Write a portion of a request for proposal (RFP) in which you address the field of biopsychology and the brain. Biopsychology, also known as behavioral neuroscience, has become a well-established multidisciplinary study that uses complicated techniques to reveal the relationship between brain functions and human behaviors. SHOW LESS By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria: Competency 1: Analyze the research methods used in the study of biological psychology. Explain the origins of biopsychology and the first theorists of biopsychology. Describe scientific methods used by scientists to study the brain. Competency 2: Apply psychological theories to topics in biological psychology. Explain the mind–brain problem. Describe the ethical concerns connected to biopsychology research. Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology. Write in a manner that is concise, logically organized, and utilizes correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, and mechanics. Use APA format and style. Competency Map CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Use this online tool to track your performance and progress through your course. Toggle Drawer Context As a branch of psychology, contemporary biopsychology studies the relationships between behavior and (mainly) the brain. Before this central hypothesis was established, the popular mind–brain questions raised in history included “What is the mind?” and “Does the mind control the brain or vice-versa?” Numerous scientists, psychologists, philosophers, and other scholars answered these questions differently and developed a variety of theories to explain their rationale. SHOW LESS Action Potential The brain is a part of the nervous system. A particularly important aspect of the nervous system is how neurons fire or act to transmit information. This process is known as the action potential and is governed by several different factors, including neurotransmitters and electrolytes. Action potentials are subject to several laws. For instance, according to the all-or-none principle, an action potential occurs at full strength or not at all. This theory has been a foundation of the studies of the brain and is widely applied in today’s medicine as well as the computer world and the robot industry. 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?
