Summary
Whole summary of introduction to psychology
- Course
- Institution
This is a whole summary of the lectures and my notes in one document.
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
jill3
Reviews received
Content preview
Lecture 1 genes and evolutionOverview
- The genetic basis
- Evolution by natural selection
- Genes and behavior
Psychology
- Psychology is the scientific study of mind, brain, and behavior (Phelps, et al., 2022).
o Lectures: not appropriate definition: bottom one better
Whole purpose is to explain and predict behavour
- Psychology is the scientific study of mind and brain to explain behavior.
- Why do we need a science for that?
o Most people already have knowledge about how other people act but they might not
really understand it exactly
o Other people hold beliefs about other people
o because common sense fails
- why do people belief that general descriptions fit their personality
o do not realise that a lot of other people will also believe in this description
o astrology is part of that as well
The genetic basis
history
- Is it correct to claim that “a violent person has violent genes”?
o Depends on when the question is answered
o in the seventies -> no
environment -> (violent) behavior
o in the nineties -> yes
Genes -> (violent) behavior
o today ?
genes <-> environment <-> (violent) behavior
interaction is important
Genes
- meaningful sections of the DNA molecule
- govern the cell’s functioning by providing instructions for making proteins
- presence of a gene does not always mean that a protein will be produced
,Gene expression
- whether a gene is turned “on” or “off”; the extent to which a gene is transcribed into a
sequence of amino acids (protein)
- methylation: methyl group is attached to gene to silence the gene
- In each cell, some genes are expressed at any point in time and others are not. This is
controlled by the biochemical environment inside the cell.
o The biochemical environment inside cell is influenced by e.g., environment outside
the cell, timing in development, the overall environment, experience, behaviour.
Genotype and phenotype
- Genotype
o an organism’s specific set of genes
- Phenotype
o the overt traits and behaviours of an organism
o Phenotype is determined by genotype x environment (experience, past and present).
Twins
- Monozygotic (identical) twins have the same genotype but different environments.
- Can look different from each other
o Can be explained by subtle difference in gene expression, mostly caused by
differences in environments
The genetic basis
- Each gene is paired with another gene.
o The pairs are located at corresponding positions on pairs of chromosomes.
o Allele is one specific variant of a gene.
Dominant
Recessive
o Homozygote: alleles on locus are the same
o Heterozygote: alleles on locus are different
- A specific trait or behavior is determined by the interaction between the environment (past
and present) and
o one gene pair: monogenetic inheritance
o multiple gene pairs: polygenetic inheritance.
- Where do our parent’s sets of genes come from?
o from their parents
o from their parents etc. etc. etc. etc.
- The genome is shaped by evolution over the years ‐> Darwin’s evolution theory
Evolution by natural selection
- Charles Darwin hypothesized that all modern organisms
o are descended from a small set of shared ancestors.
o have merged over time through the process of evolution.
,Natural selection conditions
- Three conditions
o There is variation among individuals of a populations
o Individuals with a certain trait survive and reproduce at higher rates than others
o The trait associated with this advantage is passed from parents to offspring
- Specific traits will be better represented in the next generation.
- It does not follow that evolution
o somehow improves organisms at some point but not forever an advantage
o can only lead to rigid behavioural patterns: ability to adapt and be flexible could have
been an advantage in the past
Gene inheritance
- Organisms differ in genotype and variations in genotype are passed on
- What matters is the survival of genes, not the survival of individuals.
o So it does not matter if the parent survives while giving this gene to offspring
Evidence of evolution by naturel selection
- The evidence for modern evolutionary theory comes from many sources
o the fossil record
research revealed that fossils exist after Darwin already died
o the resemblance between genomes of various organisms
apes and humans different amount of chromosomes
explained by 3 telomeres present in chromosome 2
o fusion product of 2 separate chromosomes
o pseudogenes
inactive gene that does not function due to mutations
only one step of vitamin c pathway is missing due to inactivating mutation
same in all primates
o distribution of species across the world
Continental islands versus oceanic islands
Continental: used to be attached to the mainland
Oceanic: originated in the seas for example due to volcanos
Sceptics of evolution by natural selection
- Despite overwhelming evidence, people remain sceptical about the theory of evolution.
o Creationism: live originates from different designers
o Any other theory than evolution: fate, but not an alternative theory to evolution
Genes and behavior
- Nature (genes) versus Nurture (environment)
o The nature nurture debate has become increasingly irrelevant.
- Instead, there is a continuous interaction between genes and environment!
- Who we are is determined by how our genes are expressed in distinct environment
- Is it correct to claim that “a violent person has violent genes”?
- Genes set the limit
o Environment causes the rest
, Lecture 2 The Brain and the Nervous System
Overview
- Building blocks of the nervous system
- Communication among neurons
- Communication of the brain with the body
- Studying the brain
- The brain
Building blocks of the nervous system
- Nervous systems
o Central: brain, spinal cord
o Peripheral: rest
- The nervous system is made up of two basic kinds of cells
o Glia
o Neurons
Neurons
types of neurons
- Sensory receptors
o Will translate physical signals to signals
- Sensory (afferent) neurons
- Motor (efferent) neurons
- Interneurons
o Neurons between sensory and motor neurons
Communication among neurons
- Neuron is covered by a fatty membrane
o Semipermeable
o Does not dissolve in environment
- Potential difference inside and outside the neuron
o Difference in charge
o Different number of charged ions
o Measured by voltage meter
- Action potential: neuron gets positively charged compared to environment
- Neurons either fire or do not fire
o All‐or‐none law
Intensity variations by
variations in the number of neurons firing.
variations in firing rate.
- Neurons interact
o via synapses.
o through chemical substances.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jill3. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $6.65. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
82215 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now