Biopsychology Introduction

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary focus of biopsychology?

The study of human emotions and feelings

The study of human social interactions

The study of human cognition and intelligence

The study of behavior and brain function (correct)

How many fields of neuroscience are particularly relevant to biopsychological inquiry?

Eight

Three

Four

Six (correct)

What is the primary difference between human and nonhuman subjects in biopsychological research?

Humans are more aggressive

Humans are more intelligent

Humans are more complex and can provide more detailed self-report data (correct)

Humans have a larger brain-to-body mass ratio

What type of study is used to establish causal relationships between variables?

Experiment Signup and view all the answers

What division of biopsychology focuses on the study of the physiological basis of behavior?

Physiological psychology Signup and view all the answers

What division of biopsychology focuses on the study of the neural mechanisms underlying cognition?

Cognitive neuroscience Signup and view all the answers

What research method involves the use of multiple operations to converge on a single explanation?

Converging operations Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of scientific inference in research?

To explain the underlying mechanisms of a phenomenon Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of pure research?

To acquire knowledge out of curiosity Signup and view all the answers

Which type of study involves manipulating the nervous system pharmacologically?

Psychopharmacology Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of experiments over non-experiments?

Experiments can establish cause-and-effect relationships Signup and view all the answers

When would a researcher use a case study design?

When the phenomenon of interest is rare Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of applied research?

Finding solutions to practical problems Signup and view all the answers

Which type of design involves examining a single subject in detail?

Single-subject design Signup and view all the answers

What is a limitation of quasi-experimental studies?

They are often prone to confounding variables Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of physiological psychology research?

Direct manipulation of the nervous system Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of biopsychology?

The scientific study of the biology of behavior Signup and view all the answers

When did biopsychology develop as a discipline?

Early 20th century Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the book written by Hebb in 1949?

The Organization of Behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is a advantage of using human subjects in research?

Follow directions Signup and view all the answers

What is a advantage of using nonhuman subjects in research?

Simpler nervous systems Signup and view all the answers

What is an area of neuroscience that biopsychology is related to?

Neuroanatomy Signup and view all the answers

What is a consideration when conducting research with human subjects?

Ethical constraints Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of biopsychology as a science?

A young science Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of neuropsychology?

The psychological effects of brain dysfunction and their treatment Signup and view all the answers

What type of research design is commonly used in neuropsychology?

Quasi-experimental designs Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of psychophysiology?

The relationship between physiological activity and psychological processes Signup and view all the answers

What is the newest division of biopsychology?

Cognitive Neuroscience Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary method used in Cognitive Neuroscience?

Non-invasive functional brain imaging Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a measure used in psychophysiology?

Muscle tension Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a cognitive process studied in Cognitive Neuroscience?

Learning and memory Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of Cognitive Neuroscience?

Interdisciplinary collaboration Signup and view all the answers

What approach does comparative psychology adopt?

Both comparative and functional approaches Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of converging operations in biopsychology?

To progress using different approaches Signup and view all the answers

Why do scientists in biopsychology use scientific inference?

Because they can study the effects of processes on behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of thinking critically about biopsychological claims?

To identify the weaknesses of arguments Signup and view all the answers

What is Morgan's Canon?

A principle that dictates a simpler explanation should be supported Signup and view all the answers

What did José Delgado claim to have found?

A caudate taming center Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of comparative psychology?

Evolutionary psychology and behavioral genetics Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the research on phenylketonuria (PKU) in understanding the genetics of behavior?

Provides insight into the interaction of genetic and environmental factors in behavior Signup and view all the answers

Why is it essential to distinguish between the development of individuals and the development of individual differences?

To appreciate the complexity of human development Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misinterpretation of heritability estimates?

That they imply a direct causal link between genes and behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for two genes that control the same trait?

Alleles Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of using twin studies to investigate the interaction of genes and experience?

They provide a natural experiment for studying the interaction of nature and nurture Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of asomatognosia?

Deficiency in awareness of one's own body parts Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the physical expression of a trait?

Phenotype Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a cell division that produces gametes?

Meiosis Signup and view all the answers

What is a limitation of traditional dichotomies in understanding the biology of behavior?

They oversimplify the complexity of human behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for having two identical alleles of a gene?

Homozygous Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of the origins of dichotomous thinking?

The debate between physiological and psychological explanations of behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is a problem with thinking about the biology of behavior in terms of traditional dichotomies?

They fail to account for the interplay between genetic and environmental factors Signup and view all the answers

Where are genes located?

In chromosomes Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of fertilization?

A zygote with 23 pairs of chromosomes Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a cell division that produces non-gamete cells?

Mitosis Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of vertebrates?

They have spinal bones Signup and view all the answers

What is an advantage of bony fishes leaving the water?

Access to new terrestrial food sources Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of reptiles?

They lay shell-covered eggs Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of mammals?

They develop mammary glands Signup and view all the answers

When did the first Homo species emerge from a species of Australopithecus?

2 million years ago Signup and view all the answers

What is the genus of humans?

Homo Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the evolutionary link between fish and land animals?

Missing evolutionary link Signup and view all the answers

What is the first phase of gene expression?

Transcription of DNA base-sequence code to RNA base-sequence code Signup and view all the answers

When did Homo sapiens emerge?

275,000 years ago Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the Human Genome Project?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of human DNA is used for gene synthesis?

1% Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of promoters in gene expression?

To initiate transcription of DNA Signup and view all the answers

What is the second phase of gene expression?

Translation of RNA base sequence code into protein Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of epigenetics?

The study of mechanisms that affect gene expression without altering DNA sequence Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of activators in gene expression?

To enhance transcription of DNA Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of repressors in gene expression?

