Topic III: Biological Bases of Behavior
An effective introduction to the relationship between physiological processes and behavior — including the influence of neural function, the nervous system and the brain, and genetic contributions to behavior — is an important element in the AP course. AP students in psychology should be able to do the following:
• Identify basic processes and systems in the biological bases of behavior, including parts of the neuron and the process of transmission of a signal between neurons.
• Discuss the influence of drugs on neurotransmitters (e.g., reuptake mechanisms, agonists, antagonists).
• Discuss the effect of the endocrine system on behavior.
• Describe the nervous system and its subdivisions and functions: — central and peripheral nervous systems; — major brain regions, lobes, and cortical areas; — brain lateralization and hemispheric specialization.
• Discuss the role of neuroplasticity in traumatic brain injury.
• Recount historic and contemporary research strategies and technologies that support research (e.g., case studies, split-brain research, imaging techniques).
• Discuss psychology’s abiding interest in how heredity, environment, and evolution work together to shape behavior.
• Predict how traits and behavior can be selected for their adaptive value.
• Identify key contributors (e.g., Paul Broca, Charles Darwin, Michael Gazzaniga, Roger Sperry, Carl Wernicke).