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PSY202 Physiological Psychology Complete Course Notes
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PSY202 Physiological Psychology Complete Course Notes (weeks 1-13) University of the Sunshine Coast
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TEST BANK For Biological Psychology 13th Edition, James W. Kalat| Verified Chapter's 1 - 14 | Complete
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TEST BANK FOR BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY, 13TH EDITION, JAMES W. KALAT.
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TEST BANK For Biological Psychology 13th Edition by James W. Kalat Chapters 1 - 14 Complete Guide.
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WEEK 1: PSY202 INTRODUCTION TO PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGYBiopsychology, Evolution and Genetics – Matthew Summers Lecture
Why and how did brain activity become conscious? Biological explanations of behaviour fall
into four categories:
1. Physiological – relates to behaviour to the brain and other organs. Deals with the
machinery of the body, e.g., chemical reactions influence hormones, which influence
brain activity.
2. Ontogenetic - how the structure or behaviour develops across the lifespan; what is
the influence of genes, nutrition, experiences and their interactions, e.g., impulse
control develops gradually from childhood to teenage years as the frontal lobe
matures.
3. Evolutionary – explores the evolutionary history of a behaviour or structure.
Characteristics of an animal are almost always modifications of something found in
ancestral species, e.g., bat wings are modified arms. Evolutionary explanations call
attention to behavioural similarities among related species.
4. Functional - describes why a structure or behaviour evolved as it did, e.g., many
animals have natural camouflage to help protect them against predators. Some birds
(such as) Hawks fly a certain way (e.g., like a vulture) to trick their prey, so they can
eat them. Functional explains why hawks behave this way.
Philosophical explanations of the mind-brain relationship
- Dualism: mind is one thing, and brain matter is a completely separate thing.
- Monoism: mental activity and brain activity are completely inseparable.
*Most Neuroscientists beliefs are consistent with monoism as they believe that there is a
relationship between the mind and the brain, and you cannot have one without considering
the other.
Terms & Definitions
- Males: X & Y chromosomes.
- Females: – X & X chromosomes.
- DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is the genetic instructions, or blueprints, that a
living organism must follow to exist. Every cell in our body has the same DNA and
consequently the same genes, however not every gene is expressed in every cell.
- RNA: Ribonucleic acid. RNA helps carry out the instructions or blueprint. Based on
what the DNA instructions are, RNA leads to the creation of amino acids, which leads
to the creation of protein.
- Proteins: are important to all functioning.
- Genes: are the basic unit of heredity. A gene is a specific sequence of DNA which
directs specific protein creation.
- Chromosomes: made up of strands of DNA.
, Genetics of Behaviour
- Both genes and environment interact to shape human behaviour (interact of genetics
50% and environment 50%).
- The fundamental issue is how much a role genetics play in shaping human
behaviour.
- Examples: mental health disorders, weight gain, personality and sexual orientation.
Mendelian genetics
Homozygous (Homo = same)
- Identical pair of genes on the two chromosomes (the person is homozygous for that
gene).
- E.g., TT or tt
Heterozygous (Hetero = different)
, - Different or unmatched pair of genes on the two chromosomes (the person is
heterozygous for that gene).
- E.g., Tt
Genes are either dominant, recessive or intermediate
- Dominant = strong effect in either the homozygous or heterozygous condition (e.g.,
TT or Tt).
- Recessive = shows its effects only in the homozygous condition (e.g., tt).
- Intermediate = phenotype falls somewhere in between.
Phenotype
- The observable expression of genes, e.g., actual hair or eye colour.
Epigenetics
- The changes in gene expression within the individual over time.
- Every cell has the same DNA, but the activity of a gene can vary (e.g., the genes
active in your brain are not the same as the genes active in your kidneys).
- Experiences can “turn a gene on or off,” e.g., a malnourished mother rat’s offspring
may have altered gene expression to adjust to a world where there’s not much food,
so they store energy and are more likely to be overweight rats when they grow up if
food is available.
Sex linked genes (usually refer to X linked)
- Sex linked genes = genes located on the sex chromosomes, whereas autosomal =
all other genes.
- In mammals, sex chromosomes have X and Y. So child always gets an X
chromosome from the mother and depends on what they get from the farther as to
whether the child is male (XY) or female (XX).
- Sex-linked = usually refers to X linked.
- Humans have 46 chromosomes in pairs = 23 pairs... So 1 pair of sex-linked
chromosomes (XX or XY) and 22 autosomal chromosome pairs.
Sex limited genes
- Sex limited genes are present in both sexes but mainly influence just one sex (e.g.,
genes that control chest hair and breast size).
Genetics and behaviour
- Sex linked recessive gene. So, any male with this gene on his X chromosome is red-
green colour blind because he has no other X chromosome. So, the effect will show.
A woman is only RG colour blind if she receives this recessive gene in both of her X
chromosomes (one from her mother and one from her father.
- Not having the gene is dominant to having the gene.
Kleinfelter syndrome
- XXY (47 chromosomes, not 46).
- Genetically male but phenotype may be male, female or intersex.
May have
- Genetically taller than average height
- Less testosterone
, - Less muscle control than other males their age
- Less facial and body hair
- Broader hips
- May develop breast tissue
- Often infertility
- Hypogonadism
Turner syndrome
- X only (45 chromosomes, not 46).
Can manifest as:
- Short stature
- Broad chest
- Low hairline
- Ovaries not functional
- Congenital heart disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Diabetes
- Vision and hearing difficulty
- Cognitive (e.g. memory) difficulties
Down syndrome (Trisomy 21)
- Presence of all, or part, of a third copy of chromosome 21
May show
- Growth delay
- Intellectual disability
- Low muscle tone
- Obstructive sleep apnoea (due to airway changes)
- Hearing and vision difficulties etc
- Congenital heart defect common (hole in heart valves)
Genetics of behaviour
Monozygotic (identical, fertilisation of one egg that splits) vs dizygotic (not identical, two
sperm, two eggs) twins allow study of genetic versus environmental influences.
Heritability: a statistic used in the fields of breeding and genetics that estimates the degree
of variation in a phenotypic trait in a population that is due to genetic variation between
individuals in that population.
Problems and errors associated with estimating heritability:
- Distinguishing between the effects of genes and parental influences.
- Multiplier effect: genetic tendencies that guide behaviour will result in a change in the
environment that magnifies the original tendency.
- Traits with a strong hereditary influence can be modified by environmental
intervention.
- Essentially, heritable = unmodifiable.
Animals in research
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