INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE / WHAT IS BEHAVIOUR?

Readings for this le t!re: Dawkins, (book of readings) Readings the ne"t le t!re: Carlson Chapter 3 OUT#INE Introduction to the Course What is Behaviour !volution of "ife # $urpose of Behaviour %&pes of Behaviour Classical 'pproaches to C() *unction )ection: Dawkins

$% INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE&

+ review of the lecture schedule: tests + review of the lecturer + review of the lecture schedule: course ,aterial + draft Infor,ation )heet for test -

'% WHAT IS BEHAVIOUR?

+ + + observable action of ,uscles and glands aberrant behaviour . topic of this course o reall& too ,uch of so,ething nor,al related to /flaws0 in C() structure # function o genetics and so,e environ,ental o behaviour +1 structure +1 ph&siolog& +1 bioche,istr& (treat phar,acologicall&) purpose of neuro#ps&chophar,acologists: to correct the flaws with drugs o a lot of the ti,es our treat,ents are 2ust as bad as the disease

(% EVO#UTION O) #I)E / *UR*OSE O) BEHAVIOUR

+ + + What is "ife "iving ,atter is ph&sical ,atter that resists entrop& (disorgani3ation) !ntrop& . tendenc& of things to progress toward disorder "iving ,atter resists entrop& . it ,aintains#repairs its own structure4

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o We ,aintain our co,ple5 structure b& disorgani3ing the universe around us It does so b& taking energ& and building blocks fro, its environ,ent "ife resists entrop& b& increasing entrop& in its environ,ent4 Botto+ line: "iving ,atter can6t e5ist without interacting with its environ,ent4 When we see these interactions in ,ulticellular ani,als, we call the, /behaviour0 o Behaviour is self+,aintenance

,% T-*ES O) BEHAVIOUR
+ We can recogni3e three basic t&pes of behaviour: refle5 patterns, instinctive patterns, and goal+oriented (purposive) patterns:

(i) + + + + + + + +

Refle" *atterns )+7 (sti,ulus+response) learning . none ,otivated . no fle5ibilit& . little organi3ed . spinal cord and brain ste, conscious . no (present in sleep) biological significance . obvious e5a,ple . nociceptive refle5 o hands ,ove awa& fro, a stove before it reaches our brain

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Instin ti.e *atterns )+8+7 (sti,ulus+response) learning . /earl&0 learning ,otivated . &es, each step fle5ibilit& . so,e fle5ibilit& organi3ed . brain ste, and old forebrain conscious . &es (absent in sleep biological significance . often fairl& obvious e5a,ples . se5ual behaviour, ,aternal behavior, fear of heights (9ibson and Walk) o ,ore co,ple5 (long circuited) o re:uires earl& learning o -st few &ears (earl& learning also called epigenetics) o Influences b& e5perience earl& on in life o If its not ,otivated it6s a refle5 o Instinctive are ,otivated at ever& single step i4e4 we have unlearned ,otivational e,otional responses i4e4 the first ti,e we have se5 (inherited e,otional response) o old forebrain ; telencephalon /oal0Oriented 12*!r3osi.e45 *atterns )+8+7 (sti,ulus+response) learning . pro,inent ,otivated . &es, final step fle5ibilit& . great fle5ibilit& organi3ed . old forebrain, neocorte5 conscious . &es (absent in sleep) biological significance . often fairl& subtle e5a,ples . going to )tarbucks for a coffee, etc4 Rele.an e: <uch C() phar,acolog& see,s to relate to /flaws0 in the subcortical forebrain o Both = and 3 have unlearned ,otivational responses o %he steps in = are alwa&s ,otivated o In 3 the& aren6t (i4e4 going to get food, it is not rewarding to open the fridge door) o *le5ibilit& (i4e4 &ou can take ,an& different paths) o *laws in these unlearned ,otivational s&ste,s in the subcortical forebrain

(iii) + + + + + + + + +

6% C#ASSIC A**ROACHES TO CNS )UNCTION / BEHAVIOUR 12SCHOO#S O) *S-CHO#O/-45 + Introspection # %rained Introspection o sit and introspect on the contents of their ,ind

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o take so,ething and break it into its perceptual basics (i4e4 see so,eone as a set of dots) o reductionist o no wa& to prove the& are right or wrong (not ob2ective) Behaviouris, (7efle5olog&) Big B o $avlov and Watson ->=?6s o )aid that all we can stud& is observable behaviour o I,plicit theor& of how the C() worked o *elt that there was no behaviour ,ore co,ple5 than a refle5 o <ind and thinking was a learned refle5 o D484@ebb changed it ->A> with his organi3ation of behaviour ),all /b0 behaviouris, ((on+refle5olog&) )tud& of Brain and Behaviour ($h&siological $s&cholog&, (europs&cholog&)

Rele.an e: $C" ABC will ,ainl& use the last approach