AP Psychology: Biological Bases of Behavior Notes

Key Takeaways: Biological Bases for Behavior

1. All human (and animal) behavior is a product of biological structures and processes, highly organized on multiple interconnected levels. Understanding these biological precursors of behavior can lead to treatments for psychological disorders, such as drugs that influence neurotransmitter function.
2. The nervous system is highly specialized and hierarchical in its structure, but neuroplasticity gives the brain some flexibility to adapt its structure and function. 
3. Though interconnected with and regulated by the nervous system, the endocrine system produces effects on behavior in a distinct way: endocrine glands secrete hormones into the bloodstream, allowing hormones to reach and interact directly with target organs. 
4. Biopsychological researchers use a variety of imaging technologies to view the structure and function of the brain, along with specialized research strategies that allow them to learn more about the brain’s organization and the origin of psychological traits. 
5. While many behaviors are learned as a result of experience within a particular environment, the very capacity to learn such behaviors has a genetic basis, and such capacities only persist because they contribute to the fitness of organisms. 
6. Since the late nineteenth century, psychologists have investigated consciousness, including the awareness of one’s self and environment, the ways consciousness can be altered, and the various levels and states of consciousness. 
7. Sleep cycles through multiple stages that vary in levels of neural activity, muscle control, biological functions, and dreaming; sleep disorders cause disruptions to these processes. 
8. Psychoactive drugs, including depressants, narcotics, stimulants, and hallucinogens, affect brain chemistry to alter the perceptions and behavior of users; some psychoactive drugs are used medicinally and/or recreationally, and some have a high potential for abuse.