Psychology: Physiology of Behavior

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Table of Contents

The origin and control of emotion
Control Emotions
The structure, which controls thirst and hunger, and how is this done
Weight loss program based on the mechanisms discussed above
Eating disorders
Reference

Inborn genetic differences between females as it relates to brain development and the behavioral differences that may occur because of these differences.

The female brain will be smaller; the neurons will be more efficiently placed and more organized. This situation can be compared to the domain of automobiles. If we take an American car (which symbolizes the male brain) and a Japanese car (which symbolizes the female brain), we will find a large and bulky vehicle being compared to a smaller but more efficient one; in the end, both will drive you to any destination. If both male and female brain capacities are the same, then it should not matter what way the action is processed, simply that the result will be the same. Without that distinction between the results, then knowing the gender of a person whose actions were to be analyzed would be pointless.

Alas, this is too broad a view of the human brain to even consider it valid. The human brain is more than just size. Many substructures to it differ between genders which would affect their behavioral traits. Take the size of the corpus callosum in females for example; It has been discovered that women have a significantly larger corpus callosum.

If we consider that the two regions of our cortex responsible for understanding (Wernicke’s area) and speech formation (Broca’s area) are on opposite hemispheres, a stronger association amongst both sides would mean that a better sense of communication can be produced. Moreover, the more strong and complex is a bridge between both sides of the brain the stronger interaction with the hypothalamus will be, this part of the brain is accountable for motivations, emotions, homeostasis, and sexual drive. The above-mentioned link will cause a woman to have a strong ability to relate words with emotions.

The origin and control of emotion

Emotional arousal can have positive or negative effects depending on the condition and the level of the emotion. Moderate levels of arousal enhance efficiency levels as people get more active due to this. William James stated that emotion was a sequence of events that starts with stimulus and concludes with a feeling, a conscious emotional experience.

According to William James’s theory, there is no emotion generated solely by activity in the central nervous system therefore it suggests that the reason that people may have difficulty knowing their true feelings is that you must interpret them from your responses; there is no direct access to feelings from one part of the brain to another (Gillian& Freda 2000).

The Cannon-Bard theory claims that information sent to the cortex produces emotions at the same time as physiological and behavioral responses are produced (Zimbardo & Johnson 2008).

External stimuli activate the thalamus, found in the forebrain, which acts as a kind of reception area for external stimuli. Which in turn sends sensory messages to the cortex for interpretation, simultaneously sending impulses to the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) and visceral and skeletal muscles.

It has been noted that emotions are often formed by the social or cultural background in which they are experienced rather than being the result exclusively of biological determinants. Cultural practices work to manage and help in the formations of emotional occurrence and those descriptions of emotions may vary greatly cross-culturally.

A person’s emotion’s origin may be a learned component-this component that is generated using attainment of the standards, attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors that are established in a precise culture regarding the variety of ways of expressing emotion.

Control Emotions

The hypothalamus controls the pituitary gland and is involved in emotion.

You should understand that emotion is dependent on your behavior and not the other way around. To put it simply, you feel sad because you realize that you are frowning, contrary to the popular notion that you frown because you realize that you are sad. In social psychology, it has been discovered behavior influences emotions, and not the other way around. (Abedi 2007).

The structure, which controls thirst and hunger, and how is this done

Hypothalamus controls hunger and thirst Hunger is an internal, biological need but external, environmental forces also impact the way people feel about hunger. There have been many studies done on the stomach suggesting that the more the stomach contracts, the hungrier the individual will feel. The relationship between hunger and blood chemistry has also been studied. It was initially thought that low glucose levels caused hunger but now it is known that the more glucose is used up (the uptake) will provide a feeling of satisfaction causing the individual to feel less hungry.

The hypothalamus has two parts, one is the lateral hypothalamus and the other is the ventromedial hypothalamus. The former is causes hunger when it activated whereas the latter lessens hunger. When the lateral hypothalamus is activated weight starts to fall to a point that is lower than the setpoint so that hunger can be produced but if its weight carries on falling then in this case, the ventromedial hypothalamus is activated.

It has been suggested that the lateral hypothalamus stimulates eating and the feeling of hunger while that ventromedial hypothalamus creates the feeling of satisfaction and signals the individual to stop eating. Studies on cultural factors have led to the conclusion that an individual’s culture is the most influential external factor in causing eating disorders.

Control of hunger is a process of homeostasis as well. Its assists in sustaining the optimal levels of energy along with nutrients. Hormones are released when changes in hunger are detected and act on the satiety center in the hypothalamus which sends nervous impulses to the cerebrum making us feel either hungry or satiated (full).

