Allona Zyra G.

Cambronero AB Political Science 4

FREE ELEC 1
General Psychology
Code: 1173

Engaging Activity 1: Enumeration

Instruction: Behavior is considered learned when you acquire it while undergoing
developmental process. Behavior is unlearned when it is something innate, inherent or
inborn. In the space given below, enumerate examples of your learned and unlearned
behavior.
Example: Learned Behavior: Loving someone
Unlearned Behavior: Blinking your eyes upon seeing an approaching object
LEARNED BEHAVIOR UNLEARNED BEHAVIOR
1. Dodging or Covering myself when I
think someone or something is going to 1. Hunger
hit me.
2. Distracting myself or Keeping myself
2. Fear
busy all the time so my mind can focus.
3. Practicing the things I’m going to say
3. Thirst
whether it be formal or informal.
4. Choosing to not leave the house
because I don’t have the energy to 4. Anger
socialize.
5. Choosing to isolate myself, keeping
quiet or leaving early because I have
socialize a lot already and I’m starting to 5. Laughing
burn out, exhaust myself or I’m tired
already.
6. Enabling myself to do things without
6. Crying
the help of anyone.
7. Saying thank you, sorry and you’re
7. Removing hand from surfaces that are
welcome as appreciation so that people
hot/cold
don’t think that they are unappreciated.
8. Frankly telling someone the things that
hurt me or I don’t like so that I won’t
8. Chewing when eating
hold grudges and I can let go of the
negative feelings I have.
9. Asking people frequently the things
9. Putting the hand on the parts of my
that bothers me or the things I’m not sure
body that are hurt
of. Re-assuring. So I can relax.
10. Trying to think positive in things that 10. Burping after eating
Allona Zyra G. Cambronero AB Political Science 4
FREE ELEC 1
General Psychology
Code: 1173

people think are impossible but matters

to me.
Engaging Activity 2: "Case Analysis"

Case A.
Paolo was a young college student in one of the universities in Metro Manila. He belonged to
the top 10% of the class. He wanted to become an engineer just like his father with whom he
was very close. He was an active student not only academically but also in extracurricular
activities. He was also a member of the college basketball team. Because he was endowed
with a good singing voice, he was also an active member of the college Glee Club. However, a
negative and undesirable event struck the family when he was in his senior year. His father
succumbed to a heart attack. The death of his father came by surprise. At the time, he was one
month away from graduation. The sudden death of his father had a great impact on him
causing him to lose appetite to eat and have difficulty going to sleep. He lost interest in the
things he usually enjoyed doing. He developed an emotional turmoil. In short, he exhibited
depression.
Instruction: Read and analyze the case provided above. Looking at these two individuals, you
may wonder why they have this kind of behavior. You become interested to find out the
factors that bring about the behavior. By utilizing different psychological perspectives as the
basis for the explanation of behaviors. Choose a psychological perspective to explain Case A.
Note: You may select multiple perspectives to better expound your ideas. (Biological,
Psychodynamic, Behavioral, Cognitive, Phenomenological)
 In Case A there are different kinds of perspective that are present. First is Cognitive
Perspective which explains the behavior that utilizes the individual's mental
processes, his and ideas. In Aaron Becks concept of Cognitive distortion, it magnifies
a small and minor event may cause a person be depressed. On Palo’s case he suffered
depression through the passing of his father which he looked up to. Second, because
of the happenings which leads Paolo to depression he also has the Biological
perspective the Norepinephrine hormone is present which is considered as an
excitatory neurotransmitter, and a deficit in this substance is thought to be a causal
factor in depression. He also shows the Psychodynamic perspective before the passing
of his father, because of the influence of his parental he develops skills that affect him
positively, as it said this behavior is determined by intrapsychic forces that are
unconscious in nature. This means that the individual has no full awareness of these
mental forces that are affecting his conscious behavior. To psychodynamic theorists,
childhood experiences are crucial to one's current behavior. Lastly, with all the things
that happened to him because of his father’s death he shows a Phenomenological
Perspective Which His past experiences play a significant role in how he perceives
himself and how he behaves now. This perspective is subjective, individual’s past
experiences and perceptions affect how he is going to interpret the stimulus. As we
Allona Zyra G. Cambronero AB Political Science 4
FREE ELEC 1
General Psychology
Code: 1173

