Biological Psychology



AP Psychology Unit II: The Biological Bases of Behavior Unit Outline #2 Corresponding Chapter(s): Chapter 2/Chapter 3 Fall Semester 2014 Topic: Biological Bases of Behavior (8-10%)BacileUNIT II OUTLINE: The Biological Bases of BehaviorOVERVIEWBiological PsychologyNeuroscience deals with the functions of the brain, its component neural systems, and their genetic blueprints, which provide the basis for all human behavior. Under the direction of the brain, the nervous system and endocrine system coordinate a variety of voluntary and involuntary behaviors and serve as the body’s mechanism for communication with the external environment.The brain consists of the brainstem, the limbic system and the cerebral cortex. Knowledge of the brain has increased with recent advances in neuroscientific methods. Studies of split-brain patients have also given researchers a great deal of information about the specialized functions of the brain’s right and left hemispheres.The chapter concludes with a discussion of how psychologists use evolutionary principles to answer universal questions about human behavior and specific questions about individual differences.Many students find the technical material in this chapter difficult to master. Not only are there many terms for you to remember, but you must also know the organization and function of the various divisions of the nervous system. Learning this material will require a great deal of rehearsal. Working the chapter review several times, drawing and labeling brain diagrams, and mentally reciting terms are all useful techniques for rehearsing this type of material.OBJECTIVESDescribe the structure of a neuron and explain neural impulsesDescribe neural communication and discuss the impact of neurotransmittersClassify and explain major divisions of the nervous systemIdentify and describe the functions of brain structures (i.e., thalamus, cerebellum, limbic systemDescribe the four lobes of the cerebral cortex and their functionsDiscuss the association areasExplain split-brain studiesDescribe the endocrine systemExplain the significance of behavioral geneticsExplain the significance of evolutionary psychologyVOCABULARYNote: It is EXTREMELY important that you know and understand ALL relevant vocabulary prior to the end of each unit. It is highly recommended that you use some method of “vocabulary learning.” Please note that there will be frequent vocabulary quizzes, as your success on the AP Psychology Exam is dependent on your knowledge of psychological terminology. Biological psychologyNeuronDendriteAxonMyelin sheathAction potentialThresholdSynapseNeurotransmittersAcetylcholineEndorphinsNervous systemCentral nervous system (CNS)Peripheral nervous system (PNS)NervesSensory neurons Motor neuronsInterneuronSomatic nervous systemAutonomic nervous systemSympathetic nervous systemParasympathetic nervous systemReflexNeural networkEndocrine systemHormonesAdrenal glandsPituitary glandLesionElectroencephalogram (EEG)PET scanMRI fMRI (functional MRI)BrainstemMedullaReticular formationThalamusCerebellumLimbic systemAmygdalaHypothalamusCerebral cortexGlial cellsFrontal lobesParietal lobesOccipital lobesTemporal lobesMotor cortexSensory cortexAssociation areasAphasiaBroca’s areaWernicke’s areaPlasticityCorpus callosumSplit brainEnvironmentBehavior GeneticsChromosomesDNAGenesGenomeIdentical twinsFraternal twinsTemperamentHeritabilityInteractionMolecular geneticsEvolutionary psychologyNatural selectionMutationNatural selectionGenderIMPORTANT FIGURESJoseph Bogen & Philip VogelAlan Hodgkin & Andrew HuxleyREADING OUTLINEDirections: In AP Psychology it is ESSENTIAL that you keep up with the reading schedule (please see Unit II: Biological Bases of Psychology Calendar). Please keep in mind that there will be frequent reading quizzes.Chapter TWO (p. 53-93)NEURAL COMMUNICATION (p. 53-61) NeuronsHow Neurons CommunicateHow Neurotransmitters Influence UsTHE NERVOUS SYSTEM (p. 61-65) The Peripheral Nervous SystemThe Central Nervous SystemTHE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM (p. 65-67) THE BRAIN (p. 67-93) The Tools of DiscoveryOlder Brain StructuresThe Cerebral Cortex: Our Divided BrainChapter THREE (p. 95-113)BEHAVIOR GENETICS: PREDICTING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES (p. 95-107) Genes: Our Code for LifeTwin StudiesAdoption StudiesTemperament StudiesHeritabilityGene-Environment InteractionThe New Frontier: Molecular GeneticsEVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY: UNDERSTANDING HUMAN NATURE (p. 107-113)Natural SelectionAn Evolutionary Explanation of Human SexualityCritiquing the Evolutionary Perspective ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download