Physiological psychology

Introduction to physiological psychology. Designed for A level students.

1. Physiological/Biological
Psychology
E. Kent Rogers

2. What is it?
•
Physiological psychology
investigates human
behavior, emotion,
thought, perception,
learning, memory and all
other elements of
psychology in terms of
biological structures
(different regions of the
brain and organs of the
endocrine system) and
physiological processes.

3. •
It is materialistic,
assuming that the
human being is a
biological
machine, thus
deterministic, not
allowing room for
free-will.

4. •
Mind and consciousness arise from biological
processes.
•
All experiences and behaviors are all caused
by the nervous system, the endocrine system,
genetic programming and biology in general.

5. •
Evolution plays an important role in the thinking
of physiological psychologists (though there is
also evolutionary psychology)
•
No discrete distinction between animal and
humans, only a matter of degrees along a
continuum.
Go Back, we
messed
everything up.

8. Tools Employed

9. MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
•
Also known as N(nuclear)MRI and magnetic
resonance tomography MRT
Very basically, it uses pulses of massively
powerful magnets to excite hydrogen atoms
which then emit a radio signal which is
interpreted into images..

10. Offers very clear, high
resolution images of the
inside of the body, and is
especially useful for
seeing the structures of
the brain.

11. fMRI (funcional MRI)
•
Using the similar technology as MRI, fMRI works by
detecting blood flow volume in the brain.
•
Higher rate of blood flow to any given area of the brain
indicates that area to be in use and so needing more
blood.
•
Thus experimenters tell people to think or do things and
find out which parts of the brain are involved in
different tasks.
•
It can also be used to discover what different
psychoactive drugs do in the brain.
•
It can also help determine what is malfunctioning in
different psychological and psychiatric disorders
•
It can illustrate developmental changes in brain
functioning

15. X-ray Computed Tomography
X-ray CT
•
Often shortened to CT scan, though other
forms of computed tomography exist such as
PET scans
•
A computer analyses x-rays into three
dimensions.
•
Used to be called CAT scan.
Tomography means any technique of imaging
cross sections (slices) of the body

16. Positron Emission Tomography
•
Radioactive substance (called a tracer) is
placed into the body and it emits gamma rays
which are detected by a sensor.
•
The tracer is usually an analog to glucose and
so when metabolism increases in an area of
the body due to activity, this shows up in the
scan and offers an image of what parts are
used for different functions. So it works
similarly and offers similar information to
fMRI

17. Single Photon Emission Tomography
(SPECT)
•
Again uses a radioactive substance to map out
the functioning of brain areas during different
tasks, but the higher concentrations are
according to blood flow (like fMRI) and not
metabolism (like X-ray CT scan)

18. Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Measures electrical signals (brain waves)
corresponding to brain activity

19. Other tools of investigation
•
Abnormal/normal comparisons
•
Damage/normal comparisons
•
Electro-stimulation
•
Introduction of drugs directly into brain tissue
•
Introduction of drugs orally/injection
•
Blood tests
•
Brain samples
•
Unconscious behavior observations
•
Animal research
•
And more

20. Values to the Approach
•
Helpful in identifying specific organic disruptions in
mental illness and disturbances
•
Helps remove stigma from mental illnesses.
•
Offers important information about possible cures
for mental/neurological issues.
•
Offers very concrete, quantitative data
•
Does not usually require deception or involve
elaborate behavior/roles/scripts in
experimentation

21. Values cont.
•
Useful for investigation of individual
differences
•
High reliability
•
Generally high validity
•
Generally high generalizability

22. Drawbacks
•
Does not accommodate idea of holism—that the
human being is something more than the
biological machine; that human consciousness is
more than a survival tool resulting from evolution.
•
Can be invasive.
•
Experimental use of animals raises ethical
questions.
•
Experimental use of animals may not generalize to
humans
•
fMRI's don't actualy show brain activity, but blood
flow and PET's show tracer levels

23. Drawbacks continued
•
May undervalue talk therapies in favor of
drug, surgical and genetic therapies.
•
May lead to dangerous assumption of liberty
in tinkering with human “machine”
•
Can lead to alarming “advances” such as the
–
the “humanzee” my term
–
creation of so called “super-humans.”
–
Downloading for those who can afford it

24. Debates Involved
•
Spirit or just machine?
•
Inherent value or meaningless mechanics?
•
Determinism or freewill?
•
Situational or individual?
•
Biological or social?
•
Nature or nurture?