look at him now the need of the father and the longing for a loved one is what affected
him to develop this kind of perspective.
Individual Guide Processing Questions:
1. How does the nervous system regulate behavior?
 The nervous system allows organisms to sense, organize, and react to
information in the environment. (1) Most behavior occurs in response to an
external sensory stimulus of some kind; (2) sensory signals must be
transduced into nerve signals; (3) nerve impulses travel along specific
pathways to defined areas of the central nervous system; (4) nerve cells
communicate with each other through specialized junctional zones known as
synapses; (5) synaptic transmission can be either excitatory or inhibitory
depending on the chemical neurotransmitter involved; (6) most behavior
manifests itself in the form of oven motor actions; and (7) many sensory
stimuli are also consciously perceived as a result of the transmission of
information to higher brain centers including the central cortex, and this
perception may result in conscious arousal and the focusing of attention on the
stimulus and its behavioral consequences.
2. What is the main function of endocrine system that helps us face adversities?
 The endocrine system, made up of all the body's different hormones, regulates
all biological processes in the body from conception through adulthood and
into old age, including the development of the brain and nervous system, the
growth and function of the reproductive system, as well as the metabolism and
blood sugar levels. The hypothalamus activates the pituitary gland to secrete a
hormone called the adrenocorticotrophic hormone which activates the adrenal
glands to secrete the stress hormone, called cortisol. This stress hormone will
play a role in the individual's fight or flight reaction as a response to the fear
or stress-inducing stimulus. An endocrine gland is a ductless gland that
secretes hormone direct into the bloodstream. Under abnormal conditions,
there can be a hypo secretion (less than normal) or hypersecretion (above the
normal) of hormones. This under/over secretion of hormones can affect the
individual's behavior.
3. Are behaviors hereditary?
 If we were to ask Dr. Brenda Shook on is human behavior genetic or learned?
She explained that “the question should be. ‘To what extent is a particular
behavior genetic or learned?’ Nature vs. nurture. It’s an age-old debate: Do we
inherit our behaviors, or do we learn them? Are our habits hereditary, or did
we pick them up along the way? So, Is Human Behavior Genetic or Learned?
It’s Complicated. It’s pretty clear that physical traits like the color of our eyes
are inherited, but behavior is more complicated. Shook says, “It’s a complex
interaction between genetics and environment.” Shook uses singing as an
example. Someone could be an excellent singer, but is that talent genetic or
what it learned? “It’s both,” she says. Maybe this person doesn’t necessarily
Allona Zyra G. Cambronero AB Political Science 4
FREE ELEC 1
General Psychology
Code: 1173

have a good singing voice, but her brain is wired to be able to learn and
remember. So her genetics might have made voice lessons more effective.
Diving a little deeper into the biological realm, she explains that we don’t
inherit behavior or personality, but rather we inherit genes. And these genes
contain information that produces proteins — which can form in many
combinations, all affecting our behavior. Even with this DNA, Shook says of
the outcome, “… and it still could depend on the environment: what will turn
on and off a gene?” Shook said there’s a growing interest in how, when, and
why some genes activate, and some don’t. She refers to this area of research as
epigenetics.
Formative Activity 1: LET US INVESTIGATE
Instruction: Identify and label the parts of the Central Nervous System. In the space given,
write the functions of each part.

