What Is Biopsychology, Anyway?

Chapter 1Biopsychology as a Neuroscience

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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

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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

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

behavior (psychology)”Psychology: the scientific study of

behaviorAlso called psychobiology, behavioral

biology, behavioral neuroscienceBiopsychology emerged as a discipline

in the late 1940s4

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

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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

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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

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Other Disciplines of Neuroscience Continued

Neuropathology Nervous system disorders

Neuropharmacology Effects of drugs on neural activity

Neurophysiology Functions and activities of the nervous system

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Biopsychological Research

Human and nonhuman subjects

Experiments and nonexperiments

Pure and applied research

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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

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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 although nonhuman research also requires extensive

ethical oversight Why use humans?

They can follow instructions They make subjective reports They are often cheaper to work with

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Experiments and Nonexperiments

Experiments involve the manipulation of variables

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

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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

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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

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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)

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Psychophysiology Relation between physiological activity and

psychological processes Example: visual tracking is abnormal in

schizophrenics

Divisions of Biopsychology Continued

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

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Divisions of Biopsychology Continued

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

cognitive neuroscience

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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.)

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Comparative psychology Comparing different species to understand

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

Divisions of Biopsychology Continued

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Converging Operations Using multiple approaches to address a

single question

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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?

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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

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

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

Converging Operations Continued

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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?

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FIGURE 1.6 The perception of motion under four different conditions.

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Critical Thinking

The ability to evaluate scientific claims by identifying potential omissions or weaknesses in the evidence

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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

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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

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

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