What Is Biopsychology, Anyway? Chapter 1 Biopsychology as a Neuroscience What Is Biopsychology, Anyway?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Disciplines of Neuroscience Continued Neuropathology Nervous system disorders Neuropharmacology Effects of drugs on neural activity Neurophysiology Functions and activities of the nervous system

Biopsychological Research Human and nonhuman subjects Experiments and nonexperiments Pure and applied research

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

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

Experiments and Nonexperiments Experiments involve the manipulation of variables In nonexperiments, the researcher does not control the variables of interest Quasiexperimental studies Case studies

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

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

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)

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.

Experiments and Nonexperiments Continued 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 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

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

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

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

Divisions of Biopsychology Continued Psychophysiology Relation between physiological activity and psychological processes Example: visual tracking is abnormal in schizophrenics

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

Divisions of Biopsychology Continued Cognitive neuroscience The neural bases of cognition Functional brain imaging is the major method of cognitive neuroscience

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.)

Divisions of Biopsychology Continued Comparative psychology Comparing different species to understand evolution, genetics, and adaptiveness of behavior Laboratory and/or ethological research

Converging Operations Using multiple approaches to address a single question

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?

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

Converging Operations Continued 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

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?

FIGURE 1.6 The perception of motion under four different conditions.

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

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

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

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