PS263 Chapter Notes - Chapter 0: Monism, Behavioral Neuroscience
Document Summary
Biological psychologists study the animal roots of behaviour. Relate actions and experiences to genetics and physiology. Three main points: perception occurs in your brain. Experience is in your head, not out there : mental activity and certain types of brain activity are inseparable. This is called monism (universe consists of only one type of being) Dualism is the opposite, that minds and matter are 2 different substances: we should be cautious about what is an explanation and what is not. Should avoid overstating conclusions from any research study. The study of the physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behaviour and experience. We think and act as we do because of brain mechanisms that we evolved because ancient animals with these mechanisms survived and reproduced better than animals with other mechanisms. Neurons: convey messages to each other and to muscles and glands. Glia: smaller, do not convey info over great distances.
