Course Code: PSY301

Course Title: Introduction to Psychology

MODULE 2 - ACTIVITIES 

This section aims to assess your understanding of some of the topics covered in Week 2 through
the two activities below.

Critical Thinking: Discuss whether you agree or disagree.

1. Studying the nervous system is a complicated knowledge which should be confined to BS

Psychologists and not to AB Psychologists.

 A BA opens up opportunities in fields such as criminal justice and social work, which
require learners to handle various behaviors in various situations, whereas a BS prepares
learners for more research-based, clinical professions, which also require ample
knowledge of the nervous system in preparation for their future skills. I agree that the
study of the nervous system should be applied to both BS and BA courses, since it
implies not only our knowledge of the scientific functioning of the brain, but also how
these processes affect a certain individual's behavior.

2. With the knowledge of the nervous system, behavior then is biological or innate.

 Behavior is more than simply biology. It should include both inherited or innate
characteristics as well as learned experiences, as we are also taught by how we interact
with the people around us. Genetics, such as DNA, are considered to have a large
influence on an individual's behavior, which is why some of us run family background
when determining our true personality. However, other psychologists' behaviorism
theories, such as Watson and Pavlov's, shown that behavior is not just genetically
determined, but also by how conditioning occurs through contact with the environment.
Behaviorists believe that our reactions to stimuli in our surroundings influence our
actions.

3. Knowledge on the nervous system can then control behavior.

  Agree. Knowing that nervous system is major controlling system in the body.

4. Study on the nervous system best exemplifies positive thinking.

 I agree. Although a positive personality is something we’re born with and not something
we can inherently change, Yanek says, there are steps you can take to improve your
outlook. Our brain’s chemistry affects how we feel. Positive emotions impact the brain’s
prefrontal cortex - located in the front of the brain. A feel-good attitude generates from
the neurons in our brain.

5. Computers and robots are like man.

 Disagree. What will a day look like. Some people believe that humans will always be
smarter than robots. Some people say that robots are not as smart as we think.

What is the importance of the parts of the brain written at the left side to the movies written at
the right side? Give other examples.

1. Hypothalamus – Relic

 The Kothoga is the main antagonist of the 1997 American horror film The Relic. It
was mentioned that the leaves containing hormones were fed to some kind of animal.
Which explains why the hypothalamus was absent from every victim's brain. What is
remarkable about James’ film is that she locates dementia as an illness that not only
affects the mind, but also the body and by extension the home. Relic is much more
about the effect such an illness has on relatives.

2. L-Dopa - Awakening
3. Brain - Frankenstein 

Neurotransmitters: Fill in their functions and examples of malfunctions.

Neurotransmitter Functions Examples of Malfunctions

Acetylcholine (ACh)  Muscle control  Confusion
 Increases bodily secretion  Memory loss
 Slows heart rate  Blurry vision
 Memory formation  hallucinations

GABA (gamma-  Epilepsy

aminobutyric acid)  Inhibit CNS  Depression

Dopamine  Send messages between  Muscle cramps

nerve cells  Aches and pain
 Reward and movement  Spasms or tremors
regulation in the brain

Glutamate  Excitatory neurotransmitter  Alzheimer’s disease

 Lateral sclerosis
 Amyotrophic
 Huntington’s disease
Serotonin
 Stabilize our mood,feelings
of wellbeing and happiness
 Regulate body temperature
and appetite
 Shivering and diarrhea
 Chronic fatigue
 Low serotonin levels
may cause anxiety

Norepinephrine  Depression
 Increases heart rate and  Post-traumatic stress
blood pumping from the disorder
heart

End Module Quiz

MODULE 2 – QUIZ

Fill the blanks

The Nervous System 1. allows organisms to sense, organize, and react to information in the
environment. The basic unit of the nervous system is the neuron. Synapses 2. form between the
neurons, allowing them to communicate to other neurons or other systems in the body. The
general flow of information is that the peripheral nervous system (PNS) 3. takes in information
through sensory neurons, then sends it to the central nervous system (CNS)4. to be processed.
After processing, the CNS “tells” the PNS what to do—what muscles to flex, whether the lungs
need more oxygen, which limbs need more blood, any number of biological processes—and the
PNS makes it happen through muscle control. The neurons 5. responsible for taking information
to the CNS are known as afferent neurons, while the neurons that carry the responses from the
CNS to the PNS are known as efferent neurons.

The nervous system can be divided into two major subdivisions: the central nervous system
(CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS is comprised of the brain 6. And
spinal cord 7. ; the PNS connects the CNS to the rest of the body.
Identification:

Sympathetic Nervous System 8. is involved in preparing the body for stress-related activities;

Parasympathetic Nervous System 9. is associated with returning the body to routine, day-to-
day operations.

Brain 10. is like a central computer that controls all the functions of your body, then the nervous
system is like a network that sends messages back and forth from the brain to different parts of
the body.

Cerebrum 11. Part of the brain that contains the information that essentially makes us who we
are: our intelligence, memory, personality, emotion, speech, and ability to feel and move.

Thalamus 12. Part of the brain that carries messages from the sensory organs like the eyes, ears,
nose, and fingers to the cortex.

Hypothalamus 13. Part of the brain that controls body temperature, thirst, appetite, sleep
patterns, and other processes in our bodies that happen automatically. It also controls the
pituitary gland, which makes the hormones that control our growth, metabolism, digestion,
sexual maturity, and how we respond to stress.

Midbrain 14. located underneath the middle of the forebrain, acts as a master coordinator for all
the messages going in and out of the brain to the spinal cord.

Hindbrain 15 sits underneath the back end of the cerebrum, and it consists of the cerebellum,
pons, and medulla.

Cerebellum 16. The cerebellum — also called the “little brain” because it looks like a small
version of the cerebrum — is responsible for balance, movement, and coordination.

Enumeration:

Peripheral Nervous System Divisions

1. Somatic Nervous System

2. Autonomic Nervous System.

Autonomic nervous system Divisions

3. Sympathetic Nervous System

4. Parasympathetic Nervous System

Essay: what behavioural traits have you inherited from your parents?

There are many behavioral traits I inherit from my parents. My father talks a lot,
sometimes continuously blabbering while my mother is the complete opposite.
Overthinking is another trait that both of us have inherited. Another thing is being
understanding and genuine caring. My father has always been gentle and caring. I have
been told that the way I sit or talk resembles my father and some of my features are
similar to my father's mother.  It wasn't until I was in my early 18 that I became more
self-aware and began to look at myself and my personality and traits. I saw a terrible
temper, which I did realize from my teens was something of my dad's that I inherited.
Lastly one quality that I got from my parents is my ability to listen.