Biological Pillar Overview and Themes

Our nervous system plays a vital role in how we think, feel, and act. You will learn about the building blocks of this system, how we measure brain activity, and the structures of the brain. By understanding the brain and the cells of the brain, we will better understand ourselves (our mind and behavior).

Did you know that your brain gives rise to conscious experience, and that it is inherently personal and subjective? You shift consciousness during sleep/wake cycles or during periods of altered experiences (like meditation, or flow). While reading the content in these chapters, try to find examples of material that can fit with the themes of the course.

To get us started:

• Psychological, biological, social and cultural factors influence behavior and mental processes.
  • By now, you have likely heard that some college students in the United States drink or do drugs for the first time since they are away from home and the limitations of being close to their guardians. Not everyone will want to, but they may feel some social pressure to imbibe. This is an example of social and cultural factors that can influence a decision. Take care of yourselves and be safe! Never drink and drive.
• Applying psychological principles can change our lives, organizations, and communities in positive ways
  • Now more than ever, we know how profoundly important sleep is to cognitive functioning. There’s a reason sleep deprivation is a torture technique! Most smart phones even have a blue light filter that you can turn on during the evening hours, to try to ease eye strain and help you go to sleep more easily. Try to get your 6-8 hours of sleep each night, even if you have to sacrifice some study time. Your brain will thank you for the rest (and REM sleep). Driving tired is just as dangerous as driving drunk, so take care of you body by getting some good sleep tonight.
• Ethical principles guide psychology research and practice.
  • You can imagine that studying genetics comes with many ethical questions and limitations. For one, it is unethical to separate twins just to answer a research question. How do we find out about heritability and environmental effects on twins then? Using the Minnesota Twin Study, scientists were able to track identical (monozygotic) twins raised apart because they were adopted to different families.