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Questions and Answers
What is considered the primary focus of physiological psychology?
What is considered the primary focus of physiological psychology?
Who was the first to suggest a link between the human mind and the anatomical brain?
Who was the first to suggest a link between the human mind and the anatomical brain?
Rene Descartes
Neuroscience emphasizes more on behavior than anatomy.
Neuroscience emphasizes more on behavior than anatomy.
False
Which of the following is NOT a type of biological explanation of behavior?
Which of the following is NOT a type of biological explanation of behavior?
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What behavior is hypothesized to be a product of evolution and biology?
What behavior is hypothesized to be a product of evolution and biology?
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Biological psychology relates biology to psychology; it is the study of physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of human _____ and _____
Biological psychology relates biology to psychology; it is the study of physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of human _____ and _____
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What connects behavior with the influence of genes, nutrition, and experiences?
What connects behavior with the influence of genes, nutrition, and experiences?
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Study Notes
Introduction to Physiological/Biological Psychology
- Human belief in the existence of mind, soul, or spirit spans across historical cultures.
- Philosophical inquiries about the mind's nature include questions about its physical location, control over the nervous system, and connection to the brain.
- The mind-body or mind-brain problem explores the relationship between mental processes and brain activity.
Physiological Psychology
- Emerged from blending experimental methods in psychology and physiology to address psychological questions.
- Studies human cognition, perception, and behavior through an empirical lens, emphasizing the importance of understanding the nervous system's activities.
- Physiological psychologists analyze how the nervous system influences behaviors, such as sensory processing, emotions, and learning.
- René Descartes is credited with proposing a connection between the mind and the anatomical brain.
- Split-brain studies indicate that consciousness is linked to brain activity, primarily in the left hemisphere, affecting verbal acknowledgment and sensory perception.
Neuroscience
- Physiological psychology is a subset of neuroscience, focusing on the nervous system's structure, chemistry, physiology, and development.
- Neuroscience shares a focus on behavior with biological psychology but places greater emphasis on anatomical and chemical aspects.
- Neurology, a medical field, examines nervous system diseases and their impact on behavior, particularly in cases of brain damage.
Biological Psychology
- Defined as the study of physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms related to human behavior and experience.
- Posits that behaviors result from evolutionary adaptations in brain mechanisms and related organs, using yawning as an example of evolution-based behavior.
- Observations like doves drinking with heads down are explained through the interplay of physiological functions, evolutionary heritage, and biological psychology.
Categories of Biological Explanations of Behavior
- Physiological Explanation: Connects behavior to brain activity; for instance, testosterone's influence on songbird singing.
- Ontogenetic Explanation: Links behavior to factors like genes, nutrition, and experiences; essential for songbirds to learn songs from adult models.
- Evolutionary Explanation: Relates behavior to its historical development; similar songs among species may indicate a common ancestor.
- Functional Explanation: Examines the purpose of behaviors concerning survival and reproduction, reflecting on their adaptive significance.
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Description
Explore the fascinating intersection of psychology and physiology in this quiz on physiological psychology. Delve into philosophical questions about the mind-brain relationship, the influence of the nervous system on behavior, and the contributions of key figures like René Descartes. Test your understanding of how empirical methods shape our knowledge of cognition, perception, and emotions.
