Bridge course- M.Sc.

Psychology
Human Bases of behaviour

By Prof. Nithin Nagaraj

What is behavior?
an organism’s activities in response to external
or internal stimuli, including objectively
observable activities, introspectively
observable activities (see covert behavior), and
nonconscious processes.
Topics Covered

Evolutionary Perspective

Biological Perspective

Environmental Perspective
EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE :
 Every human differ with respect to their psychical and
Psychological characteristics. This is due to the
interaction of their genetic endowments and
environmental demands.
 Biologist believes that species were not always like this,
they have evolved to their present form from their
pre existing forms.
 Evolution refers to gradual and orderly biological changes
that results in a species from their pre existing forms in
response tochanging adaptational demands of their
environment.
 Evolution occurs through 'NATURAL SELECTION'
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3 Important features of 'modern
human beings' :
Developed Brain (with increased capacity
for cognition and behaviour)

Developed ability of walking (can walk upright

on two legs)

A free hand (with a workable opposing

thumb)
BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL ROOTS :

 As human beings, we not only share biological

system, but also certain cultural systems.
 Culture provides us with different experiences and
opportunities of learning by putting us in various
situations. Such experiences, opportunities, and
demands also influence our behaviour
considerably.
 Thus, beside biological basis there are cultural basis of
behaviour also.
 NEURONS : -
 Neuron is the basic unit of nervous system. Specialised cells
that converts various forms of stimuli into electrical impulses.
Also specialised for reception, conduction, and transmission
of information in the form of electrochemical signals.
 They receive information from sense organs or from other
adjacent neurons carry them to the central nervous system
and bring motor information from the central nervous
system to the motor organs.
 They are of many types and vary considerably in shape, size,
chemical composition, and function. Despite these
differences they share three fundamental components, i.e,
Soma, Dendrites and Axon.
• SOMA - cell body, contains nucleus. Genetic material of the neuron is stored in
nucleus. Soma also contains most of the cytoplasm of the neuron.
• DENDRITES - receiving ends of neurons. receive the neural impulses from several
adjoining neurons or directly from the sense organs.
• Axon - The longer single branched extension. Received information is passed to
axon so that the information is relayed to another neuron or to muscles.
• TERMINAL BUTTONS - terminal points of axon. These buttons transmits the
information to another neuron, gland and muscle.
NERVE IMPULSES
 information travels within the nervous system in the form
of nerve impulse.
 the nerve fibre work according to 'all or none principle'
which means that they either respond completely or
do not respond at all.
SYNAPSE
 a neurone is never physically connected with another
neurone rather, there is a small gap between the two.
The cap is known as synaptic cleft.
 the neural impulses from one neurone is transmitted by a
complex synaptic transmission process to another
neuron.
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The Brain & Behaviour :

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 Hindbrai
n are 3 structures or part under hindbrain.
There
 Medulla oblongata: - lowest part continue with Spinal
cord, regulate basic life supporting and autonomic
activities, vital centre of brain.
 Pons: - Connected with medulla and midbrain, receives
auditory signals, involved in sleep mechanism, affects
respiratory movement and facial expressions.
 Cerebellum: - wrinkled part and high developed,
maintains and controls posture and equlibrium,
coordination of muscular movement, stores memory
of movement.
Midbrai
nSmall in size and connects forebrain and
hindbrain
Neural centers are present here.
Reticular activating system (RAS)
Makes us active and to select
information from environment.
 Forebrain
Important part of brain that performs cognitive,
emotional and motor activities. It has 4 major parts :
 Hypothalamus:
- small structure, regulates physiological processes
- regulate and controls internal body environment
- also regulates secretion of hormones.
Thalamus :
- egg shaped cluster of neurons
-exchanges sensory signals between sense organs and
cortexes.
 Limbic system:
-composed of group of structures form old
mammalian brain, maintains internal homeostasis,
close links with hypothalamus, consists of
hippocampus(long term memory) and amygdala
(emotional behavior)
 Cerebrum(cerebral cortex)
-regulates higher cognitive skills -⅔ of mass of brain, 1.5
mm to 4 mm thick and contains neurons, neural net and
bundles of axon, make us able to do different actions.
Divided into cerebral hemispheres, looks identical and
functionally one is dominative, these two are connected
with corpus callosum that exchange message between
both hemispheres.
Cerebral cortex has also been divided into 4 lobes :
1.Frontal lobe - cognitive functions, exerts inhibitory effects
om autonomic and emotional responses.
2.Parietal lobe - cutaneous sensation and their
coordination with visual and auditory
sensations.
3. Temporal lobe - process auditory information.
4. Occipital lobe - visual information .
 Physiologists and psychologists said that no activity is
performed by a single part of cortex. But localisation
of functions is present.
 The whole brain acts as well as coordinated unit in
which different parts contribute their functions
Heredity : Genes & Behaviour
 The study of inheritance of physical & Psychological
characteristics from ancestors is referred to as Genetics.
 The child begins life as a single zygote cell.
 Zygote, a tiny cell with a nucleus in center that
contains inherited chromosomes.
Chromosomes from Mother & Father
GENES
:
The traits, which which can be passed to
offsprings through genetic material is
called genotype.
Change of a gene from one form to another
is called mutation.
The type of mutation that occurs spontaneously
in nature provides variation in genotypes and
permits the evolution of new species.
 Concept of CULTURE :
 Culture refers to the 'man made part of environment.' It
comprises diverse 'products' of behaviour of many people
including ourselves. (Products = material objects, ideas
and social institutions.)
 The relationship between individuals and their social
surroundings is interactive, they constitute each other. This
perspective emphasizes that human beings are not passive
residents of cultural forces, instead they themselves create
the context in which their behaviour is shaped.
 Culture includes behavioral products of others who preceded
us. Thus, culture is already there as we begin life. It contains
values that will be expressed and language in which to express
them. It contains a way of life that will be followed by most of
us who grow up in that context.
Cultural Transmission
:
 The process of 'enculturation' and 'socialization' makes us
cultural beings.
 Enculturation refers to all learning that takes place
without direct deliberate teaching. We learn certain ideas,
concept, and values simply because of their availability
in our cultural context.
 Socialisation generally means the activity of mixing
socially with others. It is a process by which individuals
acquire knowledge, skills and dispositions which
enable them to participate as effective members of
group and society.
Socialisation Agents :
 - A number of people who relate to us possesses power
to socializes us. Such people are called socialization
agents.
Acculturation :
 Aculturation refers to cultural and psychological changes
resulting from contact with other cultures. Contact
may be direct or indirect, voluntary or involuntary.
 According to Jhon berry, there are two important issues
faced by aculturating individuals. One relates to the
degree to which there is a desire to maintain one's own
culture. Another relates to the degree to which there's
a desire of engaging in daily interaction with
members of other cultural group.
 Based on people's positive or negative answers to these
issues, there are four aculturative strategies have
been derived.
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“ While GENES write the script of
biological transmissions, MEMES write
the script of cultural transmission. ”