Biological Basis of Behavior

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following best illustrates how clinicians can benefit from understanding brain processes in the context of mental disorders?

  • They can prescribe medications without consulting a psychiatrist.
  • They can perform neurosurgery to correct brain abnormalities.
  • They can provide medically informed explanations to clients and recognize potential inaccuracies in self-reported information. (correct)
  • They can definitively diagnose mental disorders based solely on brain scans.

A client reports experiencing persistent low mood, fatigue, and loss of interest in activities. According to biological approaches, which of the following neurotransmitter imbalances could potentially contribute to these symptoms?

  • Deficiencies in dopamine and serotonin (correct)
  • Overproduction of endorphins
  • Excessive levels of adrenaline
  • High levels of oxytocin

A psychologist is treating a client with severe anxiety. If the psychologist is following a biological treatment approach, which intervention would they MOST likely use?

  • Exposure therapy
  • Mindfulness meditation
  • Prescription of benzodiazepines (correct)
  • Cognitive restructuring

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is currently used in the treatment of which psychological disorders?

<p>Depression, OCD, and certain addictions (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does heritability estimate attempt to quantify?

<p>The proportion of observable characteristic variability associated with genetic variation in a population. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following examples BEST demonstrates the principles of epigenetics?

<p>Exposure to toxins during pregnancy alters gene expression in the offspring, leading to increased risk of certain diseases. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A researcher is conducting a twin study to investigate the heritability of anxiety disorders. If they find a significantly higher concordance rate for anxiety disorders in monozygotic (identical) twins compared to dizygotic (fraternal) twins, what conclusion is MOST supported?

<p>Anxiety disorders have a strong genetic component. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When considering the interplay between genetic and environmental factors, phenotypic variance can be broken down into three components. Which of the options below accurately lists these components?

<p>Genetic variance, environmental variance, interaction variance (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sequences accurately reflects the relationship between assessment and case conceptualization?

<p>Assessment informs case conceptualization. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the core components of case conceptualization?

<p>Information gathering, understanding the individual's situation and patterns, and understanding how the individual operates in the world around them. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does informal assessment MOST contribute to the therapeutic process?

<p>It allows for continuous gathering of data and refinement of case conceptualization throughout treatment. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the PRIMARY purpose of assessment in clinical settings?

<p>To understand the individual, predict behavior, plan treatment, and evaluate treatment outcome. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A clinician starts an assessment with broad, open-ended questions before moving to more specific inquiries. What is the MOST likely reason for this approach?

<p>To establish rapport and gather a wide range of information before focusing on specific issues. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which component of an assessment is typically NOT used on children?

<p>Personality testing (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following assessment components is MOST likely to be used to evaluate cognitive strengths and weaknesses related to potential neurological conditions like dementia or Alzheimer's disease?

<p>Neuropsychological testing (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Biological Theory in Psychology

Human and animal behavior is based on physical causes, including physiology, brain structures, neurochemistry, DNA, genetic influences, and epigenetics.

Health Psychology

A subfield of behavioral medicine focused on the relationship between mental and physical health.

Biofeedback/Neurofeedback

Training someone to consciously control physiological responses, or brain activation.

Hormones and Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers in the body that play a crucial role in mental health.

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Antidepressants

Medications like SSRIs, SNRIs, and NDRIs used to treat depression.

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Anxiolytics

Medications like SSRIs and Benzodiazepines used to reduce anxiety.

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Stimulants

Medications like Dextroamphetamine & amphetamine (a.k.a Adderall) used to increase focus and attention.

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Mood Stabilizers

Medications used to stabilize mood swings, such as lithium.

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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

A noninvasive technique that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain.

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Heritability Estimate

The proportion of variability in an observable characteristic that can be attributed to genetic variation. It ranges from 0 to 100%.

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Epigenetics

The study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the DNA sequence itself.

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Case Conceptualization

A method of gathering and organizing information about a person to understand and explain their situation, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

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Importance of Assessment

Collecting data to form a case conceptualization and monitor ongoing progress.

