Biological Psychology: The Major Issues PDF

Biological Psychology: The Major Issues Donna Lea P. Buendia The Mind-Brain Relationship  Biological Psychology – study of physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience.  It is approximately synonymous w...

Biological Psychology: The Major Issues Donna Lea P. Buendia The Mind-Brain Relationship  Biological Psychology – study of physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience.  It is approximately synonymous with the terms biopsychology, physiobiological psychology, psychobiology and behavioral neuroscience.  Neuroscience – includes much that is relevant to behavior but also includes more detail about anatomy and chemistry. Biological Explanations of Behavior Physiological Functional Explanation Explanation Relates a behavior to the activity of the brain and other Describes why a structure or organs behavior evolved as it did Ontogenetic Explanation Evolutionary Explanation Describes how a structure or behavior develops including the roles of genes, nutrition, Reconstructs the evolutionary experiences, and their history of a structure or interactions behavior Cont. Type of Explanation Example from Songbird Physiological An area of their brain grows under the influence of testosterone; hence, its is larger in breeding males Ontogenetic Young male bird learns its song by listening to adult males Evolutionary Certain pairs of species have similar songs. It suggests that the two evolved from single ancestor. Functional Male birds sing during reproductive season and only in his territory. The functions of the song are to attract females and warn away other males. The Brain and Conscious Experience  Dualism – the belief that mind and body are different kinds of substance that exist independently  Monism – alternative to dualism, the belief that universe consists of only one kind of substance  Forms of Monism: 1. Materialism – the view that everything that exists is material or physical. 2. Mentalism – the view that only the mind really exists 3. Identity Position – The universe has only one kind of substance, which includes both material and mental aspects Career Opportunities Cont.