University of Warwick

Dept. of Psychology

PS111
Brain & Behaviour

Module 1: Psychobiology
Session 1 - Introduction

Dr Friederike Schlaghecken
Room H2.48
Drop-In Hours: Mondays 1-2pm
email: f.schlaghecken@warwick.ac.uk
 General Info
1. Registration Message from Kim Adams:
Message from Kim Adams:
• Non-psychology students who wantShe towilltake
sendthis an email
youcourse as an
outside option, please register with
Shethewill
Department!
explaining send
howyou an email
to register
• 24-CATS version: unlimited explaining
for an optionhow to register
module!
• 30-CATS version: capped at 25 places for an option module!

2. Tests & Exam

• Assessed work: 4 online MC tests (2 per term)
• 30-CATS additional work: One 1500-word essay (term 2)
• Exam: 3-hour MC paper (term 3)

3. Work Load & Help

• ~2 hours for each lecture (preparation & subsequent learning)
• For specific questions, just get in touch!

4. Further info
• For reading advice etc., see handout (module webpage)
General Info

2016/17 now, of
2016/17 now, of
course
course
General Info
General Info
General Info
 Overall Structure

• 4 separate sections, each lasting 5 weeks

• online test during the last week of a section
me
me
• Section A: Basics
• Neuroanatomy
• Information processing in the brain
• Brain development, ageing, and rehabilitation
JT, SL, AR
JT, SL, AR
• Sections B – D: Advanced
• Neuroscience of perception and action
• Neuroscience of language, memory, and emotion
• Psychopathology
 Learning Outcomes
At the end of this section, you should be able to:
• give an overview of the
• anatomical organisation of the nervous system;
• electro-chemical activity of the neuron;
• describe in general terms how neuro-chemical processes
provide the basis of nervous system function;
• describe in general terms the brain as a continually adapting
system:
• give a basic account of brain development;
• give a basic account of the psychobiological mechanisms of
learning and memory;
• give a basic account of the psychobiological mechanisms of
rehabilitation and their limits;
• apply a biologically informed perspective on further study of
psychology.
 Outline Section A
1. Introduction
I. Neuroanatomy Overview of
Overview of
neuro-anatomy
2. The Nervous System:& Overall
neural activity
Structure
neuro-anatomy & neural activity
3. The Nervous System: The Forebrain


II. Neurophysiology
understanding how these are the basis of
4. Theunderstanding
Neuron: how these
Structure
nervous
are the basisSignal
system&function
Intracellular of Transmission
nervous
5. The Chemical systemSignal
Synapse: function
Transmission Between Neurons 

III. The Brain in Action

6. Neurotransmitter Pathways andasNeuro-Plasticity
Brain an adaptive system
Brain as an adaptive system
7. Brain Development

8. Learning & Memory 
9. Injury & RehabilitationBiologically informed perspective
Biologically informed perspective
10. Synopsis & Outlook  
 Outline SectionAllAlectures available on
All lectures available on
• The module aims to cover two topics per week: Capture
Lecture
Lecture Capture
• Tuesday: Topic 1 (uploaded onto the Moodle
(uploaded onto the Moodle
page a few hours after lecture
• Friday 1st hour: Topic 2 page a few hours after lecture
ends)
ends)
• Friday 2nd hour: Q & A, exam practice, etc.

• If you still have specific questions after the Friday Q&A session,
feel free to contact me:
• F.Schlaghecken@warwick.ac.uk

On to Psychobiology…
 What is Psychobiology
• What is PSYCHOLOGY?
• Literally: “The study of the soul / mind”

Psycho logy

“Soul”, “Mind” “Knowledge of”

 What is Psychobiology
• What is PSYCHOLOGY?
• Literally: “The study of the soul / mind”

• What is the mind??

 What is Psychobiology
• What is PSYCHOLOGY?
• Literally: “The study of the soul / mind”

• What is the mind??

• Dualist approach: Mind is different & separate from matter

mind Note:
? ‘Mind’ is
It’s
NOTa
? energy,
mystery…
because
? E=mc2
matter
 What is Psychobiology
• What is PSYCHOLOGY?
• Literally: “The study of the soul / mind”

• What is the mind??

• Dualist approach: Mind is different & separate from matter
• Materialist approach:
 What is Psychobiology
• What is PSYCHOLOGY?
• Literally: “The study of the soul / mind”

• What is the mind??

