Transcript Biological Psychology CH1

Chapter 1: Introduction to
Biological Psychology
The mind-body Issue
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE MIND AND THE
PHYSICAL BODY (BRAIN)??
Dualism
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Dualism is the view that the mind exists as a
separate and distinct entity from the
physical self.
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This view goes back as far as Socrates and Plato
Was rigorously defended by philosopher Rene
Descartes in 17th Century France
This view has fallen from acceptance in the
larger scientific community
Monism
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Monism is the view that the mind is what the
brain ‘does’.
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3 versions of monism:
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Materialism – only the physical world exists, all mental
experiences can be explained by physical reactions
Mentalism – the opposite of materialism, only mental
events exist & the physical world is dependent on our
belief in it
Identity position – the physical world exists, but we
have mental experiences that are different than the
physical activity responsible for them
Genetics in a nutshell
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Basis of what we know today all stems from the
work of Gregor Mendel in the 1800’s
Pertinent vocabulary: genes, chromosomes,
DNA, RNA, proteins, enzymes, homozygous,
heterozygous, dominant, recessive.
Some traits are sex-linked, all others are
autosomal
Sex limited genes = both sexes have the gene,
but it is only active in one of the sexes.
Variation happens through recombination and
mutation
Heritability
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How likely is it that a given characteristic
arises due to genetics?
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Twin Studies
Adoption Studies
Still a very difficult question to answer –
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‘Environmental’ influences start before birth
Heritable traits (genetic predisposition) can be
markedly influenced by environmental factors = this is
no black & white issue
Are behaviors heritable??
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Consider mating behaviors in birds or stress
responses in rats.
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Fairly strong evidence that at least
tendencies towards certain behaviors are
heritable in humans.
Evolution & Behavior
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Evolution is: the change in genetic variation
over time
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Natural selection (& survival of the fittest)
vs. artificial selection
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The ONLY thing that determines if a trait is
more likely to be passed on is if it confers a
higher likelihood of producing viable
offspring
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Use, survival (unless before reproduction), or
‘goodness’ of a trait have nothing to do with it.
 Sociobiology 
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This is the study of the evolution and
biological determinants of social behavior (in
animals and humans)
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The kinds of research questions a
Sociobiologist might ask:
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Altruism?
Incest
Imprinting
Animal Use in Research in the U.S.
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Is taken very seriously, at least in academic
settings.
Any college employing animal researchers
must have an Institutional Animal Care and
Use Committee if they want government
funds (and they all do).
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There are also voluntary, higher levels of requirements
the IACUC can impose to get even more $$.
The public has had an incredible impact on
the private sector’s use of animals in product
testing.
Next Week: CHAPTER 2
Anatomy!!