ib - the biological perspective

8/3/2019 IB - The Biological Perspective

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IB - The Biological Perspective

Introduction

The focus of this perspective is the interaction between the physiological and

psychological factors that contribute to behavior. Changes in behavior can

arise from an interaction of dispositional and environmental factors.

Research has frequently, but not exclusively, used the experimental method.Key issues that are relevant to the biological perspective include criticisms

that it often involves a reductionist approach and that behavior exhibited by

non-human animals is not always relevant to humans. In this unit students

will evaluate the relevance of this perspective to modern psychology.

You need to be able to:

Describe and evaluate the cultural context and development, the conceptual framework, the

methodology, and the application of the biomedical model.

Cultural context and development:

- Darwin (Evolution Natural Selection)

- Dualism

- Later shift from Dualism to Materialism

Conceptual Framework (Key

Concepts):

physiological (biological) concepts affect

behavior.

Neurotransmitters (excitatory, inhibitory).The Brain (localization of functions).

Bodily Rhythms

Methodology:

Correlational studies, double blind

trials, experiments (use of animals and

humans = ethically controversial),interviews, case studies and

questionnaires.

Applications:

- comparison with other perspectives- application of genetic research and

ethical implications

- changes in education, work andtherapy.

Describe and evaluate theories and empirical studies within this perspective.

Theories:

Biological researchers tend to view behavior has purely physical. Their basic assumption is

that the brain determines behavior.

Dualism the view, first attributed to Descartes, that mind and body are distinct, Descartesbelieved that the two could interact via the pineal gland in the brain. However, now most

psychologist disregard this assumption.


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Materialism assumption that all behavior has a physiological basis.

The two primary concerns of the biological perspective are the workings of the nervoussystem, and the role of hereditary on behavior.

Assumptions:

Materialism (body and mind are the same)

All psychological behavior is first physiological (mind appears to reside in the brain,

therefore all thoughts, feelings, and behaviors ultimately have a physical/biological cause)

Genes have evolved over millions of years to adapt behavior to the environment. Therefore,

much behavior will have a genetic basis.

Heredity the biological transmission of characteristics from one generation to the other.

This is a main aspect of the biological approach.

Natural Selection the evolutionary process by which those random variations within a

species which enhance reproductive success lead to perpetuation of new characteristics, in

essence, individuals possessing traits which enhance survival and reproduction are likely to

have more offspring (Darwin).

Empirical Studies:

Darwin His theory of natural selection published in his book The Origin of Species

(1859) was a major influence on the biological perspective. Darwin was advocating not only

the inheritance of characteristics, but also an evolutionary link between humans and all otherspecies. Even though, his theory caused much controversy, it laid the basis for the study of

hereditary influences on behavior.

1861 A French doctor, Paul Broca, encountered a case in which a man lost the ability to

speak coherently after a head injury. Later, Broca, was able to demonstrate, by post mortemautopsy, that the cause of the mans deficit lay in damage to a specific point in the brain.

The proof of this localization of function (connecting a specific behavior to a specific brain

area) was crucial to this perspective.

Wernicke - Interested in psychiatry, traditionally he studied anatomyinitially and neuropathology later. He published a small volume on aphasia

which vaulted him into international fame. In it was precise pathoanatomic

analysis paralleling the clinical picture. He is best known for his workon sensory aphasia and poliomyelitis hemorrhagia superior. The aphasia

syndrome, as described by Wernicke in 1908, consists of loss of comprehension of spoken

language, loss of ability to read (silently) and write, and distortion of articulate speech.

Hearing is intact. Wernicke aimed at a natural system for the classification of mentaldisorders, chiefly based on the anatomy and pathology of the nervous system. His pattern of

thought was based on the concept that psychiatric diseases were caused by disturbances of


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the associative system. It was, in other words, a sort of localisation doctrine.