To inhibit transcription of DNA Signup and view all the answers

What is the consequence of the absence of phenylalanine hydroxylase in individuals with phenylketonuria?

Accumulation of phenylalanine in the brain Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of twin studies in understanding the development of individual differences?

To assess the relative contributions of environment and genes Signup and view all the answers

What is the range of heritability estimates reported in the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart?

40-80 percent Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the research conducted by Wong, as mentioned in the text?

Methylation in buccal cells Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of studying twins reared apart?

It provides a natural experiment to study the impact of environment on individual differences Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart?

To estimate the heritability of complex human traits and behaviors Signup and view all the answers

What is the consequence of having a diet that is free of phenylalanine for individuals with phenylketonuria?

It reduces the effects of the disorder Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the research conducted by Turkheimer, as mentioned in the text?

The function of SES in shaping individual differences Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Defining Biopsychology

Biopsychology is the scientific study of the biology of behavior
Focuses on the biological processes that underlie behavior and mental states

Origins of Biopsychology

Developed as a discipline in the early 20th century
Influenced by Donald Hebb's book "The Organization of Behavior" (1949)
A young science that employs a variety of methods

Relationship to Other Disciplines

Biopsychology is related to other disciplines of neuroscience, including:
- Neuroanatomy
- Neurochemistry
- Neuroendocrinology
- Neuropathology
- Neuropharmacology
- Neurophysiology

Human and Nonhuman Subjects

Advantages of human subjects:
- Can follow directions
- Can report subjective experiences
- Less expensive
- Study of the human brain
Advantages of nonhuman subjects:
- Simpler nervous systems
- Comparative approach
- Fewer ethical constraints

Research Models

Experiments:
- Can establish cause-and-effect relationships
- Between-subjects design
- Within-subjects design
- Independent variables
- Dependent variables
- Confounding variables
Quasiexperimental studies:
- Used when controlled experiments are impossible
- Self-selected subjects
- Can't control confounds
Case studies:
- Used when conditions are rare
- Single-subject design
- Questionable generalizability

Pure and Applied Research

Pure research:
- Driven by curiosity
- Focus on acquiring knowledge
Applied research:
- Aims to provide a direct benefit to humankind
- Translational: Pure research into applications

Divisions of Biopsychology

Physiological Psychology:
- Direct manipulation of the nervous system
- Mostly animal subjects
- Laboratory setting
- Focus on pure research
Psychopharmacology:
- Manipulation of the nervous system pharmacologically
- Focuses on drug effects on behavior
- Conduct both pure and applied research
Neuropsychology:
- Focuses on psychological effects of brain dysfunction
- Uses case studies and quasiexperimental designs
- Applied research
Psychophysiology:
- Focuses on the relation between physiological activity and psychological processes
- Uses noninvasive recordings from humans
- Measures muscle tension, eye movement, pupil dilation, and electrical conductance of the skin

Cognitive Neuroscience

Focuses on the neural basis of cognitive processes
Includes learning and memory, attention, and perceptual processes
Uses noninvasive functional brain imaging
Interdisciplinary collaboration

Comparative Psychology

Adopts comparative and functional approaches
Both laboratory and ethological studies
Includes evolutionary psychology and behavioral genetics

Converging Operations

Biopsychologists work together to ask good questions
Each area has weaknesses that are compensated by other approaches
Converging operations:
- Progress made using different approaches
- Each compensates for the shortcomings of others

Scientific Inference

Brain activity is not directly observable
Scientists look at the effects of processes
Scientific inference: making educated guesses based on observations

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking identifies weaknesses in arguments
Claims from the history of biopsychology serve as examples
Evaluates the strengths and limitations of scientific evidence

Classic Research on Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a single-gene metabolic disorder that causes intellectual impairment
It is characterized by the accumulation of phenylalanine due to the absence of phenylalanine hydroxylase
A phenylalanine-free diet can reduce the effects of PKU

Development of Individuals versus Development of Differences among Individuals

It is essential to distinguish between the development of individuals and the development of individual differences
This distinction is critical in understanding the relative contributions of environment and genes
Twin studies are used to assess the contributions of genes and environment to individual differences
Monozygotic twins are used to study genetic influences, while dizygotic twins are used to study environmental influences

Heritability Estimates: Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart

The Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart is a classic study that correlates complex human traits and behaviors
Heritability estimates from the study range between 40-80 percent

Course of Human Evolution

The evolution of vertebrates involved the development of chordates, vertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and primates
Humans emerged from the order primates, specifically from the genus Homo
The emergence of Homo sapiens occurred around 275,000 years ago

Mendelian Genetics

True-breeding lines can be either white (ww) or brown (BB)
Brown is the dominant trait, and it appears in all first-generation offspring (Bw)
Each inherited factor is a gene, and two genes that control the same trait are called alleles
Homozygous individuals have two identical alleles (BB, ww), while heterozygous individuals have two different alleles (Bw)

Chromosomes

Genes are located on chromosomes, and humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes
Meiosis is the process of cell division that produces gametes, while mitosis is the process of cell division for all other cells
Zygote contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, resulting from the fusion of egg and sperm cells during fertilization

Genetic Code and Gene Expression

Gene expression has two phases: transcription and translation
Transcription involves the conversion of DNA base-sequence code to RNA base-sequence code
Translation involves the conversion of RNA base-sequence code to protein

Epigenetics

Epigenetics is the study of gene-environment interactions
Four factors led to the rise of epigenetics: the discovery of junk DNA, the minor function of RNA, unknown mechanisms of gene-environment interactions, and the availability of new research techniques

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Description

This quiz covers the basics of biopsychology, including its definition, origins, and relationship to other disciplines in neuroscience.