Cerebrum Cerebral Cortex

Corpus Callosum Thalamus

Hypothalamus Pons
Pituitary Gland Reticular Activating System Cerebellum
Medulla
Cerebellum
- does the coordination so that the task to be done can be accomplished. If the cerebellum is
damaged, movements become uncoordinated and tasks will be difficult to accomplish.
Furthermore, the cerebellum is concerned with equilibrium. Loss of balance is the result if a
part of the cerebellum is damaged. It is also concerned with procedural memory involving
sensory motor skills.
Medulla - secretes adrenaline to make you cope with emergency situations like
when your house is burning or when a dog is running after you, extending below the skull, it
is involved in involuntary functions, such as vomiting, breathing, sneezing, and maintaining
the correct blood pressure.
Hypothalamus - activates the pituitary gland to secrete a hormone called the
adrenocorticotrophic hormone which activates the adrenal glands to secrete the stress
Allona Zyra G. Cambronero AB Political Science 4
FREE ELEC 1
General Psychology
Code: 1173

hormone, called cortisol. This stress hormone will play a role in the individual's fight or flight
reaction as a response to the fear or stress-inducing stimulus. An endocrine gland is a ductless
gland that secretes hormone direct into the bloodstream. Under abnormal conditions, there
can be a hypo secretion (less than normal) or hypersecretion (above the normal) of hormones.
This under/over secretion of hormones can affect the individual's behavior.
Corpus Callosum - is a bundle of myelinated nerve fibers, it also allows the transmission
of impulses from the right brain to the left brain and vice versa.
Thalamus - positioned in the center of the brain, the thalamus receives sensory and
motor input and relays it to the rest of the cerebral cortex. It is involved in the regulation of
consciousness, sleep, awareness, and alertness.
Cerebral Cortex - The cerebral cortex is a sheet of neural tissue that is outermost to the
cerebrum of the mammalian brain. It has up to six layers of nerve cells. It is covered by the
meninges and often referred to as gray matter. The cortex is gray because nerves in this area
lack the insulation (myelin) that makes most other parts of the brain appear to be white. The
cerebral cortex is mainly involved in the consciousness
Cerebrum - The major function of the cerebrum is to control the voluntary
muscular movements of the body.
Pituitary Gland - is considered the master gland because it controls the other endocrine
glands. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone; As the master gland, the pituitary forms
a very important part of the feedback system, one that includes the hypothalamus and the
organs targeted by the various hormones.
Pons - involved in the regulation of functions carried out by the cranial nerves
it houses, works together with the medulla oblongata to serve an especially critical role in
generating the respiratory rhythm of breathing. Active functioning of the pons may also be
fundamental to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The cerebellum is attached to the dorsal
side of the pons.
Spinal Cord - is a tail-like structure embedded in the vertebral canal of the spine. The
spinal cord is attached to the underside of the medulla oblongata, and is organized to serve
four distinct tasks: (1) to convey (mainly sensory) information to the brain; (2) to carry
information generated in the brain to peripheral targets like skeletal muscles; (3) to control
nearby organs via the autonomic nervous system; (4) to enable sensorimotor functions to
control posture and other fundamental movements.
1. Discuss briefly the different endocrine glands and explain the role of genes in
behavior.
 The endocrine system is made up of a complex network of glands, which are
organs that secrete substances. The glands of the endocrine system are where
hormones are produced, stored, and released. Each gland produces one or
more hormones, which go on to target specific organs and tissues in the body.
The glands of the endocrine system include: Hypothalamus. While some
Allona Zyra G. Cambronero AB Political Science 4
FREE ELEC 1
General Psychology
Code: 1173

