Intro to Bio-Psy

Question 1

What is Biological Psychology?

Answer 1

The study of physiological, developmental, and evolutionary concepts related to behavior and experience

Question 2

How is Neuroscience different from Biological Psychology?

Answer 2

While both study the relevance of behavior and the brain, Neuroscience is more focused on the anatomy and chemistry of the brain

Question 3

What is a dorsal view of the brain?

Answer 3

Viewing the brain from overhead

Question 4

What is a ventral view of the brain?

Answer 4

Viewing the brain from below

Question 5

What 2 cells are active in a brain and translate into behaviors and experiences?

Answer 5

Neurons and Glia

Question 6

What are the basic characteristics of Neurons?

Answer 6

• Convey messages to other neurons, muscles, and glands
• Vary in size, shape, and function

Question 7

What are the basic characteristics of Glia?

Answer 7

• Smaller than neurons
• Have many functions but do not send information over as much distance as neurons

Question 8

Where does perception occur?

Answer 8

In the brain
- Perceptions are only the result of brain activity–what you see/hear/etc. is not what actually is

Question 9

What is Monism?

Answer 9

• A stance that everything in the universe is only one type of being
• Mental activity and certain types of brain activity are inseparable

Question 10

What is Dualism?

Answer 10

A stance that matter and the mind are two separate things

Question 11

What is the biopsychological explanation for differences among organisms?

Answer 11

Differences in the brain are attributed to differences among organisms
* ex. visualization abilities, amount of sleep needed, etc.

Question 12

What are the 4 types of explanations for behavior?

Answer 12

• Physiological
• Ontogenetic
• Evolutionary
• Functional

Question 13

What is a physiological explanation for behavior?

Answer 13

Explaining behavior with activity of the brain or other organs
* Deals with the machinery of the body
* ex. chemical reactions influence brain activity, which controls muscle reactions

Question 14

What is an ontogenetic explanation for behavior?

Answer 14

Explaining behavior by describing how something develops
* ex. examining behavioral differences between males and females throughout various ages and relating findings to nervous system changes over time

Question 15

What is an evolutionary explanation for behavior?

Answer 15

Explaining behavior by referring to the history of species and examining similarities among related species’ behaviors
* ex. monkeys sometimes use tools, but humans evolved to use tools even better

Question 16

What is a functional explanation for behavior?

Answer 16

Explaining behavior by describing why a characteristic or behavior evolved the way it did
* Explains advantages that species have and why they have it
* ex. camoflaged appearances make animals harder to see by predators, and some animals’ behavior reflects its camoflage, like fish pretending to be kelp

Question 17

How does a functional explanation differ from an evolutionary explanation?

Answer 17

Evolutionary explanations refer to similarities among multiple species, while functional explanations are only focused on a single species’ behavior(s)

Question 18

What is genetic drift?

Answer 18

The changing frequency of a particular gene, or gene variation, being passed on within a population
* Can cause gene variations to disappear entirely
* Often occurs by chance

Question 19

What are reasons that biopsychologists do much of their research on nonhumans?

Answer 19

• It easier to study similar structures in more simple animals
• Humans are naturally curious
• Things learned about animals help scientists better understand human evolution
• Legal/ethical limitations prevent certain research on humans