As A Biological Psychologist, You Should Know And Be Able To

As A Biological Psychologist You Should Know And Be Able To Explain T

As a biological psychologist, you should know and be able to explain the ways in which biology influences behavior. Biological influences on behavior encompass changes in the brain that change behavior, changes in biological systems (such as heart rate or blood pressure) that change behavior, and changes in genetics that lead to behavioral changes. Careers in biopsychology include being a mental health practitioner, conducting research, or acting as genetic counselor. In each role, your ability to be effective will be influenced by your knowledge of the role of biology in behavior. The final project is meant for you to propose a hypothetical study. You are not and should not be conducting human subjects research for this project. It is not necessary for the purposes of this assignment. All human subjects research requires written approval from the SNHU COCE Institutional Review Board in order to protect the welfare and ensure ethical treatment of the subjects. For the final project in this course, you will examine existing research in the field to determine how biopsychology has changed, and you will investigate a possible gap in the research that has not been addressed. This assessment will allow you to foster and improve your skills at reading, interpreting, and writing psychological works. It will also help you learn your place within the field and how to combine both your personal perspective and your opinions with established, empirical research to make original claims. Final Project Part I is supported by three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Three, and Five. The first part of the final project, the research investigation, is due in Module Seven. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

- Describe research regarding the biological processes that influence human behavior by examining the historical evolution of the field of biopsychology

- Determine appropriate research designs used in biopsychology for application in the study of aspects of the biological processes that influence human behavior

- Examine issues of ethics in research in biopsychology for informing appropriate conclusions

- Interpret claims made by research in biopsychology for conveying appropriate conclusions that are supported by peer-reviewed evidence

- Develop basic research questions supported by peer-reviewed evidence by identifying gaps in the research of biopsychology

For your final project, you will conduct an investigation of the existing research in biopsychology. You will need to conduct a literature review of the existing research in the field. This research will include both classic and current research from the field. You will analyze the existing research to determine how our knowledge about the influence of biological processes on human behavior has evolved over time. You will also consider the issues of ethics that are or are not addressed in the research. Following your review of the research, you will identify a research gap (or unexplored topic within the research) and develop a research question designed to further explore the gap. This will include how the research supports your research question and how you would approach addressing your research question. Finally, you will develop a presentation summarizing your investigation, explaining the importance of further exploring your identified gap.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

Literature Review

In this part of the assessment you will analyze existing research to determine how the field of biopsychology has changed over time, how researchers have designed research to study the biological processes that influence human behavior, and how issues of ethics have been addressed historically in the field.

A. Claims about Biological Influences on Behavior

Summarize the claims made by the authors of the existing research in the field regarding how the basic functions of the brain and nervous system influence human behavior. In other words, what conclusions have the authors of the research reached about how the brain and the nervous system influence human behavior? For example, what claims do the authors make about the influence of neurotransmitters on human behavior? What claims are made about the influence of major components of the brain, such as the hippocampus or the amygdala?

B. Technology and Research

Explain how advancements in technology have influenced research on human behavior. In other words, how has the development of new technologies in biopsychology changed the approach to studying biological influences on human behavior?

C. Historical Evolution of Biological Psychology

Explain how the view of the influence of biological processes on human behavior has evolved over the history of biopsychology. Be sure to support your analysis with examples from research to support your claim.

D. Conclusions from Existing Research

Explain the conclusions you can reach about research in biopsychology. In other words, explain what we know about the biological influences on human behavior, based on your review of the existing research in the field. Support your analysis with examples from research.

E. Research Designs

Describe the specific research designs used in the existing research in the field to address research questions. For example, what methods and types of research designs were employed?

F. Use of Research Designs

Explain how research designs were used by authors to conduct research in biopsychology and how these designs contributed to findings about biological influences on behavior.

G. Ethical Considerations

Discuss how issues of ethics have been addressed in the existing research, such as participant informed consent and risk management.

H. Historical Perspectives on Ethics

Discuss how issues of ethics in biopsychology have been viewed historically, including any changes over time supported by examples from research.

Research Design

Use your analysis of existing research to develop your own research design. This should include:

A. Identifying a Research Gap

Identify an unexplored or underdeveloped aspect of biopsychology research and explain why it is important to explore.

B. Developing a Research Question

Create a research question that addresses the identified gap, supported by examples from existing research.

C. Choosing a Research Design

Determine an appropriate research design to explore your question, and justify your choice with support from the literature.

D. Ethical Considerations

Explain how you will manage ethical issues in your proposed research, supported by insights gained from the reviewed literature.

E. Ethical Framework

Describe how your approach to ethics is informed by your review of existing biopsychology research.

Final Submission

Complete a finalized version of your research investigation, incorporating instructor feedback, formatted according to APA style, with highlighted changes for review.

References

  • Bear, M. F., Connors, B. W., & Paradiso, M. A. (2020). Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain. Wolters Kluwer.
  • Cacioppo, J. T., & Tassinary, L. G. (2018). Psychophysiological: The Biological Bases of Psychology. Cambridge University Press.
  • Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2019). The Cognitive Neurosciences. MIT Press.
  • Kolb, B., & Whishaw, I. Q. (2015). An Introduction to Brain and Behavior. Worth Publishers.
  • LeDoux, J. (2015). An fear and the brain: Where are we now? Behavioral Neuroscience, 129(2), 103–123.
  • Pinel, J. P. J. (2018). Biopsychology. Pearson.
  • Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2015). Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry. Wolters Kluwer.
  • Stephan, K. E., et al. (2019). Computational models of the brain: The next scientific frontier. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 20(5), 299-311.
  • Toga, A. W., & Mazziotta, J. C. (2020). Brain Mapping: The Methods. Academic Press.
  • Watson, R. R., & Foster, S. (2017). Ethical considerations in biopsychological research. Journal of Ethical Research, 38(1), 45–59.

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