1

What Is Biopsychology, Anyway?

Chapter 1 Biopsychology as a Neuroscience

1

Four Major Themes   1. Thinking creatively about biopsychology

  Base thinking on the evidence presented   But also “think outside the box”

  2. Clinical implications   Study of diseased or damaged brains leads to

new knowledge   New knowledge leads to new treatments

2

Four Major Themes Continued   3. The evolutionary perspective

  Consideration of environmental pressures on human evolution

  May use a comparative approach

  4. Neuroplasticity   The brain is plastic, not static

3

2

What Is Biopsychology?   “The scientific study of the biology of

behavior (psychology)”  Psychology: the scientific study of

behavior  Also called psychobiology, behavioral

biology, behavioral neuroscience  Biopsychology emerged as a discipline

in the late 1940s 4

What Is Biopsychology? Continued

 Hebb (1949) proposed that psychological phenomena might be produced by brain activity

 Hebb’s work helped discredit the notion that psychological functions were too complex to be derived from physiological activities

`

5

Biopsychology and Other Disciplines of Neuroscience

  Biopsychology utilizes the knowledge and tools of other disciplines of neuroscience

  Each discipline studies a different aspect of the nervous system that informs our understanding of what produces and controls behavior

6

3

Other Disciplines of Neuroscience

  Neuroanatomy   Structure of the nervous system

  Neurochemistry   Chemical bases of neural activity

  Neuroendocrinology   Interactions between the nervous system and

the endocrine system

7

Other Disciplines of Neuroscience Continued

  Neuropathology

  Nervous system disorders

  Neuropharmacology

  Effects of drugs on neural activity

  Neurophysiology

  Functions and activities of the nervous system 8

Biopsychological Research

 Human and nonhuman subjects

 Experiments and nonexperiments

 Pure and applied research

9

4

Human and Nonhuman Subjects

  Many questions about the biology of behavior are addressed using human subjects

  However, much can be learned from studying the brains of other species

  Species differences are often more quantitative than qualitative

10

Human and Nonhuman Subjects Continued

  Why use nonhumans?   Simpler brains makes it more likely that brain-behavior

interactions will be revealed   Comparative approach – gain insight by making

comparisons with other species   Fewer ethical restrictions for nonhumans than with

humans

  Why use humans?   They can follow instructions   They make subjective reports   They are often cheaper to work with

11

Experiments and Nonexperiments

  Experiments involve the manipulation of variables

  In nonexperiments, the researcher does not control the variables of interest   Quasiexperimental studies

  Case studies

12

5

Experiments and Nonexperiments Continued

  Experiments involving living subjects require that subjects be placed in various conditions   Between-subjects design: Different group of

subjects tested under each condition   Within-subjects design: Same group of

subjects tested under each condition

13

Experiments and Nonexperiments Continued

  The difference between the conditions is the independent variable

  The effect of the independent variable is the dependent variable

  A confounded variable is a variable that affects the dependent variable but is not controlled for

14

Experiments and Nonexperiments Continued

 Control of confounded variables example: the Coolidge effect

 Coolidge effect had been demonstrated in males—but does it occur in females?   The confounded variables: A female

hamster may be more receptive to a new partner due to novelty or to his vigor (compared to the fatigued former partner)

15

6

FIGURE 1.3 The experimental design and results of Lester and Gorzalka (1988). On the third test, the female hamsters were more sexually receptive to an unfamiliar male than they were to the male with which they had copulated on the first test.

16

  Quasiexperimental studies – studies of groups of subjects exposed to conditions in the real world

  Not real experiments as potential confounded variables have not been controlled for

Experiments and Nonexperiments Continued

17

  Case studies focus on a single individual, such as Jimmie G.

  Usually more in-depth than other approaches, but may not be generalizable

  Often a source of a testable hypothesis   Generalizability – the degree to which

results can be applied to other cases

Experiments and Nonexperiments Continued

18

7

Pure and Applied Research

 Pure research – conducted for the purpose of acquiring knowledge

 Applied research – intended to bring about some direct benefit to humankind

 Often research projects have elements of both

19

Divisions of Biopsychology   Six major divisions

  Physiological psychology   Psychopharmacology   Neuropsychology   Psychophysiology   Cognitive neuroscience   Comparative psychology

  Each has a different approach, but there is much overlap

20

Divisions of Biopsychology Continued

  Physiological psychology   Neural mechanisms of behavior   Controlled experiments with direct manipulation of the

brain

  Psychopharmacology   Controlled experiments of the effects of drugs on the

brain and behavior

  Neuropsychology   Psychological effects of brain damage in humans   Usually has a clinical emphasis

21

8

  Psychophysiology   Relation between physiological activity and

psychological processes   Example: visual tracking is abnormal in

schizophrenics

Divisions of Biopsychology Continued

22

FIGURE 1.4 Visual tracking of a pendulum by a normal control subject (top) and three schizophrenics. (Adapted from Iacono & Koenig, 1983.)

23

Divisions of Biopsychology Continued

  Cognitive neuroscience   The neural bases of cognition   Functional brain imaging is one of the major

methods of cognitive neuroscience

24

9

FIGURE 1.5 Functional brain imaging is the major method of cognitive neuroscience. This image—taken from the top of the head with the subject lying on her back—reveals the locations of high levels of neural activity at one level of the brain as the subject views a flashing light. The red and yellow areas indicate high levels of activity in the visual cortex at the back of the brain. (Courtesy of Todd Handy, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia.)

25

  Comparative psychology   Comparing different species to understand

evolution, genetics, and adaptiveness of behavior   Laboratory and/or ethological research

Divisions of Biopsychology Continued

26

27

10

Converging Operations   Using multiple approaches to address a

single question

28

Converging Operations   Example: Korsakoff’s syndrome   Korsakoff’s syndrome is a condition

characterized by severe memory loss and most commonly seen in alcoholics   Is Korsakoff’s the result of the toxic effects of

alcohol on the brain?

29

Converging Operations Continued   Jimmie G. – an alcoholic with Korsakoff’s

syndrome

  Korsakoff’s is also seen in malnourished persons who had little or no alcohol

  Thiamine-deficient rats exhibit memory deficits

  Alcohol accelerates the development of brain damage in thiamine-deficient rats

30

11

  By exploring the possible causes of Korsakoff’s using multiple approaches, or converging operations, findings are stronger

  Korsakoff’s syndrome is the result of thiamine deficiency, but the damage is accelerated by alcohol

Converging Operations Continued

31

Scientific Inference   The empirical method that biopsychologists

use to study the unobservable

  Scientists measure what they can observe and use these measures as a basis for inferring what they can’t observe

  Example: how does the brain “see” movement?

32

FIGURE 1.6 The perception of motion under four different conditions.

33

12

Critical Thinking  The ability to evaluate scientific claims

by identifying potential omissions or weaknesses in the evidence

34

Critical Thinking Continued   Case 1: Delgado claims that a charging bull can

be tamed by stimulation of its caudate nucleus

  Exciting account reported in popular press

  Many possible alternative explanations

  Morgan’s Canon: give precedence to the simplest interpretation for a behavioral observation

35

Critical Thinking Continued   Case 2: Moniz wins Nobel Prize for prefrontal

lobotomy   Adoption for human therapy based largely on

study of a single chimpanzee   Inadequate postoperative evaluation of human

patients, often by the physician who prescribed the surgery

  Undesirable side effects such as amorality, lack of foresight, emotional unresponsiveness, epilepsy, and urinary incontinence

36

13

FIGURE 1.8 The prefrontal lobotomy procedure developed by Moniz and Lima.

37

38