Introduction to Biopsychology

Question 1

What is Carlson and Birkett’s opinion on the primary function of the brain?

Answer 1

Primary function is movement. Perception and thought is used to guide adaptive behavior – humans need to move to survive.

Question 2

What is generalization?

Answer 2

the general laws of nature

Question 3

What level of complexity is psychology?

Answer 3

organism

Question 4

What is animism?

Answer 4

The mind is the spirit and comes from outside of the body.
Lead to trephination to release the dark thoughts (demons) from the brain.

Question 5

What is Dualism and who created this perspective?

Answer 5

The mind and body are separate: the body obeys physical laws and can be studied scientifically, the mind is a non-material spirit. The mind and body intersect at the pineal gland. The mind is NOT produced by the brain. Renee Descartes created Dualism perspective.

Question 6

What is Reductionism?

Answer 6

to explain complex phenomena at simpler levels (depression in neuroscience terms). The mind is “explained” by the brain

Question 7

What is Monism?

Answer 7

Monism refers to the perspective that the universe forms a unified whole. The mind and body are distinct aspects of a “whole” and can be studied separately.
Carlson and Birkett monism explains the mind is produced by the nervous system.
Holistic monism describes the mind as an emergent property of the brain.

Question 8

What are the sub-disciplines of Biopsychology? What do each sub-discipline specifically study?

Answer 8

Physiological Psychology: directly manipulate physiology of animal subjects through invasive procedures

Psychopharmacology: studies effects of drugs on neural activity

Neuropsychology: studies the effects of brain damage, brain surgery, and mental disorders with neural degeneration in human subjects

Psychophysiology: studies the relations between physiological and psychological aspects of behavior in human subjects through noninvasive procedures

Comparative Psychology: cross-species comparisons of behavior and physiology

Cognitive Neuroscience: studies neural basis of psychology through human brain imaging

Question 9

What are the advantages and disadvantages of human research and animal research?

Answer 9

Human Research:
Advantages – can report on their experience and study complex psychological phenomena, no need for cross-species generalizations

Disadvantages – expensive, strong ethical regulations

Animal Research:
Advantages – directly manipulate physiology and brains are less complex so it is easier to make causal inferences for humans

Disadvantages – not a human: can’t report on their experience and need for cross-species generalizations