UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOLOGY

10TH EDITION
By Robert Feldman
Powerpoint slides by Kimberly Foreman
Revised for 10th Ed by Cathleen Hunt

Copyright McGraw-Hill, Inc. 2011

 CHAPTER THREE:


NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR

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MODULE 7: Neurons:
The Basic Elements of Behavior
 Why do psychologists study the brain and
nervous system?

 What are the basic elements of the nervous

system?

 How does the nervous system communicate

electrical and chemical messages from one
part to another? 3

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The Structure of the Neuron
 Neurons (Nerve Cells)
› Basic elements of the
nervous system
› As many as 1 trillion
 Glial cells

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The Structure of the Neuron

 Dendrites
› Clusters of fibers that receive messages from
other neurons

 Axon
› Carries messages received by the dendrites to
other neurons

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The Structure of the Neuron

 Terminal buttons
› Sends messages to other neurons
 Impulses

 Myelin sheath
› Protective coating of fat and protein that wraps
around the axon like links of sausage

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How Neurons Fire
 Transmit an electrical
impulse along the axon
› All-or-none law
› Resting state
› Action potential
› Mirror neurons

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Where Neurons Meet:
Bridging the Gap
 Synapse
› Space between two
neurons where the axon
of a sending neuron
communicates with the
dendrites of a receiving
neuron by using
chemical messages

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Where Neurons Meet:
Bridging the Gap
 Neurotransmitters
› Chemicals that carry messages across the
synapse to a dendrite of a receiving neuron
 Excitatory messages
 Increase likelihood that neuron will fire
 Inhibitory messages
 Decrease likelihood that neuron will fire
 Reuptake
 Reabsorption by the terminal button
 SSRIs 9

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Neurotransmitters:
Multitalented Chemical Couriers
 Acetylcholine (ACh)
 Glutamate
 Gamma-amino butyric
acid (GABA)
 Dopamine (DA)
 Serotonin
 Endorphins

10

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MODULE 8:
The Nervous System & the Endocrine System

 Communicating Within the Body

› How are the structures of the nervous system
linked together?

› How does the endocrine system affect behavior?

11

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The Nervous System:
Linking Neurons
 Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems
› Central nervous system
 Spinal cord
 Reflex
 Sensory (afferent) neurons
 Motor (efferent) neurons
 Interneurons

12

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The Nervous System:
Linking Neurons
 Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems
› Peripheral Nervous System
 Somatic division
 Voluntary movements
 Autonomic division
 Controls organs that function automatically

13

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Activating the Divisions of the
Autonomic Nervous System
 Sympathetic Division
› Acts to prepare the body for action in stressful
situations by engaging all of the organism’s
resources to run away or confront the threat
 “Fight or flight”

 Parasympathetic Division
› Calms the body after emergency ends
14

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The Evolutionary Foundations of
the Nervous System
 Evolutionary Psychology
› Branch of psychology that seeks to identify how
behavior is influenced and produced by our
genetic inheritance from our ancestors

16

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The Evolutionary Foundations of
the Nervous System
 Behavioral Genetics
› Studies the effects of heredity on behavior
 Molecular genetics and psychological disorders
 Genetic markers
 Behavioral genetics, gene therapy, and genetic
counseling

17

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The Endocrine System:
Chemicals and Glands
 Chemical
communication network
that sends messages
throughout the body via
the bloodstream
› Hormones
› Pituitary gland
 “Master gland”

18

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MODULE 9: The Brain

 How do researchers identify the major parts

and functions of the brain?

 What are the major parts of the brain, and for

what behaviors is each part responsible?

19

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MODULE 9: The Brain

 How do the two halves of the brain operate

interdependently?

 How can an understanding of the nervous

system help us find ways to alleviate disease
and pain?

20

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Studying the Brain’s Structure and
Functions

 Spying on the Brain

› Electroencephalogram (EEG)
› Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
› Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
› Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

21

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 22

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The Central Core: Our “Old Brain”
 Central Core
› Hindbrain
 Medulla
 Breathing and
heartbeat
 Pons
 Transmitter of motor
information
 Cerebellum
 Balance

23

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The Central Core: Our “Old Brain”

 Central Core
› Reticular formation
 Passes through the midbrain and into the forebrain
 Activates other parts of the brain to produce bodily
arousal

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The Central Core: Our “Old Brain”

 Central Core
› Thalamus
 Relay station for information about the senses
› Hypothalamus
 Homeostasis

25

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The Central Core: Our “Old Brain”
 The Limbic System:
Beyond the Central
Core
› Amygdala
› Hippocampus

26

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The Cerebral Cortex:
Our “New Brain”
 Cerebral Cortex
› Gives the ability to think,
evaluate, and make
complex judgments
 Lobes
 Frontal
 Parietal
 Temporal
 Occipital

27

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The Cerebral Cortex:
Our “New Brain”
 The Motor Area of the Cortex
› Largely responsible for the body’s voluntary
movement

 The Sensory Area of the Cortex

› Corresponds to body sensations
 Somatosensory area
 Touch
 Pressure 28

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 Somatosensory Area

29

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The Cerebral Cortex:
Our “New Brain”
 The Association Areas of the Cortex
› Executive functions
 Higher mental processes such as planning, goal
setting, judgment, and impulse control
 Phineas Gage
 Aphasia
 Broca’s aphasia
 Wernicke’s aphasia

30

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Neuroplasticity and the Brain

 Neuroplasticity
› The brain continually reorganizing itself

 Neurogenesis
› New neurons created in certain areas of the brain
during adulthood

31

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The Specialization of the Hemispheres

 Two Brains or One?

 Left and right symmetrical halves
› Lateralized
 Left
 Verbal competence
 Processes information sequentially
 Right
 Spatial relationships
 Recognition of patterns and drawings
 Music
 Emotional expression 32
 Processes information globally
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The Split Brain:
Exploring the Two Hemispheres
 Split-brain patients
› Corpus callosum
surgically cut

33

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