Biological/Genetic/Evolutionary Perspective
Ancient Conceptions About Mind Plato correctly placed mind in the brain. However, his student Aristotle believed that mind was in the heart. Aristotle posited body humors that controlled personality
Phrenology In 1800, Franz Gall suggested that bumps of the skull represented mental abilities. His theory, though incorrect, nevertheless proposed that different mental abilities were modular.
Body types Sheldon Endomorph: plump (relaxed, social, complacent) Mesomorph: muscular (assertive, adventurous) Ectomorph: thin (reserved, anxious, uptight, self-conscious)
Ways into the “black box” ????? clinical observation lesion/ablation studies stimulation studies EEG CT, MRI, fMRI PET scans
Clinical Observation Clinical observations have shed light on a number of brain disorders. Alterations in brain morphology due to neurological and psychiatric diseases are now being catalogued.
EEG
MRI
Limbic System
CORTEX
Eysenck Introversion/Extroversion ARAS (Ascending Reticular Activating System) Extros: low Intros: high Geen (1984) study recent fMRI evidence
BAS/BIS (Gray) BAS: “gas pedal” reward/pleasure seeking left frontal cortex dopaminergic BIS: “brake pedal” inhibition, avoidance, caution right frontal cortex serotonergic
Brain Laterality (Davidson) Left brain/ Right brain (frontal lobes) Positive emotion states/Negative emotion states Pleasure, Calm/Anxiety, Depression e.g., “monk studies”
Hormones Testosterone: a. correlational research b. animal studies c. genetic abnormality Oxytocin “the love hormone”
Neurotransmitters Dopamine: reward/pleasure system Serotonin: anxiety and depression Psychopharmacology (Listening to Prozac) Implications???