known as
sex-linked genes
All other chromosomes are autosomal chromosomes, and their genes are known as
autosomal genes
Distinct from sex-linked genes are the _____, which are present in both sexes, generally on autosomal chromosomes, but active mainly in one sex.
sex-limited genes
Genes can also influence your behavior indirectly by changing your environment. genes lead you to frequent temper tantrums. Other people–including your parents- react harshly, giving you still further reason to feel hostile. Dickens and Flynn (2001) call this tendency a ___. If genetic or prenatal influences produce even a small increase in some activity, the early tendency will change the environment in a way that magnifies that tendency.
Multiplier effect
a change over generations in the frequencies of various genes in a population.
Evolution
