Brain Behaviour Relationship

Class By: Monojit (Assistant Professor, SoS JU)

 !! Syllabus
Objectives

• To introduce the concept of brain-behaviour relationships, behaviour genetics

• To acquaint the students with the basic biological processes affecting psychological processes.

Syllabus

• Unit 1: Introduction to biological basis of behavior (10 Hours)

Nature and scope of physiological psychology; Methods of study and research techniques: Neuroanatomical,
Neuroelectric, Neurochemical, and imaging techniques.
• Unit 2: Behavior genetics (8 Hours)
Nature and scope, Methods of study and research techniques: Family, twin, adoption methods; Genetic
principles and mechanism of animal and human behavior, chromosomal functions.
• Unit 3: Nervous System and Neuronal Functions (4.5 Hours)
Major divisions and functions of nervous system: central and autonomic nervous systems.

8/29/2023 Mono’s Class 2

 1 Psychology & Behaviour: Introduction
• The word ‘psychology’ is derived from the Greek psyche (mind, soul or spirit) and logos (knowledge, discourse or study).
Literally, then, Psychology is the ‘study of the mind’.
• The emergence of Psychology as a separate discipline is commonly dated from 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt opened the first
psychological laboratory at the University of Leipzig in Germany.
• Wundt and his co-workers were attempting to investigate ‘the mind’ through introspection (observing and analysing the
structure of their own conscious mental processes): the aim was to analyse the basic structure of thought and perception, much
like chemists analyse compounds into elements (hence structuralism).
• “Emphasis on measurement and control marked the separation of the ‘new Psychology’ from its parent discipline of
philosophy”.

8/29/2023 Mono’s Class 3

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 1 Psychology & Brain: Introduction
• We owe our entire cognitive universe, our entire subjective
experience, all of what we are or think we are to the
functioning of the cells – neurons.
• Physiological psychology is a branch of psychology which
concerns itself with the understanding of the relationship
between the nervous system and behavior.
• Under it we seek answers about the physiological processes
underlying our perceptions of the world, our movements,
our needs and desires, our knowledge of the past or our
ability to learn.
• Biological psychology, or biopsychology, is the branch of
psychology that studies the relationships between
behavior and the body, particularly the brain.
• We think and act as we do because we have certain brain
mechanisms, and we evolved those brain mechanisms
because ancient animals with these mechanisms survived and
reproduced better than animals with other mechanisms.

8/29/2023 Mono’s Class 5

 1 Psychology & Brain: Introduction
• Brain areas reveals distinct subareas having specific function.
• Similarly at the microscopic level, we find two kinds of cells that make up the brain: the neurons and the glia.
• Neurons, which convey messages to one another and to muscles and glands, vary enormously in size, shape, and
functions.
• The glia, generally smaller than neurons, have many functions but do not convey information over great distances.
• The activities of neurons and glia “somehow” produce an enormous wealth of behavior and experience.
• Biopsychology elaborate on that word “somehow”.

8/29/2023 Mono’s Class 6

 1 Psychology & Brain: Introduction
Why a migratory bird travels to particular place every year?
Why you yawn? Or Why did Gopi kill Aarthi?
• Common-sense explanations of behavior often refer to intentional goals such as, “He did this because he was trying to . . .” or
“She did that because she wanted to . . . .” But often, we have no reason to assume intentions.
• In contrast biological explanations of behavior fall into four categories:
• Physiological: A physiological explanation relates a behavior to the activity of the brain and other organs. It deals with the
machinery of the body—for example, the chemical reactions that enable hormones to influence brain activity and the
routes by which brain activity controls muscle contractions.
• Ontogenetic: The term ontogenetic comes from Greek roots meaning the origin (or genesis) of being. An ontogenetic
explanation describes how a structure or behavior develops, including the influences of genes, nutrition, experiences, and
their interactions. For example, the ability to inhibit impulses develops gradually from infancy through the teenage years,
reflecting gradual maturation of the frontal parts of the brain.
• Evolutionary: An evolutionary explanation reconstructs the evolutionary history of a structure or behavior. For example,
frightened people get “goose bumps”—erections of the hairs, especially on their arms and shoulders. Goose bumps are
useless to humans because our shoulder and arm hairs are so short. In most other mammals, however, hair erection makes
a frightened animal look larger and more intimidating.
• Functional: A functional explanation describes why a structure or behavior evolved as it did. Within a small, isolated
population, a gene can spread by accident through a process called genetic drift. For example, a dominant male with many
offspring spreads all his genes, including neutral and harmful ones. However, a gene that is prevalent in a large population
presumably provided some advantage—at least in the past, though not necessarily today. A functional explanation
identifies that advantage. For example, many species have an appearance that matches their background.
8/29/2023 Mono’s Class 7
 1 Psychology & Brain: Introduction

Reference: https://www.slideshare.net/danascher1/the-teenage-brain-24305319 | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3052688/ | Kalat, J. W. (2015). Biological psychology. Cengage Learning.

8/29/2023 Mono’s Class 8

 2 Physiological Psychology : Nature and Scope

• Although physiological psychology is only one of many

disciplines that contribute to biopsychology, it is broad and
diverse.
• Biopsychologists study many different phenomena, and they
approach their research in many different ways.
• Biopsychological research can involve either:
• human or nonhuman subjects
• it can take the form of either formal experiments or
nonexperimental studies
• it can be either pure or applied
• The following are a few of the disciplines of neuroscience that
are particularly relevant to biopsychology:

Reference: Pinel, J. P., & Barnes, S. (2017). Biopsychology. Pearson.

8/29/2023 Mono’s Class 9

 2 Physiological Psychology : Nature and Scope

Reference: Kalat, J. W. (2015). Biological psychology. Cengage Learning.

8/29/2023 Mono’s Class 10

 2 Physiological Psychology : Nature and Scope

Reference: Kalat, J. W. (2015). Biological psychology. Cengage Learning.

8/29/2023 Mono’s Class 11

 2 Physiological Psychology : Nature and Scope

Reference: Kalat, J. W. (2015). Biological psychology. Cengage Learning.

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 Q&A

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 Food for Thought

▪ Which scope of Biopsychology interests you the most?

▪ Why as a psychologist you should understand difference between philosophical claims and scientific claims.
▪ Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qqwq8EmTY4
▪ What do you understand by physiological psychology?
▪ How does the neurobiologists explain behaviour?

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 Chill

29-08-2023 Mono’s Class 15