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PSYCHOBIOLOGY MODULE I
1. Typology of biologies based on the level of biological organization
concept, the reductionism-organicism continuum and the proximate
versus ultimate causes concept.
Psychobiology is the scientific area that studies the biology of behaviour and the underlying psychological processes.
Organisms and their environments must be considered as systems constituted by components (or subsystems) that generate a hierarchical inclusive organization. It is hierarchical because there are units of different order and it is inclusive because some units are contained inside others of higher order.
Biology has a plural character. There are three main concepts that lead to various biology typologies_. Hierarchy levels of organization_ , reductionist views against organicists views and proximate causes versus ultimate causes.
Axis 1: Levels of organization.
From the most elemental living system (cell) to the most complex (ecosystem) life is organized hierchicaly depending on various inclusive levels, in a way that each level contains the lower ones in hierarchy (because they are more elemental) and it is contained by the ones higher in that hierarchy (because they are of higher order).
Levels of organization: Supra-organicicism, organicism and infra-organicism.
Molecular biologists focus on elemental levels in horizontal causal relations.
Organismic biologists focus on higher levels of hierarchy but also variables in the lower levels. Even more than horizontal causal relations also take in account vertical causal relations.
Axis 2: Reductionism versus organicism
Reductionists support that causal relations established trend to be vertical and upward causation , they agree with constitutive, explicative and theoretical postulate. ( Provincial biologists )
Organicists understand vertical causal relations as downward and reciprocal. ( autonomous biologists )
Axis 3: Proximate versus ultimate causes
The distinction between proximate and ultimate causes has made the definition of two biologists; functional and evolutive biology. Changes in functional biology have been the outcome of revolutionary advances that have been produced in the two main areas that nourish: genetic and epigenetic in one side, and neurosciences in the other. Evolutive biology has also suffered a revolution, especially on inheritance studies and on the relation between development and evolution. What has happened is a marriage between functional and evolutive biology in relation with approach of processes and mechanisms that traditionally had been studied separated.
2. Optimally principle and biological fitness.
The principle supports that living beings are designed in an optimum way in order to maximize their biological efficiency, this means, the imperative of survive and breed. The study of characteristics of design of an organism, whatever level of organization, should reveal the existence of a trend towards more efficiency functional configurations. In spite of the closer tuning that seems to exist between an organ structure and its function, the design of the parts of a living being and itself, it is not optimum in absolute terms. It seems always could be better if we examine each organ separated.
3. Concept of trade-off.
When solutions to different biological problems are incompatible, because they require the use of limited resources because of temporally simultaneity or energy budget, the organisms trend to activate solutions of compromise (trade- offs) that only allow suboptimum solutions in relative terms although final solution can be considered the best as possible. Examples; fecundity vs breed, asexual reproduction vs sexual, sexuality vs parentality. It can be observed every
6. Concepts of animal model (no human) versus model animal (of
process).
You are being anthropocentric if you use animal models as surrogates to understand humans (animal models of humans). You are using a genuinely biological approach if you use a range of different model species (perhaps including humans) to study, say, the genetic basis of variation in mating systems, the hormones that underpin cooperation, the effect of maternal deprivation, and so on and so forth. In a biological species, you focus on processes not on single species, and you compare how ecology and evolution accounts for similarities and differences across species.
Animal model: Sometimes researchers use animal as substitutive models more simple, more economics and ethically more acceptable to understand human. It is usually linked with evolutive ladder and it is anthropocentric.
Model animal: The study of natural phenomenon which can be shared by various species. Some psychobiologists are interested on understanding the physiologic processes (proximate causes), such as ways of reproduction, mating systems and parental look after. Others are interested on ecologic and filogenetic pressures (ultimate causes). This biological approach, que contrasta con anthropocentric approach, study different species that are model animals of the problem studied. There isn´t any king specie more important than the others. They research similarities and singularities among various species, and thanks to comparative approach, we obtain relevant answers to formulate general principles.
7. Anthropocentric versus biological approaches.
Anthropocentric approach is used by disciplines only interested on human specie. They use animal model and it is closely linked with ladder evolution.
Biological approach is used to study different species which set model animal of the problem interested.
8. Concepts of niche construction and interpenetration.
Interpenetration: Organisms are environments for themselves and for the rest of members of the environment.
Niche construction: Organisms selection and modify the environment con el que interaactuan activemente. There are a bidirectional relationship between organisms and environment.
Organisms and environment are inseparable and are active responsible of evolution course.
9. Models of inheritance and transmission pathways.
10. Predetermined versus probabilistic epigenesist.
Predetermined epigenesis: Information and causality flows unidirectionally from genes to the structure (nervous system) and en ultimo término determine la function (behaviour). Environment only has a secondary function of mantenimiento.
Probabilistic epigenesis: Relation between all agents is bidirectional and information flows in both senses and the last result just can be predicho, never determined. Life conditions in whichever stage of development or level of organization is the result of information that flows reciprocrive among levels of organization (causalidad compartida).
11. Ethologies four causes/questions/whys.
- Causation inmediata o control : look for answer to What stimulus externs e interns predict the exhibition of conductual answers in the individual in a right moment? Extern stimulus: abiotic or biotic. Intern stimulus: physiologic or psychological.
- Development or ontogeny of behaviour : When se origina the behaviour en cuestión and what path is likely to follow along life of the individual?
- Function or adaptative value: Why is useful to an individual to show a conductual answer in a right answer? The effect must be measurable by
Neuropsychology researches las bases cerebrales de procesos psicológicos superiores en sujetos humanos con daño cerebral. Versión restringida, proximate causes y anthropocentrism.
Psychophysiology comparte con la neuropsicología el interés por el estudio del sustrato neural que da soporte aa los procesos psicológicos en la especie humana.
14. Empirical-inductive versus hypothethical-deductive methods.
15. Experimental versus correlational paradigms.
