HOW DOES UNDERSTANDING NEURONS, NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND THE CHEMICAL/ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION IN THE BRAIN HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND MENTAL PROCESSES?
- How does understanding neurons, neurotransmitters, and the chemical/electrical communication in the brain help us better understand human behavior and mental processes?
- Considering your nervous system and the different parts of your brain, what kind of impact could neuroplasticity and neurogenesis have on human beings?
- What are some ways that nature/nurture influences affect the human brain? What about other areas of your life?
- Describe different stages of human development.
- Discuss cognitive and social development theories, including gender development.
- Explain attachment and parenting theories.
- Describe the differences between sensations and perceptions, along with concepts such as thresholds, sensory adaptation, and Gestalt theories.
- Discuss how your sensations and perceptions are affected by psychological, social, and cultural influences.
- How do your different states of consciousness affect your sensations and perceptions (attentiveness, sleep, substance use)?
- How do the three personality theories covered in this week’s reading help understand human personality? (Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Social-Cognitive)
- What is a psychological disorder and what does it mean to diagnose someone?
- Is it helpful to label people with psychological disorders? Why or why not?
- What are some of the psychological techniques used to help people? (psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive, behavioral, pharmacological, biological)
- What types of therapies do you think work best for different types of psychological problems (i.e. individual, group, family, couples’ counseling) ?
- What types of risks are involved in clinical psychology? Describe ethical considerations to keep in mind.
- Describe some theories that help you understand the way people think and the way they develop language.
- Discuss some different viewpoints on human intelligence and emotional intelligence.
- What are some biases and ethical considerations with regards to intelligence testing?
- How can human motivation be understood in terms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?
- Discuss how motivators such as hunger or the need to belong influence people.
- Describe physiological, psychological, and social-cultural influences on human emotion.
