PSYC62H3 Lecture 1: Lecture 1 Detailed Notes (w/ figures)
Document Summary
Psychoactive substances have an enormous impact on society. Study of how drugs affect mood, perception, thinking, or behavior. Psychoactive drugs: achieve the above effect by acting in the nervous system. Psychopharmacology: study of how drugs affect mood, perception, thinking, or behavior. Behavioral pharmacology: study of how drugs affect behavior. (sometimes behavioral pharmacologists emphasize principles used in field of behavior analysis) Neuropsychopharmacology: study of how drugs affect the nervous system and how these nervous system changes alter behavior. Drug: administered substance that alters physiological functioning (definition has limitations --> many things that can be administered to ourself but not a drug) Do not restrict the perception of a drug to a specific form or usage. Risk of excluding nonconforming substances, such as: caffeine, sugar (reward system), cigarettes, (cid:448)ita(cid:373)i(cid:374)s . Instrumental use: drug use for the specific purpose of a drug (e. g. use of alcohol to feel more relaxed)