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Components of an Assessment

Clinical interview, behavioral observation, personality testing, symptom-based testing, cognitive testing, neuropsychological testing and physiological testing

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Purposes of Assessment

Understanding the individual, predicting behavior, planning treatment, and evaluating treatment outcome.

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Study Notes

  • Human behavior, both animal and human, has physical causes, including physiology, brain structure, neurochemistry, DNA, genetic influences, and epigenetics.

Physiology

  • Focuses on the relationship between mental and physical health.
  • Health psychology is a subfield of behavioral medicine.
  • Biofeedback (physiological responses) and neurofeedback (brain activation, brain waves) are used in treatment.

Brain & Mental Disorders

  • Clinicians can use awareness of brain processes to:
    • Explain medically informed information to clients.
    • Identify potentially incorrect self-reported information.
    • Know when to refer clients to medical professionals or neuropsychologists.

Neurochemistry

  • Hormones and neurotransmitters act as chemical messengers.
  • Chemical impulses are released by the endocrine system.
  • Electrical impulses are released by the CNS.

Hormones & Neurotransmitters

  • Dopamine deficiencies, serotonin, oxytocin, melatonin, endorphins, adrenaline, and norepinephrine are important mood-related hormones and neurotransmitters in mental health.

Biological Treatment: Medications

  • Antidepressants:
    • SSRIs (e.g., Sertraline/Zoloft).
    • SNRIs (e.g., Venlafaxine/Effexor).
    • NDRIs (e.g., Bupropin/Aplenzin).
  • Anxiolytics:
    • SSRIs (e.g., Fluoxetine/Prozac).
    • Benzodiazepines (e.g., Lorazepam/Ativan) are effective for anxiety and prescribed as needed, potentially acting as negative reinforcers.
  • Stimulants:
    • Dextroamphetamine & amphetamine (Adderall).
  • Antipsychotics:
    • Used as mood stabilizers.
  • Mood Stabilizers:
    • Lithium.
  • Individuals with one disorder often have another.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

  • Uses magnetic fields to stimulate brain nerve cells.
  • Mechanism is not fully understood, but may involve increased blood flow.
  • Used to treat depression, OCD, and some addictions.

Genetic Influences

  • Mapping the human genome in relation to psychological disorders.
  • 20,300 genes comprise the human genome.
  • 857 genes relate to general cognitive functions.
  • 736 genes relate to temperament.

Twin and Adoption Studies

  • Heritability estimates are used to find out how much variability is related to genetic variation in the population.
  • Phenotypic variance = genetic variance + environmental variance + interaction variance.
  • Heritability estimates range from 0 to 1 (0 to 100%).

Epigenetics

  • Focuses on heritable phenotype changes without DNA sequence alterations.
  • Environmental factors can alter genetic expression.
  • Epigenetics studies how these alterations are passed down through generations.

Assessment & Case Conceptualization

  • Assessment is used before case conceptualization.

Case Conceptualization

  • A method to obtain and organize information about a person.
  • Used to understand and explain a person's situation and patterns (thoughts, emotions, and behaviors).
  • Seeks to understand how people operate in their surrounding world.
  • Context matters, understand the internal person; also seek to understand their cultural context, how they function with how those around them treat them.
  • Case conceptualization gathers puzzle pieces through assessment, which should be rooted in theory.

Importance of Assessment

  • Assessment collects data to form a case conceptualization.
  • Clinicians are trained in assessment practices.
  • Assessment is continuous.
  • Informal assessment happens throughout treatment while the case conceptualization itself also continuously occurs throughout therapy as well.
  • Collecting data will help the client see progress they have made.

Purposes of Assessment

  • To understand the individual.
  • To predict behavior.
  • To plan treatment.
  • To evaluate treatment outcome.
  • It is multidimensional.
  • Begins broad and narrows to specific (e.g., start with the presenting problem and then hone in on treatment).

Components of an Assessment

  • Clinical interview.
  • Behavioral observations/assessment.
  • Personality testing (adults only).
  • Symptom-based testing.
  • Cognitive testing.
  • Neuropsychological testing (dementia, Alzheimer's; focuses on strengths and weaknesses).
  • Physiological testing.

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