Psych tutorial 4

TUTORIAL SESSION #5 CHAPTER 4- GENES AND BEHAVIOR A. DISCUSSION: 1. Discuss the three types of cloning & some ethical issues related to cloning. 2. How are twin studies and adoption studies used to determine the genetic contribution of a trait or characteristic? B. QUESTIONS: 1. What is the difference between genes and chromosomes? a. A chromosome is a condensed strand of DNA, a gene is a specific section of that DNA strand 2. Define genetic determinism. a. The function, features, and potential of an organism is dependent on the genetic information within its cells b. This genetic information is inherited from an offspring’s parents 3. Discuss natural selection. a. Organisms with specific variations of genes that allow them to better survive in a given environment will reproduce more frequently than organisms without that variation, causing the future population of that species in that area to have more organisms with that variation 4. What is a reaction range? 5. Explain the difference between dominant and recessive genes. Give examples. a. A dominant gene causes a phenotype that will be expressed over another b. Since organisms receive genetic information from two organisms, the presence of a dominant gene will cause it to be shown over a recessive version of that gene from the other parent c. Brown/blue eyes 6. Differentiate between genotype and phenotype.

a. Genotype determines the phenotype b. Phenotype is the expressed trait 7. Explain DNA recombinant procedures. 8. Discuss the nature/nurture controversy as it relates to intelligence. 9. Discuss the purposes & advantages of genetic counseling. 10. Differentiate between the following mating systems: monogamy, polyandry, & polygyny. 11. How might each of these mating systems be adaptive from an evolutionary perspective? 12. Discuss gender differences in mate preferences. 13. Explain the major components of the “Parental Investment theory”. Discuss the research that supports this theory. 14. Explain the 2 main theories of altruism. Is there evidence to support these theories? 15. Explain the adaptive value of aggression from an evolutionary perspective. TUTORIAL SESSION #4 CHAPTER 3 – PART 2 - BRAIN & BEHAVIOR 1. DISCUSSION: 2. Have the students discuss the hierarchy of the human brain and the components that make up the hindbrain, mid brain, and forebrain. What is the function of each of these structures? ● 1. Discuss the prenatal development of the brain. ● B. QUESTIONS: Next ask particular students to answer the following questions. If the student you randomly select cannot answer the question, open it up to the group for an answer. 1. What makes up the central nervous system? (p.78) ■ Neurons of the brain and spinal cord

■ Pons: carries impulses between higher and lower levels of the nervous system ■ Also regulates sleep and is involved in dreaming, controls the muscles and glands of the face and neck ■ Helps control vital functions (respiration) ■ Cerebellum: motor coordination centre, muscular movement ■ Midbrain: ■ Reticular formation: alerts higher centres of the brain that messages are incoming, and permitting passage of those messages ■ Influences consciousness, sleep and attention ■ Without its presence sensory messages would not register in conscious awareness ■ Forebrain: ■ Thalamus: organizes inputs from sense organs and routes them to the corresponding regions of the brain ■ Smell does not pass through the thalamus ■ Basal ganglia: involved in voluntary movement control ■ Hypothalamus: involved in sexual behaviour, temperature regulation, eating, drinking, aggression, and emotional expression ■ Controls hormonal secretions ■ Limbic system: memory and goal oriented behaviour ■ Hippocampus: forming and retrieving memories ■ Amygdala: organizes emotional response patterns, fear and aggression in particular ■ Nucleus accumbens: involved in reward and motivation ■ Cerebral cortex: ■ Frontal lobe: ■ Motor cortex: controls muscles for voluntary movement ■ Self-awareness, initiative, respnsibility ■ Parietal lobe: ■ Somatic sensory cortex: receives sensory inputs such as heat, cold, touch, balance ■ Occipital lobe: vision ■ Temporal lobe: memory and hearing, smell, taste and sound ■ Wernicke's area: language comprehension ■ Broca's area: normal speech production ■ Association cortex: perception, language and thought

■ Prefrontal cortex: goal setting, judgement, strategic planning, impulse control 2. What is meant by hemispheric lateralization? (p.97) ■ The relative localization of a function in one hemisphere of the brain ■ Both hemispheres are functionally different 3. What functions are lateralized to the left hemisphere? (p. 97, 99) 4. What functions are lateralized to the right hemisphere? (p.97) 5. What areas of the brain are important for speech production? (p.97) 6. What areas of the brain are important for speech comprehension? (p.97) 7. How does the brain and nervous system develop prenatally? 8. What is the role of experience in brain development? 9. What is the role of the limbic system? (p.89) 10. What is a “critical period”? 11. What is meant by plasticity of the brain? 12. What research findings support the idea that the brain can “recover” from injury? (p. 101)