Download Psychology in Action (8e)

Psychology in
Action (8e)
by
Karen Huffman
PowerPoint  Lecture Notes Presentation
Chapter 2: Neuroscience and
Biological Foundations
Karen Huffman, Palomar College
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Lecture Overview

Neural Bases of Behavior

Nervous System Organization

A Tour Through the Brain

Our Genetic Inheritance
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Neural Bases of Psychology

Neuroscience:
interdisciplinary
field studying how
biological
processes relate to
behavioral and
mental processes
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Neural Bases of Psychology (Continued)

Our nervous
system consists
of neurons (cells
responsible for
receiving and
transmitting
electrochemical
information).
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Neural Bases of Psychology:
The Structure of a Neuron
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Neural Bases of Psychology:
Neural Communication

Within a neuron, communication occurs
through an action potential (neural impulse
that carries information along the axon of a
neuron).
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Neural Bases of Psychology:
Neural Communication (Continued)

Between neurons,
communication occurs
through transmission of
neural information
across a synapse by
neurotransmitters
(chemicals released by
neurons that alter
activity in other neurons).
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Neural Bases of Psychology:
Neural Communication (Continued)

Receiving neurons
receive multiple
messages from
other neurons.
These multiple
messages then
determine if an
action potential
occurs or not.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Neural Bases of Psychology:
Neural Communication (Continued)

Note how the
axon terminals
of sending
neurons almost
completely cover
the cell body of
the receiving
neuron.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
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
•
•
•
•
•
•
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Neural Bases of Psychology:
Receptor Sites

Normal message

Blocked message (wrong shape)

Agonistic drugs mimic shape
and enhance neurotransmitter

Antagonistic drugs fill the site
and block neurotransmitter
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Neural Bases of Psychology:
How Hormones Affect Us

Endocrine System:
collection of glands
that manufacture and
secrete hormones
into the bloodstream
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Pause and Reflect:
Check & Review
1.
_____ receive information from other
neurons. The _____ carries the neuron’s
messages to other body cells.
2.
How does neural communication within
neurons differ from communication
between neurons?
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Nervous System Organization

Central Nervous System
(CNS): brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System
(PNS): all nerves and neurons
connecting CNS to the rest of
the body (subdivided into the
somatic and autonomic
nervous systems)
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Nervous System Organization
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Nervous System Organization:
Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain

Spinal Cord
(transmits
information
into and out of
the brain )
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Nervous System Organization:
Central Nervous System (CNS)

The spinal cord
is also
responsible for
involuntary,
automatic
behaviors called
reflexes.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Nervous System Organization: Peripheral
Nervous System (PNS)

PNS connects CNS to the rest of the body and is
subdivided into:
 Somatic Nervous System (SNS): connects to
sensory receptors and controls skeletal muscles

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): controls
involuntary bodily functions and is further
subdivided into:
 Sympathetic Nervous System (arouses)
 Parasympathetic Nervous System (calms)
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Nervous System Organization:
 Anatomy and
functions of the
parasympathetic and
sympathetic nervous
systems
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Pause and Reflect:
Check & Review
1.
You touch a hot stove and your hand
immediately and reflexively pulls away.
This action was controlled by _____.
2.
You are startled by the sight and sound of
a fierce dog rushing toward you. It is
most likely that your _____ is dominant.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through the Brain
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain: Hindbrain

Three key structures of the hindbrain:
Medulla: life survival functions
 Pons: respiration, movement, waking,
sleeping, and dreaming
 Cerebellum: coordination of fine
muscular movements, balance, and
some aspects of perception and
cognition

©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain (Continued)

Midbrain: collection of brain structures in
the middle of the brain; coordinates
movement patterns, sleep, and arousal

Reticular Formation: runs through the
hindbrain, midbrain, and brainstem;
screens incoming information and
controls arousal
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain (Continued)

Forebrain: collection of upper-level brain
structures, including the thalamus,
hypothalamus, and limbic system
Thalamus: relays sensory messages to
the cerebral cortex
 Hypothalamus: responsible for
emotions, drives, and regulating the
body’s internal environment

©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain (Continued)

Limbic System:
interconnected
group of forebrain
structures involved
with emotions,
drives, and
memory
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Pause and Reflect:
Check & Review
1.
What are the three key structures of
the hindbrain?
2.
The _____ includes the thalamus,
hypothalamus, and limbic system.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain:
Cerebral Cortex

Cerebral Cortex:
thin surface layer on
the left and right
cerebral hemispheres;
regulates most
complex behavior,
including sensations,
motor control, and
higher mental
processes
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain:
Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
(Cont.)
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain:
Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex

Frontal Lobes: receive
and coordinate
messages from other
lobes; responsible for
motor control, speech
production, and higher
functions, such as
thinking, personality,
emotion, and memory
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Pause and Reflect:
Critical Thinking

Phineas Gage’s mining
accident sent a 13-pound
tamping iron through his
frontal lobes. How did this
affect his short- and longterm behavior and mental
processes?
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain:
Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
(Cont.)
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, and
some emotional control
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain:
Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
(Cont.)

Occipital
Lobes: located
at the back of
the brain;
responsible for
vision and visual
perception
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain:
Motor Cortex and Somatosensory Cortex
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Pause and Reflect:
Critical Thinking

Why are the hands
and face on this
drawing so large?
What do they
represent?
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
A Tour Through The Brain:
Lateralization

The left and right
hemispheres of your
brain each specialize
in particular operations.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Pause and Reflect:
Check & Review
1.
What are the major functions of the
four lobes of the brain?
2.
The _____ hemisphere is primarily
responsible for language, and it
controls the right side of the body.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Our Genetic Inheritance

Behavioral Genetics: studies the relative
effects of nature (heredity, genes, and
chromosomes) and nurture (environment) on
behavior and mental processes
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
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 (strands of
paired DNA).
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Our Genetic Inheritance: Genes & DNA

Tongue-curling is one of the few traits that
depends on a specific dominant gene.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Our Genetic Inheritance: Twin Research
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Our Genetic Inheritance

Evolutionary
Psychology:
studies how natural
selection and
adaptation help
explain behavior
and mental
processes
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Our Genetic Inheritance

Sex differences in
lateralization. Note how
activation is confined to
only one hemisphere in
the male brain on the left,
and how it occurs on both
hemispheres in the
female brain on the right.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Our Genetic Inheritance:
Better Living Through Neuroscience

Neuroplasticity: brain’s lifelong ability
to reorganize and change its structure
and function

Neurogenesis: division and
differentiation of nonneuronal cells
to produce neurons

Stem Cells: precursor (immature) cells
that give birth to new specialized cells
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Pause and Reflect:
Why Study Psychology?

Understanding neurogenesis, neuroplasticity,
and stem cells helps make us better informed
consumers of scientific research and more
knowledgeable participants in political
debates. President Bush could use this info
to make more informed decisions!
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Psychology in
Action (8e)
by
Karen Huffman
PowerPoint  Lecture Notes Presentation
End of Chapter 2: Neuroscience
and Biological Foundations
Karen Huffman, Palomar College
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)