Name ________________________________ Block ______
Biological LOA: Physiology & Human Behavior Crane 2.1 (Review Packet)
Principles of the Biological Level of Analysis
Argues that there are _______________ origins of many behaviors, and that human beings should
be studied as _________________ systems

_______________ = behavior is influenced by the _____________ and cognition which
___________ with biological systems and affect ____________, biology can affect cognition and
_______________ can affect biology

Nature vs. ___________ Debate = the debate that whether human behavior is the result of
_____________ or environmental factors

_______________ Approach = adopts a more ___________ approach that biology and the
environment both play roles in behavior ________________
Principle #1 Behavior ___________= behavior can be innate because it is ________________
based
Principle #2 Animal _____________) = animal research can provide insight into human
behavior; as a result a significant amount of research is undertaken using animals
Principle #3 Correlates = there are biological correlates of behavior, should be possible to find a
__________ between a specific biological factor ie. ________ and a specific behavior _________ of
biological level of analysis)
_________________ Approach = micro level of research, which breaks down complex human
behavior into its smaller parts (ie. focusing on a role of a gene, neurotransmitter, or a protein)
Sometimes criticized for being overly _____________ in explaining behavior 
No easy answers to complex questions
Mechanisms of Neurotransmission and their effects on human behavior

__________ = nerve cells, one of the building blocks of ______________
Estimated there are between 10 and _____ billion neurons in the nervous system,
and that neurons make _____ trillion connections with each other
Neurons send _____________ messages to the brain so that people can respond to stimuli – either
from the environment or from internal changes

Neurotransmission = method by which messages are _______

______ or body = electrical impulse travels down this part of the neuron and releases
______________ which then cross the gap between two neurons which is known as the Synapse
________



Neurotransmitters = the body’s _________ chemical ___________ which transmit information
from one neuron to another
Stored in the neurons’ terminal buttons
After crossing the __________, they fit into receptor sites on the post-synaptic
membrane, like a key in a ________
Once the message is passed on, the neurotransmitters are either broken _______ or
reabsorbed by the terminal buttons known as __________
Neurotransmitter
Effect
Acetylcholine
________________, role in the development of memory in the hippocampus
Dopamine
Voluntary movement, ________, and feelings of pleasure
Norepinephrine
Arousal, _____________, stimulation
Serotonin
__________, arousal levels and ___________
Research in psychology (pg. 40) Kasamatsu and Hirai – (1999)
1. Describe (aim, procedure, findings).
2. Evaluate.
Research in psychology (pg. 41) Martinez and Kesner – (1991)
1. Describe (aim, procedure, findings).
2. Evaluate.
Localization of Brain Function

Paul Broca (1861) = people suffering from ________ in the ___ frontal lobe of the brain
____________ were unable to understand and make _____________ complex sentences
Broca’s ______ = problems producing speech, but able to understand it
Case study of “____” = Man named Tan because it was the only word he could say, autopsy after
death revealed the source of brain damage was a specific __________ trauma
Carl Wernicke (1874) = first described the area that appears to be crucial for language
____________________ (left posterior superior temporal gyrus)
Wernicke’s Aphasia = patients could produce speech, but could _____ understand it
Early research by Broca and Wernicke ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Paul Broca and Carl Wernicke = carried out post-mortem studies of people who had suffered
from ______ and both came to the conclusion language processing is _________________
When a behavior is localized in the brain, it is possible to trace the origin of the behavior to a specific
__________ of the brain
Auditory and __________ information is transported from the auditory area the _________ lobe to
Wernicke’s area for evaluation of significance of content words, then to Broca’s area for analysis of
syntax

In speech production, content words are selected by neural systems in ___________ area;
grammatical refinements are added by neural systems in the ___________ area; then information is
sent to the motor cortex, which sets up muscle movements for _________________

Studies in _____________ of function led to the desire to map out the brain’s functions,
though localization does not explain all human behavior, the mapping out of the brain
was an important step _______ in brain research
Research in psychology (pg. 43) Karl Kim and Joy Hirsch – (1997)
1. Describe (aim, procedure, findings).
2. Evaluate.
The Use of Technology in Brain Research

Modern Technology = now ______________ used in neuropsychology because it provides an
opportunity to study the active brain

Allows researchers to see where specific brain processes take ______ and enables them to study
___________ of function in the living human brain

Experiments with _____________ are still extensively used in brain research because they allow
psychologists to study specific biological correlates of behavior using ______________ techniques

Invasive Techniques = removing _____________, or scarring (lesioning) brain tissue in order to
study ______________

Hetherington and Ranson (1942) = lesioned a part of the brain called the ventromedial
__________________ in rats, as a result rats increased food intake dramatically which led to
researchers to conclude that the hypothalamus _______________ eating
Recent research does suggest it plays a role in regulating hunger but its ___________ exactly
understood

Modern Technological Options = EEG (electroencephalogram), PET Scans (positron emission
tomography), fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)

EEG = printout of brainwaves, when neurons transport information through the brain they have an
__________ charge (registers patterns of voltage change in the brain), better __________ of sleep,
emotions, epilepsy but does not show actual _______________ of the brain

PET Scan = monitors ___________ metabolism in the brain, patient is injected with a harmless does
of radioactive glucose, and the radioactive particles emitted by the glucose are _________ by the
scanner, producing color maps of brain activity _________, Alzheimer’s etc.) able to record activity in
the brain, such as ______________

fMRI = 3D pictures of the _________ structures, using _______ fields and radio waves, indicates
which areas of the brain are active when engages in a behavior (most ____________ used)
How the Environment Affects the Brain

Brain Plasticity (environment and physiological processes)
Explain the phrase “the brain is physically sculpted by experience.”
What was thought about the brain before the 1960s?
Who changed this idea and how?
Define neuroplasticity or brain plasticity.
Provide an example from the text as well as from your own experience on how neuroplasticity works.
Explain dendritic branching.
What are the results and conclusions of Rosenzweig and Bennett’s research?

The effect of cognition on physiology
How are humans able to influence the brain?
Describe Davidson’s research.
What are gamma waves? What were his conclusions?

_______________ = a neuron that ______ when an animal or a _______ performs an action or
when the animal/person ________ somebody else perform the same action “mirrors” the behavior of
another
Research in psychology (pg. 48) Gallese et al. – (1996)
1. Describe (aim, procedure, findings).
2. Evaluate.
Research in psychology (pg. 49) Iacoboni – (2004)
1. Describe (aim, procedure, findings).
2. Evaluate.
Functions of Hormones in Human Behavior

Hormones = ___________________________________________________
Produced by ___________ that make up the ______________ system
Hormones enter directly into the ___________, which take longer to produce
changes in behavior than neurotransmitters

Some chemicals serve as both hormones and _______________
Oxytocin = a hormone that is produced by the ________________after being stimulated by the
pituitary _____________
Produced by glands that make up the ______________ system 
 Released with touches and hugs
Activity: Explain the function of these glands
Pituitary
Hypothalamus
Adrenals
Pineal
Gonads
Describe the functions and effects of these hormones:
Cortisol
Oxytocin
Melatonin
Testosterone
Estrogen

Melatonin
Research in psychology (pg. 50) Rosenthal – (1987)
1. Describe (aim, procedure, findings).
2. Evaluate.