PSYCHOLOGY
DOC. KEVIN MOISES MW(3:30-4:30PM)
Biopsychology is the scientific study of the physiology and chemistry of the brain. Hebb
biology of behavior— Some refer to this field as based his theory on experiments involving both
psychobiology, behavioral biology, or behavioral humans and laboratory animals, on clinical case
neuroscience; but we prefer the term studies, and on logical arguments developed
biopsychology because it denotes a biological from his own insightful observations of daily life.
approach to the study of psychology This eclectic approach has become a hallmark of
biopsychological inquiry.
Biological Psychology is the study of the
physiological, evolutionary and Biological explanations of behavior raise the
developmental mechanisms of behavior and mind-brain problem: “What is the relationship
experience. between the mind and the brain?”
Biological Psychology is not only a field of Dualism - the belief that mind and body are
study, but also a point of view. different kinds of substances that exists
In this field, the way to understand behavior independently
is in terms of how it evolved, and how the Rene Descartes proposed that mind and
functioning of the brain and other organs brain interact at a single point in space,
control behavior. which he suggested was the pineal gland,
In comparison to physics, chemistry, and the smallest unpaired structure found in the
biology, biopsychology is an infant—a brain.
healthy, rapidly growing infant, but an infant Nearly all current philosophers and scientists
nonetheless. reject the idea of dualism because because it
conflicts with the law of conservation of
The study of the biology of behavior has a long matter and energy: matter can transform into
history, but biopsychology did not develop into energy or energy into matter, but neither
a major neuroscientific discipline until the 20th one appears out of nothing, or disappears
century. into nothing.
Because matter alters its course only when
Donald Hebb developed the first matter or energy acts upon it, a mind that is
comprehensive theory of how complex not composed of matter or energy could not
psychological phenomena, such as perceptions, make anything happen.
emotions, thoughts, and memories, might be
produced by brain activity. Hebb’s theory did
much to discredit the view that psychological
functioning is too complex to have its roots in the
, Biological Explanations of Behavior can be
analyzed by looking into these 4 ways:
1. Physiological - relates the behavior to the
activity of the brain and other organs.
- acetylcholine and glutamate neurotransmitters
facilitate one's efficiency of learning
- a damage to a person's occipital lobe can cause
visual problems
2. Ontogenetic - explains how a structure or
Monism - in contrast, is the belief that the
behavior develops, including the influences of
universe consists of only one kind of substance.
genes, nutrition, experiences & their interactions
- a child's language development progresses
Various forms of monism are possible and
slowly from uttering sounds (coos), syllables
grouped into the following categories:
(babbles) to producing single word utterance,
1. Materialism - everything that exists is
two to three wors phrases and eventually
material or physical. All psychological
complete sentences.
experiences can be explained in purely
- nature and nurture interacts on how certain
physical terms
characteristics such as intelligence and
2. Mentalism - the view that only the mind
personality develops
really exists and that the physical world could
3. Evolutionary - reconstructs the evolutionary
not exists unless some mind were aware of it
history of a structure or behavior. Any gene that
3. Identity Position - the view that mental
is consistently associated with reproductive
processes and certain kinds of brain activities
success will become more prevalent in later
are the same thing. “Every mental
generations.
experience is a brain activity” or “mental
- goosebumps (hair erection) makes a frightened
activity is what happens in the brain”
animal looks larger
4. Functional - describes why a structure or
Can we be sure monism is correct? No. But it is
behavior evolved as it did
the most reasonable working hypothesis.
- a camoufladged appearance makes an animal
Stimulation of any brain area provokes an
inconspicuous to predators thus aiding in its
experience.
survival
One cannot have a mental activity without a
brain activity.
The hard problem is why the mind exists at all in a
physical world: "Why is there such a thing as
consciousness, and how does it relate to brain
activity?
According to the identity position: brain activity
does not cause consciousness any more than
consciousness causes brain activity.
