intro and overview Flashcards
What are Tinbergen’s 4 questions (1963) for understanding behaviour?
1) What is the behaviour’s function in increasing fitness?
2) How has the behaviour evolved?
3) What causes the behaviour to be performed?
4) How does the behaviour develop over an individual’s lifetime?
Which of Tinbergen’s questions relate to evolutionary processes?
1 and 2
Which of Tinbergen’s questions relate to mechanisms and development (psychobiology)?
3 and 4
Why study Psychobiology in Psychology?
It’s one of the 5 core BPS areas; links psychological processes to biological bases; offers broader understanding of mental health and behaviour.
What did Aristotle believe about the mind and brain?
Mind controls behaviour and is located in the heart; brain cools the body.
What did Hippocrates believe about the brain?
The brain is the seat of the mind and is connected to sense organs and muscles.
What was Descartes’ view on the mind-brain relationship?
Dualist—mind and body are separate; the soul directs the brain via the pineal gland.
What is Patricia Churchland’s view on the brain and mind?
Materialist—neurobiology of the brain generates the conscious mind and behaviour.
What are four types of evidence that support the brain-behaviour connection?
- Brain damage alters the mind.
- Evolutionarily preserved behaviours across species.
- Brain electrical activity matches perception.
- Neuropsychology and imaging reveal functional changes.
What is PET and what does it measure?
Positron Emission Tomography; uses radioactive tracers to measure protein binding or brain activity like glucose uptake.
What is MRI used for in psychobiology?
Magnetic Resonance Imaging; visualizes brain structure and anatomy.
Why is animal research used in biological psychology?
It helps study similar brain functions across species, though it’s controversial.
What does anatomy focus on in brain research?
Cell types, structures, and connections—often via post-mortem tissue
What does physiology focus on in brain research?
Brain activity via electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and live studies.
How is physiology manipulated in research?
Via lesions, pharmacology, and genetics to understand brain function and behaviour.
What is the significance of Tinbergen’s 4 questions?
They guide the study of behaviour by addressing its function, cause, evolution, and development.
What historical shift occurred in understanding mind and brain?
From heart-based and dualist models to a materialist, brain-based understanding.
What methods show the brain causes behaviour and thought?
Neuropsychology, structural imaging (MRI), and physiological recording (live brain activity).
