What are your thoughts on the practice of psychology?

Nature or Nurture?

The relationship between heredity and the environmental influence in shaping behavior has long been the topic of studies. The history of biological psychology development includes the contributions of Descartes, Fritsch, and Hitzig, Helmholtz, Broca, Gall, and Lashley. One of the most exciting scientific discoveries in the twentieth century was our understanding of nucleic acid through the structures and functions of DNA and RNA. The Human Genome Project—a global collaboration of biotechnology— has greatly advanced our understanding of one of the original questions in biopsychology: Nature or nurture?

Questions To Consider

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.

• What are your thoughts on the practice of psychology? Should a practicing psychologist fall more into the Monism camp or the Dualism camp? Why? How will one view versus the other impact how a psychologist implements therapy? â€¨
• Consider the concept of neurotransmission, and then apply this concept to the following question:
▪Do you expect one day to have a “magic drink” with a mixture of chemicals that make a consumer “smarter” or â€¨prevent a consumer from neurological or psychological disorders? Why or why not? â€¨Resources Suggested Resources â€¨The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom. â€¨Capella Multimedia â€¨Click the links provided below to view the following multimedia pieces: â€¨• Brain Regions and Functions | Transcript . Show More â€¨Library Resources â€¨The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course: â€¨
• Lask, B., & Frampton, I. (Eds.). (2011). Eating disorders and the brain . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. â€¨
• Latzer, Y., Merrick, J., & Stein, D. (Eds.). Understanding eating disorders: Integrating culture, psychology â€¨and biology . Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers. â€¨
• Fox, J., & Goss, K. (Eds.). (2012). Eating and its disorders . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. â€¨Course Library Guide â€¨A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the PSYC-FP4310 – Biological Psychology Library Guide to help direct your research. â€¨Bookstore Resources â€¨The resources listed below are relevant to the topics and assessments in this course and are not required. Unless noted otherwise, these materials are available for purchase from the Capella University Bookstore . When searching the bookstore, be sure to look for the Course ID with the specific –FP (FlexPath) course designation. â€¨• Garrett, B. (2015). Brain & behavior: An introduction to biological psychology (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. â–ªChapter 1, “What is Biopsychology,” the author discusses the origins of biopsychology and genetic influence on behavior.

Chapter 2, “Communication Within the Nervous System,” the author explains how neurons communicate with each other. â€¨