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Summary Theory, the brain, cognition and development subtest 1
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A summary of all the chapters for subtest 1 for theory module 3.
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Training questions for the second exam in the minor Neuroscience
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Samenvatting Biopsychology, Global Edition, ISBN: 9781292158471 Biopsychology
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Biopsychology Selectie Universiteit Utrecht
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1Theory || Subtest 1: Biopsychology
Lesson 1 - 4, chapter 1-7 of Brain and Cognition by Lubbe, et al.
Chapter 1: Biopsychology as a Neuroscience
Clinical - pertaining to illness or treatment.
The evolutionary perspective is the comparative approach (trying to understand biological phenomena by
comparing them in different species).
What is biopsychology?
Define and discuss what is meant by biopsychology.
Biopsychology is the scientific study of the biology of behaviour. Also referred to as psychobiology, behavioural
biology, or behavioural neuroscience. Biopsychology denotes a biological approach to the study of psychology
rather than a psychological approach to the study of biology. Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour - the
scientific study of all overt activities of the organism as well as all the internal processes that are presumed to
underlie them.
Discuss the origins of the field of biopsychology.
Biopsychology did not develop into a major neuroscientific discipline until the 20th century. The publication of The
Organization of Behaviour in 1949 by D.O. Hebb played a key role in its emergence. In this book the first
comprehensive theory of how complex psychological phenomena, such as perceptions, emotions, thoughts, and
memories, might be produced by brain activity. Hebb based his theory on experiments involving both humans and
laboratory animals, on clinical case studies, and on logical arguments developed from his on insightful observations
from daily life.
List the six fields of neuroscience that are particularly relevant to the biopsychological inquiry.
Neuroanatomy - The study of the structure of the nervous system.
Neurochemistry - The study of the chemical bases of neural activity.
Neuroendocrinology - The study of interactions between the nervous system and the endocrine system.
Neuropathology - the study of nervous system disorders.
Neuropharmacology - the study of the effects of drugs on neural activity.
Neurophysiology - the study of the functions and activities of the nervous system.
, 2
What types of research characterize the biopsychological approach?
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of humans and nonhumans as subjects in biopsychological research.
Advantages of humans over nonhumans as experimental subjects in biopsychological research:
- They can follow instructions;
- They can report their subjective experiences;
- Mostly cheaper;
- Better insight into the human brain.
Advantages of nonhumans over humans as experimental subjects in biopsychological research:
- The brains and behaviour of nonhuman subjects are simpler, thus is more likely to reveal fundamental
brain-behaviour interactions.
- Insights frequently arise from the comparative approach, the study of biological processes by comparing
different species. For example, comparing the behaviour of species that do not have a cerebral cortex with
the behaviour of species that do can provide valuable clues about cortical function;
- It is possible to conduct research on laboratory animals that, for ethical reasons, is not possible for human
participants.
Compare experiments, quasi-experimental studies, and case studies, emphasizing the study of causal effects.
The experiment is the method most used by scientists to study causation, that is, to find out what causes what. To
conduct an experiment involving living subjects, the experimenter first designs two or more conditions under which
the subjects will be tested. Usually, a different group of subjects is tested under each condition (between-subjects
design), but sometimes it is possible to test the same group of subjects under each condition (within-subjects
design). The experimenter assigns the subjects to conditions administers the treatments, and measures the outcome
is such a way that there is only one relevant difference between the conditions being compared. This difference
between the conditions is called the independent variable. The variable measured by the experimenter to assess the
effect of the independent variable is called the dependent variable. If the experiment is done correctly, any
differences in the dependent variable between the conditions must have been caused by the independent variable.
Confounded variable - an unintended difference that led to the observed effects on the dependent variable, which is
not the independent variable.
The Coolidge effect- the fact that a copulating male who becomes incapable of continuing to copulate with one sex
partner can often recommence copulating with a new sex partner.
Lordosis - the arched-back, rump up, the tail-diverted posture of female rodent sexual receptivity.
, 3
Quasi-experimental studies - studies of groups of a subject who have been exposed to the conditions of interest in
the real world.
These studies have the appearance of experiments, but they are not true experiments because potential
confounding variables have not been controlled, for example by the random assignment of subjects to conditions.
Case studies - studies that focus on a single case or subject.
Because they focus on a single case, they often provide a more in-depth picture than that provided by an
experiment or a quasi-experimental study, and they are an excellent source of testable hypotheses. However, there is
one major problem with all case studies: their generalizability - the degree to which their results can be applied to
other cases.
Compare pure and applied research.
Pure research is motivated primarily by the curiosity of the researcher - it is done solely for the purpose of
acquiring knowledge.
Applied research is intended to bring about some direct benefit to humankind.
Many researchers believe that pure research will ultimately prove to be a more practical benefit than
applied research. Their view is that applications flow readily from an understanding of basic principles and that
attempts to move directly to the application without first gaining a basic understanding are shortsighted.
Moreover, pure research often becomes the topic of translational research: research that aims to translate
the findings of pure research into useful applications for humankind.
One important difference between pure and applied research is that pure research is more vulnerable to the vagaries
of political regulation because politicians and the voting public have difficulty understanding why research of no
immediate practical benefit should be supported.
Motor neurons - neurons that control muscles.
Hypothalamus - a small neural structure at the base of the brain.
Corpus callosum - the large neural pathways that connect the left and right halves of the brain.
What are the divisions of biopsychology?
Describe the division of biopsychology known as physiological psychology.
, 4
Physiological psychology is the division of biopsychology that studies the neural mechanisms of behaviour through
the direct manipulation and recording of the brain in controlled experiments - surgical and electrical methods are
most common. Almost always laboratory animals are used because the focus on direct brain manipulation and
controlled experiments preclude the use of human participants in most instances. There is also a tradition of pure
research in physiological psychology; the emphasis is usually on research that contributes to the development of
theories of the neural control of behaviour rather than on research of immediate practical benefit.
Describe the division of biopsychology known as psychopharmacology.
Psychopharmacology is similar to physiological psychology except that it focuses on the manipulation of neural
activity and behaviour with drugs. A substantial portion of psychopharmacological research is applied. The purpose
of many experiments is to develop therapeutic drugs or to reduce drug abuse. The studies are done on both
laboratory species and humans.
Describe the division of biopsychology known as neuropsychology.
Neuropsychology is the study of the psychological effects of brain damage in human patients. Because human
volunteers cannot ethically be exposed to experimental treatments that endanger normal brain function,
neuropsychology deals almost exclusively with case studies and quasi-experimental studies of patients with brain
damage resulting from disease, accident, or neurosurgery.
The outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres - the cerebral cortex - is most likely to be damaged by
accident or surgery; this is one reason why neuropsychology has focused on this important part of the human brain.
Neuropsychology is the most applied of the biopsychological subdisciplines; the neuropsychological
assessment of human patients, even when part of a program of pure research, is always done with an eye toward
benefiting them in some way. Neuropsychological tests facilitate diagnosis and thus help the attending physician
prescribe effective treatment. They can also be an important basis for patient care and counselling.
Describe the division of biopsychology known as psychophysiology.
Psychophysiology is the division of biopsychology that studies the relation between physiological activity and
psychological processes in human subjects. Because the subjects of psychophysiological research are human,
psychophysiological recording procedures are typically non-invasive; that is, the physiological activity is recorded
from the surface of the body. The usual measure of brain activity is the scalp electroencephalogram (EEG). other
common psychophysiological measures are muscle tension, eye movement, and several indicators of autonomic
nervous system activity (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure, pupil dilation, and electrical conductance of the skin). The
autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the division of the nervous system that regulates the body’s inner
environment.
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