Physiology and Behaviour

Nature Vs. Nurture
Debate
◦ Is human behavior a
result of biological or
environmental
factors

Interactionist
Approach
◦ Holistic approach to
picture of human
behavior (IB
approach)

Princ. 1:
◦ Behavior can be innate
due to genetics
 Evolution can play a role

Princ. 2:
◦ Animal research can
provide insight into
behavior.

Princ. 3:
◦ There are biological
correlates of behavior
◦ Ex. Linking a hormone
to a behavior

Reductionist approach
◦ Breaks down complex human behavior into its
smallest parts
◦ Ex. Focusing on a gene, hormone, or protein
◦ Implication: key to understanding how several
factors may interact to cause behaviors.






Neurons: Nerve cells, building blocks of
behavior
Axon: body of neuron
Neurotransmitters: body’s chemical
“messengers”
Synapse: gap between neurons
Terminal Buttons: neurotransmitter storage
Reuptake: neurotransmitters are broken
down or reabsorbed.



Should we attribute behaviour solely to
neurotransmitters?
Reduction
Interactionist is more accurate


How was early
research of the
brain conducted?
Case Study:
Phineas Gage
◦ Why was this study
useful?
◦ Was it ethical?

What did Broca and
Wernicke’s studies
reveal about the
brain?


What conclusions could be reached from this
study in terms of localization of function?
What could be the advantage of using fMRI in
this study?


Animal Research
Invasive Techniques
◦ Lesioning (scarring) and ablation (removing)

EEG
(electroencephalogram)
◦ “brainwaves”
◦ Measures patterns of
voltage in the brain
◦ Things like: sleep,
emotions, epilepsy can be
studied
◦ Limited:
 deeper regions cannot be
studied
 doesn’t show actual
functioning.




Monitors glucose
metabolism in the brain.
colored map of brain
activity
Brain functioning can be
observed
Used to
◦ compare brain activity
between groups
◦ Find tumours




3D maps of brain
structures
Shows actual brain
activity
Indicates active areas
when engaged in
behaviours.
Higher resolution and
easier than PET

Ecological Validity
◦ Not natural environment


Colors may exaggerate
different activities of
brain
Areas activate for
various reasons,
perhaps not related to
what’s being observed.

The Brain changes based on external input
◦ Cerebral cortex: Higher cognitive functioning

Brain Plasticity: changes in the brain
resulting from experiences.
◦ High levels of stimulation and numerous learning
opportunities
 Leads to increased density of neural connections.
 Dendritic branching: learning causes neurons to grow
and make new connections.

Fantasy and reality are very difficult to tell apart for children.
TV requires not as much concentration as reading. If kids watch a lot of TV,
they will get used to it and won’t be able to concentrate at school. Kids who
have TVs in their rooms cannot focus on their homework because of it.
Daytime sleepiness for kids is caused by late night TV watching.
In the April (2001)issue of Pediatrics it says that watching an hour of TV a
day increases the child's chance of developing attention problems by almost
10 percent. "The newborn brain develops very rapidly during the first two to
three years of life", said Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a researcher at Children's
Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle. "Even educational TV can be
damaging. That's because it's not the content that is the culprit," says Dr.
Christakis. "It's the unrealistically fast-paced visual images that may alter
normal brain development.“

http://www.odec.ca/projects/2005/zerb5m0/public_html/negEfBrain.html


What did the Rosenzweig and Bennett study
(1972) show about rats and stimulating
environments?
Can we apply this to humans? Why or Why
not?


Discuss the study on
meditation. What are
its implications.
Gamma Rays: Linked
to higher reasoning
faculties



Fires when an animal
or person performs or
observes somebody
perform an action.
Give a real world
example of when you
might have
experienced mirror
neurons in action.
What are the
implications of mirror
neurons?


Endocrine System:
produces hormones
Chart pg. 49
What does Oxytocin
affect?
What are some of its
research implications?





What does
melatonin affect?
What are its
research
implications?
Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD)
What causes SAD?
What is the
potential problem
with the picture?