1950s -Sperry severed the optic chiasm (the place where nerve cells from the two eyescross) and corpus callosum of monkeys. Each eye went to one half of the brain. It proved

that each half of the brain became two separate learning centers. Sperry got together people

who had their Corpus Callosum split to try and control their sever epilepsy. He showed themdifferent visual stimuli really quickly so only one visual field could take up the information,

and then got the patient to identify the word in different ways. He also tried this using touchidentification and by showing two different symbols to either visual field. He found that the

right visual field was connected to the left side of the brain and vice versa and that the Leftside of the brain could write it or say the information, and the right side could identify the

information by pointing. Still this gave no indication of what might happen in humans. One

obvious difference between primates and people is that monkeys do not speak, and Brocahas shown that speech was found in only one hemisphere. Consequently, no one was sure

what would happen if the hemispheres were separated in a person.

Implications: Support of localization of the brain theory. Mirror sites, connecting to old

memories.

1960s In Los Angeles, Philip Vogel was trying to treat patients with a long history of

epilepsy. While in many cases epileptics could be treated with anti-seizure drugs, these

patients did not respond to the drug treatment. When all treatments failed, Vogel tried a new

and radical approach: by cutting the fibres of the corpus callosum, he hoped to restrict theseizure activity to one hemisphere and thus prevent major seizure attacks. While he knew of

Sperrys work, and there had been occasional clinical reports of damage to the corpus

callosum, no one had purposely separated the hemispheres before. Medically, the treatmentworked, and it reduced the frequency of more limited seizures. Initial observations

suggested that the patients were normal, everyday actions such as walking and eating

seemed to occur naturally. However after further testing, they found that the patients

behaved in many ways as if they had two independent streams of conscious awareness, onein each hemisphere, each of with is cut from and out of contact with the mental experience

of the other. In other words, two minds functioning separately from each other. To assessthe effects of the surgery, the researchers had to use techniques whereby information was

presented to only one hemisphere. The simplest case, involved touch: if the split brain

person were given an object in there life hand while blindfolded, the left hand could pick it

out again, by touch, from a selection of several objects. However, if the right handattempted to pick out the article previously held in the left hand, it did no better than chance.

In the case of vision, the situation is a bit more complicated, because each eye is connected

to both hemispheres. The division of visual processing is such that the visual world of botheye is divided in two, so that the objects on the left side of the visual world are seen by the

right hemisphere, while objects on the right side are seen by the left hemisphere, regardlessof which eye is used. Since only the left hemisphere had language, the split brain personpresented with a word or picture on the left side (conveyed to the right hemisphere) could

not say what they had seen. The left hemisphere also specializes in logic and math skills.

They also discovered that the right hemisphere has musical and spatial abilities which the

left hemisphere lacks. However the right hemisphere is not completely ignorant of language because if a split person was presented with a word or picture, it can point to a

corresponding word or picture. Thus, if the right hemisphere sees the word key, the left


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hand can correctly choose a key.

Explain how cultural, ethical, gender, and methodological considerations affect the

interpretation of behavior from a biological perspective.

Effectiveness of the perspective in explaining psychological and/or social questions:

Comparison with other perspectives on questions such as aggression, gender differences or

stress. It addresses the question of gender differences: Nature or nurture? When looking at

gender differences it looks at issues such as sex, relationships, eating disorders etc. Eatingdisorders have many causes, they can be physiological, cultural, emotional. Societys

impact on women and the correlation that exists between eating disorders and genders is

studied as the great difference from male: to female ratio increases (1:7).

Gender: There are a great deal of differences between males and females, in terms ofphysiology and personality. However, in terms of the brain, there is a distinct difference

between the two genders. Females actually have a larger and more developed corpuscallosum than men, which suggests that they have better communication between the twosides of the brain. While the male brain is, on average, approximately 10 percent larger than

the female brain, females have a larger frontal lobe than men, which might explain the fact

that women seem to have a heightened perception of emotions than men. Females have

evolved mechanisms that enable them to detect men that will transfer resourced to theiroffspring (i.e. health and paternal investment). Males, however, have evolved mechanisms

that enable them to detect females that promise rapid production of offspring, and

disinclination to mate with other men (i.e. health, fertility, and faithfulness). This couldexplain why men expect women to be faithful, and why women seek out faithful men,

however males do not feel compelled to remain faithful to women.

