FOUNDATION OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY Flashcards
(31 cards)
What is the comparative method in the biological perspective of psychology?
Studying and comparing different species to understand human behavior.
How does physiologycontribute to the biological perspective in psychology?
By examining how the nervous system, hormones, and brain function affect behavior.
What does investigation of inheritance focus on in biological psychology?
What animals inherit from parents and the mechanisms of genetics.
What is a biological explanation of behavior?
An activity of the brain or organs linked to body mechanics and chemical reactions.
What is a functional explanation of behavior?
It explains why a behavior evolved in the way it did.
What role does genetic drift play in functional explanations?
It explains how a gene may spread in a small population by chance.
What is an ontogenetic explanation of behavior?
It describes how behavior or structure develops from genes, nutrition, and experience.
What is an evolutionary explanation of behavior?
It examines behavior or structure through evolutionary history.
What does consciousness refer to in psychology?
Awareness of your thoughts, feelings, sensations, memories, and environment.
What did Sigmund Freud focus on in relation to consciousness?
The importance of the unconscious and conscious mind.
What method did structuralists use to study consciousness?
Introspection to analyze and report sensations, thoughts, and experiences.
What does Integrated Information Theory focus on?
Whether something is conscious and the degree of consciousness.
What does Global Workspace Theory suggest about consciousness?
That conscious awareness is formed by drawing from a brain-based memory bank.
What concept did René Descartes introduce in relation to the mind?
Mind-body dualism, the idea that mind and matter are distinct.
How did William James describe consciousness?
As a continuous and unbroken stream despite constant changes.
What is genetics?
The study of genes, heredity, and genetic variation.
How does genetic makeup influence human behavior?
It plays a large role in determining behavior and identity.
What are chromosomes and what do they contain?
Structures in cells that contain coiled DNA and determine characteristics.
How many chromosomes do humans typically have?
46 chromosomes, arranged in 23 pairs (22 pairs of autosomes, and a pair of sex chromosomes).
What are autosomes?
Chromosomes that contain the remainder of a person’s genetic information.
What are sex chromosomes?
Chromosomes linked to a person’s sex.
When can chromosomal abnormalities occur?
During fetal development due to errors in cell replication.
What causes Down syndrome?
An extra chromosome #21.
What causes Klinefelter syndrome?
An extra X chromosome.
