Preface
Biopsychology: Fundamentals and Contemporary Issues v1.0 is intended as an introduction to the biological basis of behavior and was designed to support an introductory course in biopsychology, physiological psychology, or neuroscience. My primary goal in creating this text is to give students the tools to learn the fundamentals of biopsychology and to make the field interesting and relevant to their lives and future careers.
Over the course of several years, I developed the manuscript for this book and benefited from the input of many cohorts of students to whom I assigned it. The result is a class-tested, visually rich, and lively presentation of the relationship between behavior, mental processes, and biological factors such as the nervous system, biochemistry, hormones, and genetics. Discussions are couched within the larger contexts of psychology, biology, physiology, genetics, chemistry, anthropology, medicine, and computer science. This textbook makes neuroscience relevant and approachable for all students interested in behavior and psychology. For this reason, I also wrote in a style that would be well received even by a general audience and is especially sensitive to students without a strong background in science. For example, terminology that is core to neuroscience is employed, but it is contextualized with everyday language whenever possible to create fuller meaning and make it more memorable.
This book’s main objectives are to help learners develop a lasting understanding of the basic functions of the nervous system, including functional anatomy; how neurons communicate; the biological basis of behavior; genetics in neuroscience; myths about the brain and how to dispel them; the mind-body connection; drugs and drug addiction; brain disorders; research methodology; neuroimaging; and new research technologies. Early chapters confirm why it is important to study biopsychology, explain the field’s roots, and debunk common myths while modeling critical thinking skills as a strong foundation for more advanced topics. Basics of neural networks and anatomy are fully explained without overwhelming the reader with details.
Cutting-edge coverage of high-interest topics throughout the book include neural networks/connections (Chapter 3); research methods (Chapter 4); imaging techniques (Chapter 4); biofeedback (Chapter 4); genetics (Chapter 5); taste and olfaction (Chapter 6); language and the auditory system (Chapter 7); the chemistry of sleep, (Chapter 9); weight regulation and the brain-gut axis (Chapter 10); enhancing memories (Chapter 13); smart pills/genetic engineering (Chapter 13); opioids, vaping, sleep and pharmacological agents (Chapter 14); addiction (Chapter 15); traumatic brain injury (TBI) and TBI testing (Chapter 16); chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) experienced by athletes and others (Chapter 16), and many more. In addition to including core and high-interest topics to stimulate reader engagement, students will benefit from several learning features that extend the text discussion and enhance retention:
“Learning Objectives” lay out the key ideas to be discussed in the following main section.
“Key Terms” highlight key terms in a running, marginal glossary.
“Key Takeaways” at the end of each main section summarize key ideas in bullet-point fashion. Key Takeaways enable the learner to pause and consolidate the information just read or experienced into a “chunk.” This process enables the reader to better understand and retain the chapter’s content and its key concepts.
Rich visual illustrations throughout, including depictions of key brain structures and nervous system processes, make the unseen apparent to learners.
Embedded multimedia links include over 140 carefully chosen short videos streaming within chapter sections (URLs are provided in the printed version). Most of these videos are under five minutes and include animated illustrations (e.g., TEDed.com, 2-Minute Neuroscience, NOVA) or short interviews with scientists demonstrating their research. These videos are entertaining, often interactive, and scientifically accurate, making the experience of learning much more engaging.
“Contemporary Issues” exposes students to revolutionary changes happening in neuroscience and how they might affect the future of the field, such as big international brain projects, connectomics, brain-computer interface, transhumanism, blood tests for concussions, artificial retinas, mind-reading neuroimaging, naloxone and the opioid crisis, hallucinogens as treatment, and many more current topics.
End-of-chapter features can be used to create excellent homework assignments and facilitate class discussions. They also encourage further exploration and demonstrate the relevance of neuroscience to all careers in psychology.
“Best Online Content” provides links to videos, podcasts, and articles that I have found particularly interesting, enlightening, and even entertaining, to help the field of neuroscience come alive. The videos and podcasts in these links are a bit longer (ten to thirty minutes), but are intended to provide meaningful context to the material in each chapter. I spent a great deal of time and enjoyment finding the “Best Online Content” for each chapter, including lectures at TED.com, Hank Green’s Crash Course, 2-Minute Neuroscience, TEDEd.com, Radiolab.org, HiddenBrain.org, and many others. There are also links to articles from Scientific American, Discover, Psychology Today, The Huffington Post, Slate.com, and BBC.co.uk.
“Suggested Popular Science Books” makes reference to popular books about neuroscience and behavior written by experts in the field for a general audience. Examples include works by Robert Sapolsky and Oliver Sacks. These suggestions, researched by the author, provide students with another high-interest way to connect with the field.