Compare theories, empirical studies and the conceptual framework of this model with the other

perspectives.

Biological Psychodynamic Learning

Key terms and concepts:

Physiological(biological) concepts

affect behavior.

Neurotransmitters(excitatory, inhibitory).

The Brain (localization

of functions).

Bodily Rhythms

Hormones, Endocrine

gland, Drugs, Stress,

Sleep, Materialism,

Hereditary, Central

Key terms and

concepts: archetypes,defense mechanisms,

ego, id, superego,

psychosexual stages ofdevelopment,

inferiority complex,

Oedipal conflict,

conscious etc.

Key terms and concepts:

Reinforcement(positive/negative), operant

conditioning, learning,

classical conditioning,conditioned response,

conditioned stimulus,

schedules of reinforcement,

shaping etc.


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nervous system etc.

Key theorists:

Sperry, Vogel, Broca,

Wernicke

Key theorists:

Freud, Jung, Adler

Key theorists:

Watson, Skinner, Thorndike

Assumptions:

Based on the assumption

of materialism, which

asserts that all behavior

has a physiological

basis.

Genes have evolved over

millions of years to

adapt behavior to the

environment. Therefore,

much behavior will have

a genetic basis.

Assumptions:

Attempts to understand

behavior in terms of the

workings of the mind,

with an emphasis on

motivation and the role

of past experience.

Emphasizes the

importance of innate

drives, the continuity of

normal and abnormal

behavior and the role of

the unconscious mind.

By making the

assumption of psychic

determinism, views all

behavior as having ameaning.

Assumptions:

Emphasizes the study of

observable responses, and

rejects attempts to study

internal processes like

thinking.

Focus on learning as a

primary factor in explaining

changes in behavior.

Parsimony: The principle

that states that one should

always seek the simplest

possible explanation for an

event.

Associationism:

Mental processes,

particularly learning, arebased on forming

connections between ideas

and/or events.

Methodology:

Correlational studies,

double blind trials,experiments, interviews,

case studies and

questionnaires.

Methodology:

Case studies, interviews

Methodology:

Experiments, interviews,

surveys, observation

Identify and explain the strengths and limitations of biological explanations of behavior.

Strengths with the biological approach a

better understanding of how the brain

works has been achieved. Such as withBrocas work, localization of the brain

psychologists were able to connect a

specific behavior to a specific area of the brain). Also the developments of

techniques to study the brain have

improved with time. Different techniquesare EEG, MRI, CAT scans, PET.

The biological perspective has also helped

us understand the effect that drugs have in

the organism (such as cocaine, alcohol etc)and understand what happens to different

areas of the brain and to neurotransmitters.

The study of psychoactive (mindaffecting) drugs is a concern in both

Limitations the biological approach

emphasizes getting inside the black

box, that is look at internal structure ofthe organism. However, they do not

take in to account outside factors, such

as the environment, effect of society,family etc. on behavior. Not every

behavior can be explained solely on the

brain. Other past experiences can havean effect on our behavior. Such as

when trying to understand aggressionand why someone might change acquirea violent behavior. The biological

perspective proposes that in order for a

persons behavior to change drastically,

two out of these three things musthappen: 1) caused by physical damage

to the brain, 2) have a mental disease,


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psychology and medicine, and has givenrise to a hybrid field called

psychopharmacy. This extensive study

has helped to understand in depth humans

behavior under the influence of drugs.Another strength of this perspective is the

understanding of the effects of hormonal

change on behavior.

3) or have been abused as a child. Thislast one however does not seem to go

with the perspective since it takes into

account past experiences.

Explain the extent to which free will and determinism are integral in this perspective.

Free Will: Since this perspectiveacknowledges the presence of the mind

(basic assumption of materialism), and

focuses on how processes in the brainaccount for behavior, it can be assumed

that free will is integral to this perspective.However, such theories as those that

explain aggression, suggest that there aresome behaviors which are hereditary and

which we have no control over.

Determinism: The biological perspective is deterministic in that it

states that certain psychological

(personality) traits are pre-determined,or inherited. The emphasis on genetics

and the biological basis of behaviormakes determinism integral to this

perspective.