• Dualist approach: Mind is different & separate from matter
• Materialist approach: “Mind” is what brains DO

It’s still a
mystery…
but at least
one we can
like
investigate!
• “Walk” is what legs DO
• “Hold” is what hands DO
 What is Psychobiology
• What is PSYCHOLOGY?
• 2 / mind”
Literally: “The study of the1soul
PS1 ogy
• What is the mind?? chol
P sy t e x t
• Dualist approach: Mind is o
C n
different & separate from matter
i n 2
• Materialist approach: “Mind”
e rm is what brains DO
T
It’s still a mystery…
but at least one we can
investigate!
For anyone with a further interest in this:

• Reading: http://consc.net/online.html
 “Materialism & Dualism”
 Marvin Minsky, Minds are simply what brains do
 What is Psychobiology
• What is PSYCHOLOGY?
• Literally: “The study of the soul / mind”

• What is the mind??

• Dualist approach: Mind is different & separate from matter
• Materialist approach: “Mind” is what brains DO

It’s still a mystery…

but at least one we can
investigate!

• What is Psychology?
• Pragmatically: “The study of (human) behaviour”
 PsychoBIOLOGY

... aims to understand the

biological basis of human behaviour

Why??

Because it’s
interesting!
What if you think
it’s not?
 PsychoBIOLOGY

... aims to understand the

biological basis of human behaviour

Why??
But
But II don’t
don’t
CARE
CARE about
about
anatomy
anatomy – –
II want
want toto HEAL
HEAL
people!!
people!!

Mike
the
Med Student
PsychoBIOLOGY
10 years
later…
 PsychoBIOLOGY

... aims to understand the

biological basis of human behaviour

Why??

Some examples:

1. The Psychotherapist – Sleep disorder

2. The Educational Psychologist – AD/HD

3. The Consultant – False Memory

4. The Myth Buster – Confirmation Bias

 PsychoBIOLOGY

... aims to understand the

biological basis of human behaviour

Why not…

Getting rid of a
basic misconception…
 A Basic Misconception
Social Psychology: WHY? and WHAT?
• Why do we need others? (And who do we need?)
• Why does society affect us? (And what are those effects?)
• Why can social interactions make us ill? (And what to do about it?)

“Because humans
“Forget the
are social beings –
environment, it’s all
our sense of self
derives from our
Working on it…
in the genes
(hormones,
interaction with the
brains…)”
environment”

Biological Psychology: HOW?

WHY? and WHAT?
• Given that we need others – how does that work?
• Given that society affects us – how does that work?
• Given that social interactions can make us ill – how does that work?
 Psychobiology – Objectives
Present-day study of ‘mind’ and ‘behaviour’ is informed by
our understanding of (neuro-)biology:

• No psychological theory or concept can

violate biological (physical) principles:
• theories about reincarnation are not
psychological theories,
• theories about belief in reincarnation are
psychological theories!

• No psychological research question can

be outside a biological framework:
• research into life after death is not psy-
chological research,
• research into ‘near death experience’ is
psychological research!

• Our objective: Gain a basic understanding of neuro-

biology to appreciate what this means
 What is Psychobiology
Psychobiology aims to understand the
biological basis of human behaviour
• What is “behaviour”?

1. An astronaut enters a spacecraft.

2. An astronaut, flying in a spacecraft, orbits the sun.

3. An astronaut, lying at home in bed, orbits the sun (as does the
whole planet). Even
Eventhe
theexperts
experts
don’t
don’tagree!
agree!
4. A student, stressed before the exams, eats 500g of chocolate
every day.

5. A student, stressed before the exams, does not get enough

sleep.

6. A student, eating 500g of chocolate every day, gains weight

rapidly.
1
Levitis, D. A., Lidicker, W. Z., & Freund, G. (2009).
 What is Psychobiology
Psychobiology aims to understand the
biological basis of human behaviour
• What is “behaviour”?
• Even the experts don’t agree!
• “The (internally coordinated) responses of organisms to their
(internal or external) environment.” (1)
• (except when it’s developmental change)
• To produce responses, 3 systems interact with the environment:
• Immune system
(protects the body from infection by fighting bacteria, viruses, etc.)
• Endocrine system
(maintains & regulates the body’s internal state; controls growth, develop-
ment, and reproduction)

• Nervous system
(controls ongoing activity by coordinating rapid and precise responses to
stimuli; biological basis of all ‘cognitive’ functions)

1
Levitis, D. A., Lidicker, W. Z., & Freund, G. (2009). Behavioural biologists do not agree on what constitutes
behaviour. Animal Behaviour, 78, 103–110.
 Psychobiology

Psychobiology aims to understand the

biological basis of human behaviour

• What is a nervous system good for?

