Biology Chapter on Genetics and Consciousness

Biological Psychology

• Focuses on the physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience
• Emphasizes the study of brain areas and sub-areas
• Brain function depends on communication among neurons
• Neuron activity produces behavior and experience

Biological Explanations of Behavior

• Physiological: Links behavior to brain and organ activity (e.g., area of brain enabling bird song)
• Ontogenetic: Describes behavior development (e.g., the combined role of genes and environment in bird song)
• Evolutionary: Examines a behavior's evolutionary history (e.g., similar songs in bird species with a common ancestor)
• Functional: Explains why a behavior or structure evolved (e.g., singing improves mating success)

Mind-Body Problem

• Dualism: Mind and body are distinct substances that interact (Descartes proposed mind and brain interact in the pineal gland)
• Monism: One kind of existence
  • Materialism: Everything is physical/material
  • Mentalism: Only the mind exists
  • Identity: Mental processes are the same as certain brain processes

Mind-Body Problem (continued)

• Hard problem: Explaining why brain activity creates experience
• Easy problems: Identifying brain mechanisms enabling specific mental states (e.g., wakefulness, focus)

Mind-Body Problem (continued)

• Research difficulty: Consciousness is not directly observable. Solipsism is the belief that only one's own existence is certain.
• Questions remain regarding where consciousness occurs, if all animals/plants/rocks experience it, when in human development it begins to emerge and if artificial consciousness could theoretically be produced.

Genetics of Behavior

• Mendel (19th century): Inheritance is through genes located on chromosomes.
• Genotype: Gene pair expression (e.g., BB, Bb, bb)
• DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid forms chromosomes, serves as a template for RNA synthesis
  • Double-strand helix structure in chromosomes:
  • Single-strand for RNA synthesis template

Genetics of Behavior (continued)

• Genotype Expression:
  • Homozygous: Identical genes in the pair (BB or bb)
  • Heterozygous: Different genes in the pair (Bb)
  • Dominant Gene: Expressed regardless of the other gene in the pair;
  • Recessive Gene: Only expressed if both genes in the pair are recessive

Genetics of Behavior (continued)

• Heritability: Estimate of how much variation in a trait is due to genetics. (ranges from 0 to 1)
  • 0 means no heritability contribution
  • 1 means all the variation in the trait is due to genes
  • 0.5 means equal contributions from genes and environment.
• Determining Heritability: Comparing monozygotic and dizygotic twins, adopted children to their biological and adoptive parents

Genetics of behavior (continued)

• Modifiability of heritability -Phenotype/genetic abilities/traits can be modified (e.g. PKU via diet)

Evolution of Behavior

• Changes in gene frequencies over generations
• Changes driven by mutations, recombinations, and new genes.
• Artificial selection limits reproduction, promoting desired traits

Evolution of Behavior (Misunderstandings)

• Lamarckian Evolution: Characteristics acquired during a lifetime are inheritable. (Misconception)
• Survival of the Fittest: Evolution is about reproduction, not survival.
• Improvement: Evolution doesn't necessarily lead to improvement, but to adaptation.
• Individual vs. Species: Evolution benefits genes, not individuals or species

Sociobiology/Evolutionary Psychology

• Evolutionary perspective of behavior: why behavior is adaptive through natural selection.
• Examples: animal vision, sleep patterns, eating habits, sex differences

Sociobiology/Evolutionary Psychology (continued)

• Altruism: how genes potentially encourage altruistic behavior
• Criticisms: assumptions about a behavior being adaptive without proper testing.

Reasons for Animal Research

• Similarities in underlying behavior mechanisms across species
• Easier study of specific mechanisms in non-human animals
• Understanding of human evolution through animal studies
• Restrictions in conducting research with human participants.

Ethical Debate on Animal Research

• Techniques like brain damage, electrode implantation and hormone injections.
• Minimalist stance: Acceptable animal research with restrictions.
• Abolitionist stance: Opposing all animal research
• Current US legal and ethical standards regarding animal research involve moderation and compromise.

Careers in Biological Psychology

• Psychologists (PhDs):
  • Behavioral neuroscientists: Studying brain-behavior relationships
  • Neuroscientists: Neuroanatomy, biochemistry, and neurophysiology.
  • Neuropsychologists: Evaluating/treating behavior in brain-damaged individuals
  • Psychophysiologists: Measuring bodily changes related to activity and mental states
• Physicians (MDs):
  • Neurologists: Treat brain disorders
  • Neurosurgeons: Perform brain surgery
  • Psychiatrists: Treat mental health conditions