Explain and evaluate claims that correlates exist between physiological and psychological

behavior.

Localization of function: it has been determined that certain areas of the brain are primarily used forcertain functions and determine specific behaviors. This also allows us to determine the effects of

damage on these particular areas of the brain.

Discuss controversies surrounding a reductionist approach, as adopted by many biological

psychologists.

The biological approach can be said to be a reductionist approach because it focuses specifically on

neurological processes. It doesnt take other possible explanations of behavior into account, such as

cognitive processes (mental models), or the role of the environment.

Historical Development and Cultural ContextA long history of interest in mind-body dilemma

The influence of Darwin

The development of genetics and scanning technology


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Paradigm shift toward the scientific method

The Greeks (Hippocrates and Galen)

Early brain research (Broca and Gage)

Darwin

Gene research (Mendel, Watson & Crick and the Genome project)

Brain research (Lesions, Electrical stimulation, ECG, CAT, MRI)

Discoveries in medicine and biology (neurotransmitters, Hormones, Drugs)

Philosophy (Dualism Vs Materalism)

Assumptions All that is psychological is first physiological; behavior is biologically

determined.

Human genes have evolved over millions of years to adapt behavior to theenvironment. Therefore, much behavior has a genetic basis.

Psychology should investigate the brain, nervous system, endocrine system,

neurochemistry, and genes.

Animals may be studied as a means of understanding human behavior.

Key Concepts and Ideas


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Overview:Techniques to Learn about Structure and

Function

Measuring Brain Function EEG (electroencephalogram) used to

study states of arousal sleeping

/dreaming and detect abnormalities and

study cognition. PET (positron emission tomography)

color graphics depend on the amount ofmetabolic activity in the imaged brain

region.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

show brain at work at higher resolutionthan PET = Changes in oxygen in the

blood of an active brain area. Explore

well-known systems like perception toless understood systems like motivation

and emotion.

Organization of Nervous System

Central nervous system brain and

spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system somaticand autonomic

Somatic nervous system motor

neuron stimulate skeletal (voluntary)

muscle. Autonomic neuron that stimulates

smooth (involuntary) and heart muscle.

Autonomic antagonistic sympatheticnervous system and parasympathetic

nervous system.

Spinal Cord

The Brain

Evolution

Three division

1. Reptilian brain maintains homeostasisand instinctive behavior

2. Old mammalian brain limbic system

3. New mammalian brain cerebral cortex80% of brain volume higher function

Split brain

Structure and Function of the Neuron

1. Glial cells

2. Neurons

3. Cell body4. Dendrites

5. Axon

6. Terminal buttons7. Myelin sheath

8. Neurotransmitters9. Acetylcholine

10. Dopamine stimulated the hypothalamus tosynthesize hormone

11. Serotonin sexual activity, concentration and

attention12. endorphins

13. Reflex Action reflex arc

The Endocrine System

Endocrine system consists of glands that

secrete chemical messengers called

hormones into your blood. The hormonestravel to target organs where they bind tospecific receptors.

Pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland,

thyroid gland, parathyroid, adrenal glands,pancreas, ovaries and testes

Genetics and Evolution Psychology

Nature vs. Nurture

Genetics and Behavior

Heritability Twins

Transmission of hereditary characteristics

Chromosome, gene, Turners syndrome,Klineflethers syndrome, Down syndromes,

Key Theorists and Their ContributionsHubel and Weisel (Vision) Hubel & Wiesel inserted microscopic electrodes into the visual cortex of


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experimental animals to read the activity of single cells in the visual cortexwhile presenting various stimuli to the animal's eyes. They found a

topographical mapping in the cortex, i.e. that nearby cells in the cortex

represented nearby regions in the visual field, i.e. that the visual cortexrepresents a spatial map of the visual field.

