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Questions and Answers
Which of the following terms is synonymous with biological psychology?
Which of the following terms is synonymous with biological psychology?
What does biological psychology primarily study?
What does biological psychology primarily study?
Which of the following methods involves randomization of subjects?
Which of the following methods involves randomization of subjects?
Which instrument is NOT typically associated with biological psychology research?
Which instrument is NOT typically associated with biological psychology research?
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What role do animals play in biological psychology?
What role do animals play in biological psychology?
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Which imaging technique is associated with measuring brain activity?
Which imaging technique is associated with measuring brain activity?
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What is the primary focus of quasi-experimental studies in biological psychology?
What is the primary focus of quasi-experimental studies in biological psychology?
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Which of the following is a biological measurement often used in biological psychology?
Which of the following is a biological measurement often used in biological psychology?
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What role does Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) play in living organisms?
What role does Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) play in living organisms?
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In the analogy comparing brain function to a computer, which part corresponds to the neurones?
In the analogy comparing brain function to a computer, which part corresponds to the neurones?
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At what age is the human brain considered to be fully developed?
At what age is the human brain considered to be fully developed?
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What is reductionism in the context of Biological Psychology?
What is reductionism in the context of Biological Psychology?
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Which of the following describes the relationship between DNA, neurones, and the brain at the social level?
Which of the following describes the relationship between DNA, neurones, and the brain at the social level?
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What are the two proximate questions in Tinbergen's Four Questions framework?
What are the two proximate questions in Tinbergen's Four Questions framework?
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What does the function of crying in infants primarily achieve?
What does the function of crying in infants primarily achieve?
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Which of the following best describes the relationship between Evolutionary Psychology and Biological Psychology?
Which of the following best describes the relationship between Evolutionary Psychology and Biological Psychology?
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What influences the crying behavior in infants after the first three months of life?
What influences the crying behavior in infants after the first three months of life?
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Which statement about the costs of infant crying is true?
Which statement about the costs of infant crying is true?
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What role do endogenous opioids and serotonin play in the ontogeny of crying?
What role do endogenous opioids and serotonin play in the ontogeny of crying?
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What does Tinbergen's ultimate question of 'adaptative value' address?
What does Tinbergen's ultimate question of 'adaptative value' address?
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What evidence suggests that early humans provided continuous care to their infants?
What evidence suggests that early humans provided continuous care to their infants?
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Study Notes
Introduction to Biological Psychology
- Biological Psychology, also known as Behavioural Neuroscience or Psychobiology, applies biological principles to studying behaviour, focusing on physiological, genetic, and developmental mechanisms in humans and animals.
- Behaviour is defined as any action an organism takes in response to stimulation, linking biology with behaviour and environment.
- Biological Psychology is interdisciplinary, drawing on biology, neuroscience, physiological psychology, genetics, and evolution to understand human experience.
Methods of Biological Psychology
- Experiments: Use varied methods like knockout mice, optogenetics, and randomisation to study specific behaviours in controlled environments.
- Quasi-experimental Studies: Similar to experiments but do not randomly assign participants.
- Case Studies: Focus on individual organisms to understand behaviour.
Instruments of Biological Psychology
- Animals: Commonly used in studies, ranging from rats and mice to monkeys and cats.
The Level of Analysis: Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
- DNA carries genetic instructions for organism growth, function, and reproduction.
- Behavioural genetics examines the influence of genes on behaviour.
The Level of Analysis: The Neuron
- Neurons are the fundamental units of the brain.
- Neurons process information, breaking it down and relaying it to other parts of the brain and body.
- Neuronal communication is analogous to a computer, where the brain = CPU, the body = computer, and the neurons = communication/information processing.
The Level of Analysis: The Brain
- The brain, comprised of over 86 billion neurons, is responsible for sensing and perceiving.
- Brain development continues until approximately age 21, fully myelinated.
Levels of Analysis: The Social Level
- Social level analysis considers how DNA, neurons, and the brain contribute to human experience at a social level.
- Biological psychology explains how humans function in the world and how we experience the world.
Evolutionary Psychology
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Evolutionary Psychology investigates human experience by considering its evolutionary context, even with its apparent contradictions.
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Nikolas Tinbergen's four questions (mechanism, development, evolution, and adaptive value) guide this investigation, offering deep understanding of how behaviours evolved.
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These four questions can be applied to any behaviour or trait to understand its evolutionary context.
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Crying in infants, for example, can be examined through these lenses to understand its biological and evolutionary functions. External causes include hunger, pain, and discomfort. Internal causes involve regulating physiological processes like body temperature, neurological development, and the limbic system. The fixed trajectory of crying in the first three months can be studied. It is an honest signal, however it does have metabolic costs and dangers from predation or parental abuse. Crying elicits care from parents or caregivers and the behaviours that lead to it are universal behaviours across infants.
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Comparative evidence from primates and hunter-gatherer societies suggests historically continuous care/contact to infants.
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Crying is a functional behaviour, conveying infant health and triggering care-giving responses.
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Description
Explore the core concepts of Biological Psychology, which combines principles from biology and psychology to understand behavior and its physiological, genetic, and developmental underpinnings. The quiz covers methods of experimentation, including case studies and quasi-experimental designs, and highlights the interdisciplinary nature of this fascinating field.