people don’t consider it a gland, the hypothalamus produces multiple

hormones that control the pituitary gland. It’s also involved in regulating many
functions, including sleep-wake cycles, body temperature, and appetite. It can
also regulate the function of other endocrine glands. Pituitary. The pituitary
gland is located below the hypothalamus. The hormones it produces affect
growth and reproduction. They can also control the function of other
endocrine glands. Pineal. This gland is found in the middle of your brain. It’s
important for your sleep-wake cycles. Thyroid. The thyroid gland is located in
the front part of your neck. It’s very important for metabolism. Parathyroid.
Also located in the front of your neck, the parathyroid gland is important for
maintaining control of calcium levels in your bones and blood. Thymus.
Located in the upper torso, the thymus is active until puberty and produces
hormones important for the development of a type of white blood cell called a
T cell. Adrenal. One adrenal gland can be found on top of each kidney. These
glands produce hormones important for regulating functions such as blood
pressure, heart rate, and stress response. Pancreas. The pancreas is located in
your abdomen behind your stomach. Its endocrine function involves
controlling blood sugar levels. Some endocrine glands also have non-
endocrine functions. For example, the ovaries and testes produce hormones,
but they also have the non-endocrine function of producing eggs and sperm,
respectively.
Our genetic destiny is not necessarily written in stone; it can be influenced by
several factors, such as social factors, as well as environmental influences
among which we live, including anything from light and temperature to
exposure to chemicals. The environment in which a person is raised can
trigger the expression of behavior for which a person is genetically
predisposed, while the same person raised in a different environment may
exhibit different behavior. Long-standing debates have taken place over the
idea of which factor is more important, genes or environment. Is a person
destined to have a particular outcome in life because of his or her genetic
makeup, or can the environment (and the people in it) work to change what
might be considered “bad” genes? Today, it is generally agreed upon that
neither genes nor environment work alone; rather, the two work in tandem to
create the people we ultimately become. Environmental elements like light
and temperature have been shown to induce certain changes in genetic
expression; additionally, exposure to drugs and chemicals can significantly
affect how genes are expressed. People often inherit sensitivity to the effects
of various environmental risk factors, and different individuals may be
differently affected by exposure to the same environment in medically
significant ways. For example, sunlight exposure has a much stronger
influence on skin cancer risk in fair-skinned humans than in individuals with
an inherited tendency for darker skin. The color of a person’s skin is largely
genetic, but the influence of the environment will affect these genes in
Allona Zyra G. Cambronero AB Political Science 4
FREE ELEC 1
General Psychology
Code: 1173

different ways. Behavior is determined by a mix of personality factors,

genetics, past experiences, and circumstances. Researchers do not believe
genes directly determine behavior. instead, genes are thought to influence
brain function, which then affects behavior. Additionally, there is an
increasing understanding of the idea that environment can influence gene
expression and behavior. While an individual’s genetic makeup can have an
influence on their behavior, most people generally have the flexibility to make
changes to behavior based on environment and circumstance. Genetic
psychology, also known as behavioral biology, is a field of study exploring
how genes influence personality. Genetic psychologists typically conduct
research on how specific genes influence human behavior and personality.
Twin and adoption studies, commonly used in the field of genetic psychology,
can help researchers learn about the role of heritability in traits since
monozygotic twins share identical genetic makeup. If both twins exhibit a
trait, it may indicate that trait has a high degree of heritability. Adoption
studies, on the other hand, can demonstrate the influence of environment.
People who are adopted may not have genetic commonalities, but they grow
up in a similar environment. Genetic similarities between adoptive parents and
children or among adoptive siblings are typically attributed to environment.
Those in the field of genetic psychology work to advance understanding of
how genes influence personality and behavior. It is possible that in the future,
scientists will be able to conduct studies when a person is born to determine
what kind of environment they need to thrive, based on their genetic makeup.
So, Is Human Behavior Genetic or Learned? It’s Complicated. We don’t
inherit behavior or personality, but rather we inherit genes. And these genes
contain information that produces proteins — which can form in many
combinations, all affecting our behavior. it still could depend on the
environment: what will turn on and off a gene.
ASSESSMENTS
TEST II
Identify the psychological research method used in the cases below. Write your answers in
the space given beside the case number. Choices are: Experimental Method, Quasi-
Experimental Design, Correlational Design, Naturalistic Observation, Case Study Method.
Example:
Case # 0.1 (Answer: Experimental Method)
Imagine taking 2 samples of the same plant and exposing one of them to sunlight. The plant
exposed to sunlight is sample A, while the latter is called sample B. After the duration of the
research, we find out that sample A grows and sample B dies, even though they are both
regularly wetted and given the same treatment. We conclude that sunlight will aid the growth
of all similar plants.
Allona Zyra G. Cambronero AB Political Science 4
FREE ELEC 1
General Psychology
Code: 1173

Case # 1 (Answer: Experimental Method)

