Chapter 01: Major Issues

What is Biological What is Biological Psychology?Psychology?

The Study of the Physiological, The Study of the Physiological, Evolutionary, & Developmental Evolutionary, & Developmental Mechanisims of Behavior and Mechanisims of Behavior and ExperienceExperienceMost of the study is devoted to the brain & how it functions

Explanations for Behavior

Physiological ExplanationsPhysiological ExplanationsBehavior is related to the activity of the brain & other organsBehavior is related to the activity of the brain & other organs

Ontogenetic ExplanationsOntogenetic ExplanationsDescribes the development of a structure or a behaviorDescribes the development of a structure or a behavior

Evolutionary ExplanationsEvolutionary ExplanationsLooks at a structure or behavior in terms of evolutionary historyLooks at a structure or behavior in terms of evolutionary history

Functional ExplanationsFunctional ExplanationsDescribes why a structure or behavior evolved as it didDescribes why a structure or behavior evolved as it did

The Brain & Conscious Experience

The Mind/Body or Mind/Brain ProblemWhat is the relationship between the Mind & the Brain?What are the ways the Mind/Body Problem has been conceived?

DualismThe Mind & Body are different kinds of substances existing independently & interacting

Monism3 categories of Monism

The Problem of ConsciousnessThe Easy Problem & the Hard Problem

The Genetics of The Genetics of BehaviorBehavior

Gregor MendelGregor MendelThe Father of GeneticsThe Father of Genetics

Construction of the Construction of the GeneGeneChromosomes, DNA & RNAChromosomes, DNA & RNAHomozygous & HeterozygousHomozygous & Heterozygous

Dominant& Dominant& RecessiveRecessiveMaleness & FemalenessMaleness & FemalenessSex-limited GenesSex-limited Genes

Genotype & Genotype & PhenotypePhenotypeHeritabilityHeritabilityVariance of a CharacteristicVariance of a Characteristic

Evolution & BehaviorEvolution & BehaviorEvolutionEvolutionChange & frequencies of Change & frequencies of changechange

Artificial SelectionArtificial SelectionMisconceptions in evolutionMisconceptions in evolution

Evolutionary Evolutionary PsychologyPsychologyRelationship between social Relationship between social behavior & evolutionbehavior & evolution

AltruismAltruismProsocial behaviorProsocial behaviorReciprocal altruism & kin Reciprocal altruism & kin selectionselection