DOC. KEVIN MOISES MW(3:30-4:30PM)
Biopsychology is the scientific study of the physiology and chemistry of the brain. Hebb
biology of behavior— Some refer to this field as based his theory on experiments involving both
psychobiology, behavioral biology, or behavioral humans and laboratory animals, on clinical case
neuroscience; but we prefer the term studies, and on logical arguments developed
biopsychology because it denotes a biological from his own insightful observations of daily life.
approach to the study of psychology This eclectic approach has become a hallmark of
biopsychological inquiry.
Biological Psychology is the study of the
physiological, evolutionary and Biological explanations of behavior raise the
developmental mechanisms of behavior and mind-brain problem: “What is the relationship
experience. between the mind and the brain?”
Biological Psychology is not only a field of Dualism - the belief that mind and body are
study, but also a point of view. different kinds of substances that exists
In this field, the way to understand behavior independently
is in terms of how it evolved, and how the Rene Descartes proposed that mind and
functioning of the brain and other organs brain interact at a single point in space,
control behavior. which he suggested was the pineal gland,
In comparison to physics, chemistry, and the smallest unpaired structure found in the
biology, biopsychology is an infant—a brain.
healthy, rapidly growing infant, but an infant Nearly all current philosophers and scientists
nonetheless. reject the idea of dualism because because it
conflicts with the law of conservation of
The study of the biology of behavior has a long matter and energy: matter can transform into
history, but biopsychology did not develop into energy or energy into matter, but neither
a major neuroscientific discipline until the 20th one appears out of nothing, or disappears
century. into nothing.
Because matter alters its course only when
Donald Hebb developed the first matter or energy acts upon it, a mind that is
comprehensive theory of how complex not composed of matter or energy could not
psychological phenomena, such as perceptions, make anything happen.
emotions, thoughts, and memories, might be
produced by brain activity. Hebb’s theory did
much to discredit the view that psychological
functioning is too complex to have its roots in the
, Biological Explanations of Behavior can be
analyzed by looking into these 4 ways:
1. Physiological - relates the behavior to the
activity of the brain and other organs.
- acetylcholine and glutamate neurotransmitters
facilitate one's efficiency of learning
- a damage to a person's occipital lobe can cause
visual problems
2. Ontogenetic - explains how a structure or
Monism - in contrast, is the belief that the
behavior develops, including the influences of
universe consists of only one kind of substance.
genes, nutrition, experiences & their interactions
- a child's language development progresses
Various forms of monism are possible and
slowly from uttering sounds (coos), syllables
grouped into the following categories:
(babbles) to producing single word utterance,
1. Materialism - everything that exists is
two to three wors phrases and eventually
material or physical. All psychological
complete sentences.
experiences can be explained in purely
- nature and nurture interacts on how certain
physical terms
characteristics such as intelligence and
2. Mentalism - the view that only the mind
personality develops
really exists and that the physical world could
3. Evolutionary - reconstructs the evolutionary
not exists unless some mind were aware of it
history of a structure or behavior. Any gene that
3. Identity Position - the view that mental
is consistently associated with reproductive
processes and certain kinds of brain activities
success will become more prevalent in later
are the same thing. “Every mental
generations.
experience is a brain activity” or “mental
- goosebumps (hair erection) makes a frightened
activity is what happens in the brain”
animal looks larger
4. Functional - describes why a structure or
Can we be sure monism is correct? No. But it is
behavior evolved as it did
the most reasonable working hypothesis.
- a camoufladged appearance makes an animal
Stimulation of any brain area provokes an
inconspicuous to predators thus aiding in its
experience.
survival
One cannot have a mental activity without a
brain activity.
The hard problem is why the mind exists at all in a
physical world: "Why is there such a thing as
consciousness, and how does it relate to brain
activity?
According to the identity position: brain activity
does not cause consciousness any more than
consciousness causes brain activity.