Roger Sperry (Brain) Roger Wolcott Sperry (August 20, 1913 April 17,1994) was aneuropsychologist,neurobiologist and Nobel laureate who, together with

David Hunter HubelandTorsten Nils Wiesel, won the 1981Nobel Prize in

Medicine for his work withsplit-brain research. In his Nobel-winning work,Sperry separated the corpus callosum, the area of the brain used to transfersignals between the right and left hemispheres, to treat epileptics. Sperry and

his colleagues then tested these patients with tasks that were known to be

dependent on specific hemispheres of the brain and demonstrated that thetwo halves of the brain may each contain consciousness. In his words, each

hemisphere is the lateralization of brain function.Charles Darwin (evolution) His 1859 bookOn the Origin of Species established evolution by common

descentas the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature.

He examined human evolution and sexual selection in The Descent of Man,

and Selection in Relation to Sex, followed by The Expression of the

Emotions in Man and Animals.Paul Broca (brain) Broca is most famous for his discovery of the speech production center of

thebrain located in the ventroposterior region of the frontal lobes (now

known as theBroca's area). He arrived at this discovery by studying the

brains ofaphasic patients (persons with speech and language disordersresulting from brain injuries), particularly the brain of his first patient in the

Bictre Hospital, Leborgne, nicknamed "Tan" due to his inability to clearly

speak any words other than "tan".

. Pierre-Paul Broca, Flourens and Lashley, Fred Gage, Joe Martinez, Sperry & Gazzaniga, Hobson & McCarley,Simon LeVay, Bailey & Pillard, W. Greenough, Saul Schanberg, E Roy John, Tiffany Field.

Attitude Toward Determinism Behavior is mainly determined (genetically and

environmentally). People have no choice over heredity or

environment and these factors interact to produce

behavior. Biological approaches to psychology look at the

deterministic influence of genetics, brain structure and

biochemistry. Sociobiologists investigate evolutionarydeterminism.

Methods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1913http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuropsychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuropsychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurobiologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hunter_Hubelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hunter_Hubelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsten_Nils_Wieselhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsten_Nils_Wieselhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_callosumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateralization_of_brain_functionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Origin_of_Specieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_descenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_descenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_descenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_selectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descent_of_Man%2C_and_Selection_in_Relation_to_Sexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descent_of_Man%2C_and_Selection_in_Relation_to_Sexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_and_Animalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_and_Animalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_and_Animalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manner_of_articulationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontal_lobehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broca's_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broca's_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bic%C3%AAtre_Hospitalhttp://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/broca.htmhttp://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/brain-myth2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Gagehttp://ca3.utsa.edu/faculty/martinezj.htmlhttp://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/split-brain/background.htmlhttp://www.here-be-dreams.com/psychology/activation.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_LeVayhttp://www.worldpolicy.org/globalrights/sexorient/twins.htmlhttp://www.psych.uiuc.edu/people/showprofile.php?id=61http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=940DE0D91F3EF931A35751C0A96E948260http://www.med.nyu.edu/Research/johnr01.htmlhttp://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1913http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuropsychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurobiologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hunter_Hubelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsten_Nils_Wieselhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_callosumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateralization_of_brain_functionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Origin_of_Specieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_descenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_descenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_selectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descent_of_Man%2C_and_Selection_in_Relation_to_Sexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descent_of_Man%2C_and_Selection_in_Relation_to_Sexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_and_Animalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_and_Animalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manner_of_articulationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontal_lobehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broca's_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bic%C3%AAtre_Hospitalhttp://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/broca.htmhttp://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/brain-myth2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Gagehttp://ca3.utsa.edu/faculty/martinezj.htmlhttp://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/split-brain/background.htmlhttp://www.here-be-dreams.com/psychology/activation.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_LeVayhttp://www.worldpolicy.org/globalrights/sexorient/twins.htmlhttp://www.psych.uiuc.edu/people/showprofile.php?id=61http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=940DE0D91F3EF931A35751C0A96E948260http://www.med.nyu.edu/Research/johnr01.htmlhttp://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_20


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Invasive vs. non-invasive techniques. Invasive techniques, such as split brain studies are not only un-

ethical, but leave patients in what can be considered a worse condition than their previous one.Although when the corpus callosum was cut on severe epileptics, their seizures stopped, but so did the

communication between left and right brain. These techniques are dangerous and messy. Non-invasive

techniques, however, such as MRI, CAT scans, or PET scans, are safer, and are a lot more helpful in

determining areas of the brain which may be malfunctioning.