• How is behaviour generated?

 Information from the environment must be registered
 This information must be transformed or “processed”
 An appropriate response must be generated

• The more complex the structure of an organism, the more

complex the processes involved in generating behaviour:
Single Cell Organism: Complex Organism:
Registration
A molecule attaches itself to the
cell membrane

Transformation

The chemical change at the mem-

brane leads to a cascade of che-
mical changes inside the cell

Response
Generation
This results directly in a particular
behaviour (e.g., change of mem-
brane proteins causing a change
of movement direction)
Single Cell Organism: Complex Organism:
Registration
A molecule attaches itself to the A molecule attaches itself to the
cell membrane cell membrane of a specific
receptor cell (i.e., chemical senses)

Transformation
The chemical change at the mem-
The chemical change at the mem- brane leads to a cascade of
brane leads to a cascade of che- chemical changes inside the cell
mical changes inside the cell
which results in chemical changes
` in other (nerve) cells, generating
a nerve impulse which is transmit-
ted along specific neural pathways

Response Generation

This results directly in a particular

behaviour (e.g., change of mem-
brane proteins causing a change
of movement direction)
Single Cell Organism: Complex Organism:
Registration
A molecule attaches itself to the A molecule attaches itself to the
cell membrane cell membrane of a specific
receptor cell (i.e., chemical senses)

Transformation
The chemical change at the mem-
The chemical change at the mem- brane leads to a cascade of
brane leads to a cascade of che- chemical changes inside the cell
mical changes inside the cell
which results in chemical changes
` in other (nerve) cells, generating
a nerve impulse which is transmit-
ted along specific neural pathways

Response Generation

This results directly in a particular This eventually results in the

behaviour (e.g., change of mem- activation of output systems (e.g.,
brane proteins causing a change motor areas of the brain, causing
of movement direction) the execution of a particular
movement)
Single Cell Organism: Complex Organism:
Registration
A molecule attaches itself to the A molecule attaches itself to the
cell membrane cell membrane of a specific
receptor cell (i.e., chemical senses)

Transformation
The chemical change at the mem-
The chemical change at the mem- brane leads to a cascade of
brane leads to a cascade of che- chemical changes inside the cell
mical changes inside the cell
which results in chemical changes
` in other (nerve) cells, generating
“Communication”
a nerve impulse which is transmit-
ted along specific neural pathways

Response Generation

This results directly in a particular This eventually results in the

behaviour (e.g., change of mem- activation of output systems (e.g.,
brane proteins causing a change motor areas of the brain, causing
of movement direction) the execution of a particular
movement)
 Outlook...


When talking about the biological basis of behaviour, we will
mainly talk about co-operation or communication within the
nervous system.
so ...
Basics I – The Nervous System
• Overall Structure
• The Forebrain

Basics II – The Neuron

• Structure & Intracellular Signal Transmission
• The Chemical Synapse: Signal Transmission Between
Neurons 
 Reading (suggestions only)
General neuroscience / psychobiology:
• Bear, M. F., Connors, B. W., and Paradiso, M. A. (2006). Neuroscience:
Exploring the Brain
• Gazzaniga, M.S., Ivry, R.B., & Mangun, G.R. (2008). Cognitive Neuroscience
• Carlson, N. R. (2010). Physiology of Behavior

Neuroscience of action:
• Tresilian, J.R. (2012). Sensorimotor Control and Learning: An Introduction to
the Behavioral Neuroscience of Action.

Psychopathology:
• Kring, A.M., Johnson, S.L., Davison, G.C., & Neale, J.M. (2010). Abnormal
Psychology

Revision:
• Wagner & Silber, Physiological Psychology

Further reading: (to see Psychobiology “in action” – useful next year as well!):
• LeVay, S., The Sexual Brain
• Sacks, O., A Leg to Stand on and The Man who mistook his Wife for a Hat
• Ramachandran & Blakeslee, Phantoms in the Brain
• Blaffer Hrdy, S., Mothers and Others
• Miller, The Mating Mind
• Cartwright, Evolution and Human Behaviour
Questions?