“Short Answer Questions” and “Discussion Questions” for assignment or independent student study highlight key concepts and content in the preceding chapter. These questions stimulate analysis and deeper understanding.
A glossary and references organized by chapter provide key term definitions and sources in one place for ease of studying and source checks.
If you are a faculty member considering Biopsychology: Fundamentals and Contemporary Issues v1.0 for adoption, I trust you will find it a solid adjunct to your teaching practice. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions about the book or how I use it with my own students. If you have adopted this book or if you are a student using the book in class, I am always interested in feedback on how to improve it. Feel free to share comments with me at mashapiro@csufresno.edu.
Supplements
An author-prepared supplements program is included to accompany the content and enhance both the teaching and student learning experience. Because I prepared all of them, adopting faculty can be assured of a high level of continuity, accuracy, and alignment between the textbook and the supplements that accompany Biopsychology: Fundamentals and Contemporary Issues, v1.0. The following supplements are available to adopters of this book:
Instructor Manual
The 100-page instructor manual (IM) was designed to assist both the new instructor and the seasoned professor. The IM starts with suggestions for possible ways of presenting the chapters in a 15-week semester or 10-week quarter, including suggested materials and helpful notes for each week. The IM then provides examples of term projects, weekly homework exercises, reflections assignments, and oral presentations. One suggestion is for students to learn a great deal about one topic and then present a term paper as a website. A description of this assignment is provided along with a grading rubric. There are also suggestions for virtual anatomy assignments using excellent 3D anatomy apps or websites that are interactive where a student can rotate and manipulate a human brain, add labels to the brain, and learn information about the functions of different structures. A virtual anatomy assignment is described along with suggested links and apps.
At the end of each chapter is a section called Best Online Content that contains links to TED talks, Radiolab podcasts, Hidden Brain podcasts, Youtube channel programs, short online articles, and many other excellent resources. These make great homework assignments, especially for online or hybrid courses. This instructor manual contains multiple-choice questions for each resource in the Best Online Content section, which serves to provide evidence that a student listens to, watched, or read the material at the assigned link.
The instructor manual then has several pages for each chapter that include the following sections:
Chapter Overview. An overview of the chapter highlighting the important topics.
Chapter Outline. A brief outline of the chapter.
Relevance and Common Student Difficulties. A short paragraph on what areas of the chapter might be the most relevant to students as well as areas that are likely to be the most difficult.
Text Discussion Prompts. Examples of discussion questions for in-class discussion or online discussion boards. These questions tend to promote discussions about ethics, student’s interests in psychology, the future, and personal opinions and choices regarding the discussion material. The material in this class about biology, physiology, chemistry, genetics, anatomy, and behavior can be a bit dry to some students, and these discussion questions will help promote connections between the material and the interests and opinions of the students. The list of discussion prompts is followed by a short paragraph about what to expect from these discussions and ideas that might foster better discussions.
Best Online Content Home Quizzes. There are at least two multiple-choice questions for each linked resource. The focus of these questions is not to test for complete understanding, but more to provide evidence that the students participated.
Helpful Online Material for Class. These links are useful websites to help prepare faculty members to teach the material in the chapter. These links may provide greater detail, contain accurate statistics, or be longer documentaries to give the instructor greater context. Some of these links would work well as short videos to show students during class.
PowerPoint Slides
The PowerPoint slides provide a concise but thorough outline for each chapter and include relevant figures from the text to enliven lectures and stimulate class discussions. Instructors can use the slides as composed to support lectures or augment and customize them to suit their particular needs and interests.
Online Quizzes
Carefully written quiz questions are available by section and by chapter in the online eBook. Students can test themselves on their comprehension as they move through the text or when they have completed a chapter.
FlatWorld Homework
FlatWorld Homework is provided in an easy-to-use interface. Multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and other question types are all auto-gradable. Students who complete these questions with success should see their performance transfer to examinations that are given using the Test Item File questions provided to adopters.
Test Item File
Each comprehensive Test Item File (TIF) includes at least sixty questions per chapter made up of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and essay questions. Each of the forty multiple choice questions has five possible answers and each is rated for difficulty. Answers are provided for each short answer and essay question. The items have been written specifically to reinforce the major chapter topics. The Test Item File is also available in preformatted form for easy export into popular learning management systems such as Canvas or Blackboard.
Test Generator—Powered by Cognero
FlatWorld is pleased to provide a computer-generated test program powered by the leading assessment provider Cognero to assist instructors with selecting, randomizing, formatting, loading online, or printing exams. Please contact your local FlatWorld representative or FlatWorld support (support@fwk.com) for more information or to request the program.