Correlational studies, double blind trials, experiments (use of animals and humans = ethicallycontroversial), interviews, case studies and questionnaires.

Correlational Studies

Quasi-Experiments & Natural Experiments

Twin research (a type of correlational research)

Experimentation

Lab research vs. naturalistic research

Reliability and validity of research

Ethical considerations

comparison with other perspectives- application of genetic research and ethical

implications

- changes in education, work and therapy.

Ethical Issues

Evaluation of the Strengths and Weaknesses The approach is very scientific, and

thus is reliable. Practical applications have been

extremely effective.

Reductionist - Bio-psychological theories

often over-simplify the huge complexityof physical systems and their interaction

with the environment.

It has not explained how mind and body

interact - consciousness and emotion aredifficult to study objectively.


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Key Terms

actionpotential

tiny electrical current that isgenerated when positive sodiumions rush inside the axon

autonomicnervoussystem

regulates heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, othemainly involuntary movements

all-or-none

law

if an action potential starts at the

beginning of an axon, it willcontinue to very end of axon

central

nervoussystem

made up of the brain and spinal cord; carriesinformation back and forth between brain and body

Alzheimer'sdisease

incurable, fatal disease involvingbrain damage, with memory loss,deterioration of personality

cerebellumlocated at back of brain; involved in coordinating (butnot in initiating) voluntary movements

curare a drug that enters bloodstream andblocks receptors on muscles,causing paralysis

cortexa thin layer of cells covering the entire surface of theforebrain; folds over on itself to form a large area

dendrites branchlike extensions that arisefrom cell body and receive andpass signals to cell body

endocrinesystem

a system of glands which secrete hormones thataffect organs, muscles, and other glands in the body

end bulbs miniature containers at extremeends of axon branches; storechemicals called neurotransmitters

fight-flightresponse

a state of increased physiological arousal that helpsbody cope with and survive threatening situations

glial cells brain cells that provide scaffolding,insulation, chemicals to protect andsupport neuron growth

forebrain the largest part of the brain; has right and left sides(hemispheres) responsible for many functions

ions chemical particles that haveelectrical charges; oppositecharges attract and like chargesrepel

frontal lobea relatively large cortical area at the front part of thebrain; involved in many functions; like an executive

mescaline a drug that causes arousal, visualhallucinations; acts likeneurotransmitter norepinephrine

genea specific segment on the strand of DNA that containinstructions for building the brain and body

mind-bodyquestion

asks how complex mental activitiescan be generated by physicalproperties of the brain

gonadsglands (ovaries in females, testes in males) thatregulate sexual development and reproduction

nerve impulse series of separate action potentialsthat take place segment by

segment down length of axon

homeostasis

keeping the bodyUs level of arousal in balance for

optimum functioningneuron brain cell with specialized

extensions for receiving andtransmitting electrical signals

limbicsystem

core of the forebrain; involved in many motivationalbehaviors and with organizing emotional behaviors

neurotransmitters

chemical keys with a particularshape that only fits a similarlyshaped chemical lock or receptor

MRI scan(magneticresonanceimaging)

passing nonharmful radio frequencies through brainand measuring how signals interact with brain cells

Parkinson'sdisease

branchlike extensions that arisefrom cell body and receive andpass signals to cell body

occipitallobe


phantom limb vivid experience of sensations andfeelings coming from a limb thathas been amputated

parietallobe

located directly behind the frontal lobe; its functionsinclude the sense of touch, temperature, and pain

reflex an unlearned, involuntary reactionto some stimulus; prewired bygenetic instructions

peripheralnervoussystem

all nerves that extend from the spinal cord and carrymessages to and from muscles, glands, senseorgans

reuptakeprocess of removingneurotransmitters from synapse byreabsorbtion into terminal buttons

