From the College Board

Develop your Understanding of this Unit

According to the College Board, "The structures of human biological systems and their functions influence our behavior and mental processes. ⚙️ Some psychologists study behaviors and mental processes from a biological perspective. This includes an examination of the influence that the interaction between human biology and our environment has on behavior and mental processes. This is a recurring topic throughout the course that will be used to explain many psychological phenomena. 🧠

The biological perspective also provides insight into the causes of and treatments for psychological disorders. 💊 There is a complex interaction between a person’s biology and their behavior and mental processes. Heredity and environment play a role, as do variations in a person’s consciousness." 💭

Guiding Questions

1. How can biology influence our behavior and mental processes?

2. What happens when a particular neurotransmitter is absent from the body?

3. How do biological and environmental factors interact to influence our behaviors and mental processes?

Contextualizing the Unit

Unit 2 focuses on studying the physical (biological) bases for behavior and what can alter it. In this unit, we study the brain, body systems, genetics, consciousness, sleep, and drugs. All of these factors influence our behavior and mental processes (which are exactly what psychology is).

This unit comprises 8 - 10% of the AP Exam for Psychology.

Key Facts

Psychologists to Know

• Charles Darwin (1896)-- Darwin is known for his principle of natural selection and his other contributions to evolution. He established the idea that all species of life come from the same ancestor.

• Paul Broca (1861)-- Paul Broca discovered Broca's area in the brain, which is associated with language and speaking.

• Carl Wernicke (1874)-- Wernicke studied nerve disease and parts of the brain. He discovered Wernicke's area, which is essential in understanding language and speech.

• Roger Sperry (1950s)-- Roger Sperry was one of the few key neuropsychologists to claim that we have two brain hemispheres, and each has its own specialized functions. He studied split-brain patients and conducted experiments to learn more about each half of the brain. He actually won a Nobel Prize for his research.

• Michael Gazzaniga (1979)-- Gazzaniga helped with the understanding of lateralization. He also worked with split-brain patients to advance his research and began to understand how the two hemispheres of the brain work together.

• William James (1890)-- James coined the term "stream of consciousness." He is considered the Father of American Psychology.

• Sigmund Freud (1897)-- Freud is the father of psychoanalysis and studied many areas of psychology through his psychoanalytic perspective. For this unit, in particular, he came up with three levels of consciousness: the conscious, preconscious, and the unconscious.

Vocabulary