During the semester, students in a class are lectured on particular courses and an exam is
administered at the end of the semester. In this case, the students are the subjects or
dependent variables while the lectures are the independent variables treated on the subjects.
Case # 2 (Answer: Quasi-Experimental Method)
Hospital is introducing use of an alcohol-based hand disinfectant; the hospital may want to
study the impact of this intervention on the outcome of acquisition of antibiotic-resistant
bacteria, on the basis of surveillance culture. The intervention is implemented, acquisition
rates are measured before the intervention and after the intervention, there are no
randomization used.
Case # 3 (Answer: Correlational Method)
A researcher is studying a correlation between cancer and marriage. In this study, there are
two variables: disease and marriage. Let us say marriage has a negative association with
cancer. This means that married people are less likely to develop cancer.
Case # 4 (Answer: The Naturalistic Observation Method)
Researchers are interested in looking at certain aspects of classroom behavior, such as
interactions between students or even the dynamics between the teacher and students.
Case # 5 (Answer: The Case Study Method)
A 13-year-old boy was referred to speech therapy because of his stuttering. He started to
stutter when he was three years old and that time he also had bedwetting problem. In the early
period during his diagnostic process it turned out that he had serious emotional problems. He
was often moody and sad without any reason. Sometimes he became irritable and withdrew
from social situations. At that time, he lost his interest in school and was thinking about
committing suicide.
TEST III – ANALYZE AND EVALUATE
1. In the 5 cases presented above, justify each of your answers.
 Case # 1: Experimental Method. For it establish a causal relationship or a
cause and effect relationship where there are two variables, namely the
independent and the dependent variables. In which the independent variable is
the one manipulated by the experimenter and the dependent variable is the
effect of the independent variable. In this case it shows that the students are
the subjects or dependent variables while the lectures are the independent
variables treated on the subjects by the use of an exam that is administered at
the end of the semester.
 Case # 2: Quasi-Experimental Method. For it explore the effects of different
treatments on preexisting groups of subjects or to investigate the same kinds of
naturally occurring events, characteristics, and behaviors that we measure in
 Allona Zyra G. Cambronero AB Political Science 4
FREE ELEC 1
General Psychology
Code: 1173

correlational studies. Also randomization is not used in the selection of

research participants so that bias is manifested by the experimenter in the
selection of participants. In this case, the Hospital is introducing use of an
alcohol-based hand disinfectant which is part of a treatment process and want
to study the impact of this intervention on the outcome of acquisition of
antibiotic-resistant bacteria, on the basis of surveillance culture, there are also
no randomization used.
 Case # 3: Correlational Design. For it determine the degree of relationship
between two traits, behaviors, or events which can be positive or negative. As
per it’s definition and function, Correlational design can be positive if an
increase in A leads to an increase in B, but it will be negative if an increase in
A leads to a decrease in B. In this case, marriage has a negative association
with cancer. Which means this case has a two variables that are correlated to
each other whether the correlation may have positive or negative outcome.
 Case # 4: Naturalistic Observation Method. For participants are not aware that
their behavior is being observed to get the behavioral data that is genuine and
truly reflective of the nature of the object of interest. In this case, Researchers
are interested on certain aspects of classroom behavior which indicates a
thought of observing such environment.
 Case # 5: Case Study Method. For it has an in-depth study of a particular
clinical case, which are done through the use of a battery of psychological
tests, clinical interview, and observation. In this case, a boy was referred to
speech therapy because of his stuttering upon diagnosing this behavior it
appears that he has a lot more serious underlying problems this indicates that
due to in-depth study, his case reflects more than one (1) issue that is needed
to be solved.
2. Compare and contrast at least 2 perspectives in psychology.

Cognitive Perspective - Always refer to Biological Perspective

what is going on
- utilizes the individual's - Complex behaviors,
inside a person’s
mental processes, his and thoughts, and emotions are
mind
ideas. the results of the activities
- Mental Health
- What is going on in his of the central nervous
and it’s 5 system
mind will affect what he correlating
will do - Disturbances in emotions,
Abnormalities
- magnifying a small and behavior, and cognitive
- Often leads to
minor event may cause a processes are viewed as
depression
person be depressed being caused by
abnormalities in the
functioning of the body