PET scan(positronemissiontomography)

measuring a radioactive solution absorbed by braincells; shows the activity of various neurons

sodium pump a chemical process responsible forkeeping axon charged by returningsodium ions outside axon

somaticnervoussystem

a network of nerves that connect either to sensoryreceptors or to muscles you can move voluntarily


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stereotaxicprocedure

fixing a patientUs head in a holderand drilling a small hole through theskull; syringe guided to a rain area

temporallobe

involved in hearing, speaking coherently,understanding verbal and written material

synapse very small space between terminalbutton and adjacent dendrite,muscle fiber, or body organ

amygdalainvolved in forming, recognizing, and rememberingemotional experiences and facial expressions

autonomicnervoussystem

regulates heart rate, breathing,blood pressure, other mainlyinvoluntary movements

homeostasis

keeping the bodyUs level of arousal in balance foroptimum functioning

centralnervoussystem

made up of the brain and spinalcord; carries information back andforth between brain and body

limbicsystem

core of the forebrain; involved in many motivational

behaviors and with organizing emotional behaviors

cerebellumlocated at back of brain; involved incoordinating (but not in initiating)voluntary movements

MRI scan(magneticresonanceimaging)

passing nonharmful radio frequencies through brainand measuring how signals interact with brain cells

cortex a thin layer of cells covering theentire surface of the forebrain; foldsover on itself to form a large area

occipitallobe


endocrinesystem

a system of glands which secretehormones that affect organs,muscles, and other glands in thebody

parietallobe located directly behind the frontal lobe; its functions

include the sense of touch, temperature, and pain

fight-flightresponse

a state of increased physiologicalarousal that helps body cope with

and survive threatening situations

peripheralnervous

system

all nerves that extend from the spinal cord and carrymessages to and from muscles, glands, sense

organsforebrain

the largest part of the brain; hasright and left sides (hemispheres)responsible for many functions

PET scan(positronemissiontomography)

measuring a radioactive solution absorbed by braincells; shows the activity of various neurons

frontal lobe a relatively large cortical area at thefront part of the brain; involved inmany functions; like an executive

somaticnervoussystem

a network of nerves that connect either to sensoryreceptors or to muscles you can move voluntarily

gene a specific segment on the strand ofDNA that contains instructions forbuilding the brain and body

temporallobe

involved in hearing, speaking coherently,understanding verbal and written material

gonads glands (ovaries in females, testesin males) that regulate sexualdevelopment and reproduction

1. EXAM SHORT ANSWER and ESSAY QUESTIONSa. Describe one theoretical explanation of behavioural change in

humans based on the biological perspective. [4 marks]

b. Explain the strengths and limitations of the explanation of

behaviour described in part (a). [4 marks]

May 2003

2. Explain and evaluate claims that correlates exist between physiological

processes and psychological behaviour. [20 marks] May 2003

3. Explain why a reductioninst approach adopted by many biological

psychologists is controversial. [8 marks] Nov 2003

4. Behavioural change can be regarded as arising from an interaction

between innate disposition and environmental factors. Describe and

evaluate theories or studies within the biological perspective related to

this statement. [20 marks] Nov 2003


13/13

5.

a. Outline what is meant by the reductionist approach. [2 marks]

b. Explain how one theory or empirical study from the biological

perspective demonstrates a reductionist approach. [6 marks]

May 2004

6. Discuss how ethical and methodological considerations affect the

interpretation of behaviour from a biological perspective. [20 marks]May 2004

7. Outline historical or cultural considerations that have given rise to the

biological perspective. [8 marks] Nov 2004

8. Discuss strengths and limitations of research methods used within the

biological perspective. [20 marks] Nov 2004

9. Explain how determinism relates to the biological perspective. [8

marks] May 2005

10.

a. Describe assumptions on which key concepts from the biologicalperspective are based. [10 marks]

b. Evaluate the assumptions described in part (a). [10 marks]

May 2005

11. Identify and explain one contribution of the biological perspective to

the scientific study of behaviour. [8 marks] Nov 2005

12. Identify one key concept from the biological perspective and discuss its

contribution to the understanding of behaviour. [20 marks] Nov 2005

ib - the biological perspective

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