HPS111 Lecture Notes - Cognitive Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Scientific Method
HPS111-Fundermentals of human behaviour Class
MODULE 1-
WEEK 1: Psychology, scope and definitions
Definitions:
Psychology- the study of the mind, the study of the soul, the study of mental life, prediction and
control of behaviour, the scientific study of behaviour
Behaviour- action, organisms’ observable actions and response to the environment
Science- studying things and testing them, it’s a process where we learn, an incremental process for
knowledge acquisition based on measurement and results
Why should psych be a science?
Psychology aims to understand the way we operate and respond to the environment so we can
make informed decision on how to make the world better
Biological psychology
Characteristics about organisms, our attempts to explain behaviour are biologically plausible
Animal models can help us, ethical considerations
Sub disciplines
- Approach: Biological (behavioral genetics, neuropsych), behavioral (environment, observable
actions and responses), cognitive (thinking, attention, memory) , social (norms, culture, conflict)
- Personality (different, stability in differences), Developmental (change psychological over life)
- Clinical (disorders), forensic (justice system), organization, educational, industrial, sport, health
FOUCS QUESITONS:
How would you best define “psychology”?
The scientific study of behaviour
Define “behaviour” and provide some examples.
Behaviour is an organisms action and response to its surrounding environment, an example
is holding something hot and dropping it because it is hot
Define “science” and “the scientific method.”
Science is the study and investigation, the process where we learn based on results
What is the difference between a behavioural psychologist and a cognitive psychologist?
Behavioural psychology looks at why and what causes behaviours. Whereas cognitive
psychology looks at the thought process.
What kinds of questions might a social psychologist attempt to answer?
The relationship between individual and what impact that has
How can psychological principles be applied in the context of health?
Thinking of how and why people choose to be unhealthy and thinking about how to change
that thought behaviour
Explain what an educational psychologist tries to achieve.
The help aid those who struggle with learning, by understanding the struggle and providing
tools to help them get through
WEEK 2: Heritability, reflex and instinct
Reflex and instincts
Automatic behaviours, behaviours that are outside an organism’s voluntary control, aren’t learned
Reflexes- simple, automatic and near-instantaneous response to stimuli, knee jerk reflex
Instincts- innate (wired in) tendencies to demonstrate common patterns of behaviours in response
to stimuli
Basic and pure, still influence us, essential for survival
Reflexes are immediate, instinct are more complex.
Fight flight freeze response- autonomic nervous system
Spinal reflex- autonomic nervous system
Comparative psychology
Babies can learn, diving reflex, they will reflex to swim
Rooting reflex- babies turn their head to face an object stroking the cheek
Sucking reflex- babies suck on anything that touches the roof of the mouth
Behaviours and reflexes are for something.
Palmar grasp reflex- babies grabbing anything that the palm of the hand touches
Moro reflex- babies respond to loss of support by reaching out arms, and pulling them back in and
crying
Theory- hypotheses, proposition, idea, a testable explanation of a phenomenon that is consistent
with all available evidence
Law- a description of a phenomenon that is consistent and reliable under experimentation
Hypotheses- a prediction or provisional explanation of a phenomenon
The theory of evolution can be used to explain these child reflex, those who had these reflex survive
and thrive
We share reflexes with other animals
Evolutionary model of behaviour
These are primitive and basic, but they help us survive
Evolutionary theory can explain the reflexes maybe?
Evolution- an account of how and why we have different species, over history groups of animals
have become more specializes for their conditions, have characteristics that help their forbears
survive and reproduce, survival of the fittest
Selection pressure- a factor that influences the rate of survival or fertility of a population
Backwards looking, based on previous generation
If an animal doesn’t react (act reflexively) then it is more like to be killed, therefore it is not passed
on
Principles of evolution:
1. Organisms reproduce and increase in number
2. Organisms inherit features from their parents, but also accumulate random variables
3. Features in the environment make some features more or less helpful in surviving and
reproducing
4. Organisms that survive and reproduce pass on these features
Requirements for evolution:
1. Features must be variable
2. Features must be heritable (genetic)
3. There must be selection pressure
This is a hypothesis, an idea not evidence. Dogs do not act like wolves, due to artificial pressure
(humans choosing dogs with characteristics we like) this provides evidence that evolution and
selection pressures can influence characteristics, behaviours and reflexes
FOCUSS QUESTIONS:
Why are automatic responses important?
Because they are quick and instinctive/reflexive. They aid with survival
Define both “reflex” and “instinct” and explain the difference between the two.
Reflex- automatic, immediate response to stimuli
Instinct- a more complex automatic, innate tendency to demonstrate common behaviour
patterns as a response to stimuli
What is the Fight, Flight, Freeze response?
An adrenaline fuelled response to stimuli where the heart beat quickens and the organism
prepare for conflict through either flight, fight or freeze
What is comparative psychology and how does it relate to human behaviour?
Document Summary
Psychology- the study of the mind, the study of the soul, the study of mental life, prediction and control of behaviour, the scientific study of behaviour. Behaviour- action, organisms" observable actions and response to the environment. Science- studying things and testing them, it"s a process where we learn, an incremental process for knowledge acquisition based on measurement and results. Psychology aims to understand the way we operate and respond to the environment so we can make informed decision on how to make the world better. Characteristics about organisms, our attempts to explain behaviour are biologically plausible. Approach: biological (behavioral genetics, neuropsych), behavioral (environment, observable actions and responses), cognitive (thinking, attention, memory) , social (norms, culture, conflict) Personality (different, stability in differences), developmental (change psychological over life) Clinical (disorders), forensic (justice system), organization, educational, industrial, sport, health. Behaviour is an organisms action and response to its surrounding environment, an example is holding something hot and dropping it because it is hot.
