1. A01 INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS
1.1. HUMANS VIEWED AS BIOLOGICAL ORGANISMS WITH PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES.
1.2. THOUGHTS, IDEAS, COGNITIVE PROCESSES ARE OF BIOLOGICAL ORIGIN.
1.3. MIND RESIDES WITHIN THE BRAIN, NOT SEPARATE AS IN COGNITIVE APPROACH.
1.4. UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOR REQUIRES KNOWLEDGE OF GENES, HORMONES, NEUROTRANSMITTERS, NEUROCHEMICAL MECHANISMS.
2. THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOR
2.1. HERITABILITY COEFFICIENTS QUANTIFY GENETIC BASIS; E.G., IQ'S HERITABILITY COEFFICIENT = 0.5.
2.2. BEHAVIOR GENETICS STUDIES GENETIC INFLUENCE ON BEHAVIOR AND GENE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION.
2.3. GENOTYPE: GENETIC MAKEUP; GENE: DNA SEGMENT CODING FOR PROTEINS.
2.4. PHENOTYPE: PHYSICAL EXPRESSION OF GENOTYPE INFLUENCED BY ENVIRONMENT.
2.5. PHENOTYPIC DIFFERENCES DUE TO PERSONAL CHOICES OR EPIGENETICS.
2.6. EPIGENETICS: GENE EXPRESSION CHANGES WITHOUT ALTERING GENETIC MAKEUP DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS.
3. NATURAL SELECTION AND EVOLUTION
3.1. NATURAL SELECTION: EVOLUTIONARY MECHANISM FAVORING BEHAVIORS ENHANCING SURVIVAL, REPRODUCTION
3.2. EVOLUTION: ORGANISMS CHANGE OVER TIME DUE TO HERITABLE TRAITS CHANGES.
3.3. EXAMPLES: FIRE AVOIDANCE, GIRAFFES' NECK LENGTH, MILK PRODUCTION IN COWS.
4. A02 POTENTIAL APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4.1. HOW GENETIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS ILLUSTRATE GENOTYPE-PHENOTYPE INTERACTION.
4.2. REASONS FOR PHENOTYPIC DIFFERENCES DESPITE IDENTICAL GENOTYPES.
4.3. EXAMPLES OF BEHAVIORS CONFERRING A SELECTIVE ADVANTAGE.
4.4. CONTRASTS BETWEEN BIOLOGICAL AND COGNITIVE APPROACHES.
5. A03 EVALUATION
5.1. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN DRUG DEVELOPMENT
5.1.1. BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AIDS PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS DEVELOPMENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS.
5.1.2. DRUGS TARGET SPECIFIC GENES OR NEUROTRANSMITTERS, OFFERS NON-INVASIVE TREATMENT OPTIONS.
5.1.3. ADVANTAGES OVER COGNITIVE THERAPIES IN TERMS OF EFFORT AND TIME.
5.2. BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
5.2.1. IMPLICATIONS FOR LEGAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS IF ALL BEHAVIOR ATTRIBUTED TO BIOLOGICAL FACTORS.
5.2.2. 'CRIMINAL', 'SCHIZOPHRENIA' GENES DISCOVERY AFFECTS LEGAL JUDGMENTS, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES NEGATIVELY.
5.3. TWIN STUDIES' LIMITATIONS
5.3.1. INABILITY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES.
5.3.2. HIGHER CONCORDANCE RATES IN MZ TWINS ATTRIBUTED SOLELY TO GENETIC SIMILARITY, OVERLOOKING SHARED ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS.
5.3.3. SUGGESTS BEHAVIOR EXPLANATION REQUIRES CONSIDERATION OF SOCIAL CONTEXT, ADVOCATING FOR AN INTERACTIONIST APPROACH.
5.4. SCIENTIFIC RIGOR AND METHODS
5.4.1. USE OF EEG, PET, AND FMRI SCANS FOR OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT OF BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOR.
5.4.2. DRUG DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY/ADOPTION STUDIES ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING OF GENETIC INFLUENCE.
5.4.3. INCREASES PSYCHOLOGY'S SCIENTIFIC CREDIBILITY THROUGH CONTROL OF EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES.