1 Psychology 304: Brain and Behaviour Lecture 1

2 Introduction and History 1.What is biological psychology? 2.What is the relation between biological psychology and other disciplines of neuroscience? 3.What is the history of research in biological psychology?

3 What is biological psychology? The scientific study of the biological bases of psychological processes and behaviour. Also referred to as biopsychology, behavioural neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, psychobiology, and behavioural biology. A branch of neuroscience.

4 What is the relation between biological psychology and other disciplines of neuroscience? Biological psychology draws upon research findings from many other disciplines of neuroscience. Among these are: Neurochemistry NeuroendocrinologyNeuroanatomy Neuropharmacology NeuropathologyNeurophysiology

5 What is the history of research in biological psychology? Biological psychology developed into a formal discipline of neuroscience in the 20 th century. Nevertheless, the study of the biological basis of psychology and behaviour has a long history. Aristotle ( BC): Argued that the heart was responsible for thought and behaviour.

6 Hippocrates ( BC) and Galen ( AD): Argued that the brain was responsible for thought and behaviour. “I hold that the brain is the most powerful organ of the human body. Eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet act in accordance with the discernment of the brain.” – Hippocrates, 1952 Translation

7 300 AD-1300 AD: Dominant theories argued that behaviour was regulated by the fluid-filled ventricles of the brain: Anterior ventricles: Perception Middle ventricles: Reason Posterior ventricles: Memory

8 Descartes ( ): Argued that the pineal gland, a small brain structure, was the “seat of the soul” or “the mind.” Maintained that the pineal gland controlled action by directing the movement of fluid within the ventricles.

9 The Cartesian Reflex

10 Galvani ( ): Demonstrated that electrical stimulation of the nerves produces muscle contraction— that is, that nerves conduct electricity. Electrical Stimulation of Nerves and Muscles by Luigi Galvani

11 Gall ( ): Founded phrenology. Argued that the cerebral cortex consists of separate regions, each of which is associated with a distinct psychological or behavioural function. Phrenologists believed that personality could be determined by examining the shape of the skull. Gall referred to this technique as anatomical personology.

12 1. Amativeness 2. Philoprogenitiveness 3. Concentrativeness 4. Adhesiveness 5. Combativeness 6. Destructiveness 6a. Alimentiveness 7. Secretiveness 8. Acquisitiveness 9. Constructiveness 10. Self-esteem 11. Love of approbation 12. Cautiousness 13. Benevolence 14. Veneration 15. Conscientiousness 16. Firmness 17. Hope 18. Wonder 19. Ideality 20. Wit 21. Imitation 22. Individuality 23. Form 24. Size 25. Weight 26. Colour 27. Locality 28. Number 29. Order 30. Eventuality 31. Time 32. Tune 33. Language 34. Comparison 35. Causality Gall’s Personality Regions

13 Flourens ( ): Used “experimental ablation” to examine the functions of distinct brain regions. Concluded that cerebral matter was “equipotential”: that any part of the brain could perform another’s function.

14 Broca ( ): Identified Broca’s area— damage to this region among patients resulted in an inability to speak or labored speech, with no impact on the ability to understand. This area is located in the left frontal lobe. Broca’s area

15 A Lesion in Broca’s Area “Tan’s” Brain

16 Example of the speech of an individual with Broca’s aphasia. The individual is describing the story of Cinderella. Cinderella...poor...um 'dopted her...scrubbed floor, um, tidy...poor, um...'dopted...Si-sisters and mother...ball. Ball, prince um, shoe... Scrubbed and uh washed and un...tidy, uh, sisters and mother, prince, no, prince, yes. Cinderella hooked prince. (Laughs.) Um, um, shoes, um, twelve o'clock ball, finished. Married...Prince, and Cinderalla meet, um met um met. Shoe, um found shoe.

17 Wernicke ( ): Identified Wernicke’s area—damage to this region among patients resulted in an inability to comprehend language, with no impact on the ability to produce speech (although the speech was nonsensical). This area is located in the left frontal lobe, posterior to Broca’s area. Wernicke’s area

18 A Lesion in Wernicke’s Area

19 Example of the speech of an individual with Wernicke’s aphasia. The individual is describing a picture of a child taking a cookie. “Uh, well this is the... the … of this. This and this and this and this. These things going in there like that. This is … things here. This one here, these two things here. And the other one here, back in this one, this one look at this one.”

20 Jackson ( ): Observed that damage to specific regions of the brain was associated with distinct behavioural impairments. Suggested that the brain contained a “map” of the body.

21 Cajal ( ): Using Golgi’s staining method, discovered that the brain is comprised of networks of communicating neurons. A neuron subjected to Golgi’s staining method. Cajal’s illustration of retinal neurons.

22 Brodmann ( ): Microscopically examined the cellular organization of the brain. Identified 52 regions, each of which was characterized by a distinct cell type. Cytoarcitectonic map

23 Hebb ( ): Published “The Organization of Behavior” in In this book, Hebb proposed the first comprehensive theory to explain how complex psychological phenomena (e.g., emotions, memories, learning) are the product of neuronal activity in the brain.

24 Introduction and History 1.What is biological psychology? 2.What is the relation between biological psychology and other disciplines of neuroscience? 3.What is the history of research in biological psychology?