Psychology in Action

Chapter 2: Neuroscience & Biological Foundations

Neural Bases of Psychology

Neuroscience:interdisciplinary field studying how biological processes relate to behavioral & mental processes

Neural Bases of Psychology (Continued)

Our nervous system consists of neurons (cells responsible for receiving & transmitting electrochemical information).

Neural Bases of Psychology: The Structure of a Neuron

Neural Bases of Psychology: Applying Psychology to Everyday Life

Key neurotransmitters: • Serotonin• Acetylcholine (ACh)• Dopamine (DA)• Norepinephrine (NE)• Epinephrine (adrenaline)• GABA (gamma aminobutyric

acid)• Endorphins

Nervous System Organization Central Nervous System (CNS):

brain & spinal cord Peripheral Nervous System

(PNS): all nerves & neurons connecting CNS to the rest of the body PNS is subdivided into the somatic

& autonomic nervous systems Autonomic nervous system

subdivided into sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

Nervous System Organization: Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain Spinal Cord

(transmits information into & out of the brain )

Nervous System Organization: Central Nervous System (CNS)

The spinal cord is also responsible for involuntary, automatic behaviors called reflexes.

Nervous System Organization: Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

PNS connects CNS to the rest of the body & is subdivided into:

Somatic Nervous System (SNS): connects to sensory receptors & controls skeletal muscles

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): controls involuntary bodily functions & is further subdivided into:

Sympathetic Nervous System (arouses)Parasympathetic Nervous System

(calms)

Nervous System Organization

Actions & functions of the Sympathetic (arouses) & Parasympathetic (calms) Nervous Systems:

A Tour Through the Brain

A Tour Through The Brain: Hindbrain

Three key structures & functions of the hindbrain: Medulla: life survival functions Pons: respiration, movement, waking,

sleeping, & dreaming Cerebellum: coordination of fine

muscular movement, balance, & some aspects of perception & cognition

A Tour Through The Brain (Continued)

Midbrain: collection of brain structures in the middle of the brain; coordinates movement patterns, sleep, & arousal

Reticular Formation: runs through the hindbrain, midbrain, & brainstem; screens incoming information & controls arousal

A Tour Through The Brain (Continued)

Forebrain: collection of upper-level brain structures, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, & limbic system Thalamus: relays sensory messages to

the cerebral cortex Hypothalamus: responsible for drives,

hormones, & regulating the body’s internal environment

Structures of the Forebrain

A Tour Through The Brain (Continued)

Limbic System: interconnected group of forebrain structures involved with emotions, drives, & memory

Case Study: Terri Schiavo 1990, at the age of 26, Terri suffered a cardiac

incident that left her neurologically damaged due to lack of oxygen to the brain

Her husband and some of her doctors argued that she was in a persistent vegetative state and demonstrated no higher level brain function

Her parents argued that her ability to respond emotionally to her parents at times and breath on her own was “proof of life”

Her husband took the case to the highest courts in the US where the judge determined that she was indeed in a persistent vegetative state with no chance of recovery

Her feeding tube was removed and she died in 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-rQ3tIabvM

What are your thoughts? Do you think there was sufficient proof to keep Terri alive? At what point do you feel that lack of brain function supercedes life? Is “awareness” enough to say that a person is still functioning?

A Tour Through The Brain: Cerebral Cortex

Cerebral Cortex: thin surface layer on the left & right cerebral hemispheres; regulates most complex behavior, including sensations, motor control, & higher mental processes

A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex (Continued)

A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex

Frontal Lobes: receive & coordinate messages from other lobes; responsible for motor control, speech production, & higher functions, such as thinking, personality, emotion, & memory

Case Study: Phineas Gage

1848 – a miner by the name of Phineas Gage had a 13 pound, 3.5 foot long iron rod blown through his frontal lobes.

How did this affect his short- & long-term behavior & mental processes?

A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex (Continued)

Parietal Lobes: located at the top of the brain directly behind the frontal lobes; responsible for interpreting bodily sensations

Temporal Lobes: located on each side of the brain above the ears; responsible for audition, language comprehension, memory, & some emotional control

A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex (Continued)

Occipital Lobes: located at the back of the brain; responsible for vision & visual perception

A Tour Through The Brain: Lateralization

The left & right hemispheres of your

brain each specialize

in particular (but often overlapping) operations.

Our Genetic Inheritance

Behavioral Genetics: studies the relative effects of nature (heredity, genes, & chromosomes) & nurture (environment) on behavior & mental processes

Remember: As we learned in our last unit, the biopsychosocial perspective says there are multiple forces at work Are both nature and nurture at work in

explaining human behavior?

Our Genetic Inheritance: Genes & DNA The nucleus of every cell contains genes, which

carry the code for hereditary transmission. These genes are arranged along chromosomes Two Major Types: Dominant and Recessive Genes

Need only one dominant but two recessives for a gene Traits are controlled by multiple genes Ex. Brunette hair color is considered dominant, blond is

considered recessive = child more likely to have brunette hair

Fortunately, most serious genetic disorders are not transmitted through a dominant gene – can you guess why?