For example, an appetite-stimulating hormone is ghrelin, levels of this hormone rise when the stomach is empty inducing hunger, and then fall quickly when the stomach is full inducing feelings of satiety. Leptin which is made in fat tissues control hunger as its level increases, whilst body fat starts to lessen, leptin levels fall and appetite increases. Leptin levels during fasting are accompanied by hypothalamus-directed feelings of hunger. Thus controlling and suppressing hunger.

Weight loss program based on the mechanisms discussed above

Fiber-filled foods require a longer processing time by the body thus taming the appetite for longer periods. Good choices that fall within this category include apples with the peel left on, oatmeal, and hot-air popcorn (Diet bites 2001).

So considering that the hypothalamus would send its hunger signals late I would say that the best diet is the South Beach diet. In the initial phase, the dieter is not allowed to take too much carbohydrate. Due to this blood sugar and insulin levels remain stable.

The concept behind this is that it will assist in resolving insulin resistance. In the initial phase, the food which is restricted is bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, high-fat dairy products, confectionery, and alcoholic products. A few low Glycemic Index Carbohydrates vegetables are permitted, however, the basic food is white meat and dairy products like low-fat cheeses and eggs, a few kinds of nuts as well as olive oil. This kind of food has to be eaten for 2 weeks.

In the second phase, low Glycemic Index Carbohydrates foods are eaten like fruits, wholegrain cereals, and skimmed milk. One has to stay on this phase till the desired weight is achieved.

In the last i.e. the third phase, different kinds of food are introduced. The main goal of this phase is that the reduced weight is maintained. For every phase, there are no restrictions on how much is eaten of each recommended food. However, it is suggested that the person who is dieting so eat enough to satisfy his/ her hunger.

Eating disorders

Anorexia is an eating disorder wherein which the patient completely avoids eating any kind of food as he/ she thinks that their body weight is too much. The patient thinks that the parts of the body lower parts of the body have become fat. Some Anorexic patients lose so much weight that they do not get their menses. Their obsession to get extremely thin makes them go on a strict diet, obsessive exercise, and they misuse laxatives and diuretics. Anorexia if not treated it may lead to dangerous consequences.

Anorexia patients usually have isolated themselves from others; they also have extreme needs of dependency; flat affect, they have an immature nature which leads to obsessive-compulsive behavior.

A few common symptoms of anorexia nervosa are no menstruation; irregular heartbeats; constipation; late puberty; trouble concentrating, bad temper; exhaustion; pulse rate is slow and fainting occurs due to low blood pressure. If Anorexics continually make themselves vomit to keep themselves thin, they might end up getting an erosion of the tooth enamel, which may lead to cavities and at times even esophagitis, which can lead to indigestion. Anorexics might also illustrate symptoms of depression or drug abuse (Wade& Carol 2008).

There are two usual treatments for anorexia, which are close medical attention through hospitalization or close observance through counseling. The main goal of these treatments is to make the patient put on weight, become dependent to live in society, and build self-esteem. These treatments are usually used at the same time but can be used separately. The better of the two that is which has the lower rate of reoccurrence would be close observance through counseling. This is due to the building of self-esteem and helping the patient cope with their problems rather than starving themselves when a problem arises or a conflict.

A Bulimic eats compulsively and then purges through self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives, diuretics, strict diets, fasts, chew-spitting, vigorous exercise, or other compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain. (Greenville College 2009).

Bulimics, like Anorexics, are also compulsively worried about their figure and weight. This makes them constantly turn away from food; they not only avoid junk food but also all healthy food like vegetables and fruits. They will not follow a diet plan as diet plans take time to effect and they want a quick solution. Because believe that if they take too much time in getting slim then become obese.

Bulimia treatment is relatively new, and they’re in no current one as, which is the most effective. More severe have generally been treated by psychiatrists with anti-depressant medication, and less severe cases by a psychiatrist with behavior therapy. (The South Carolina Department of Mental Health 2006).

The two main goals for bulimia treatment are to interrupt the binge and purge cycle by helping the person gain control of eating habits. After this, the therapist must change the patients’ perception of food and his/her own body. To achieve these goals one is recommended to seek psychotherapy and aversion therapy. The most commonly used are modes of treatment are individual psychotherapy and self-help groups (Samuel et al 2007).

Compulsive Overeaters tend to indulge in binge eating and experience depression. They frequently eat food so that they can use it as a coping mechanism to handle their feelings. Binge eating momentarily eases the stress of these patients however unluckily this follows feelings of guilt, embarrassment, disgust, and depression.

They feel as if their emptiness can only be fulfilled with food. People who tend to eat a lot when they are nervous may be prone to this disorder, as they too eat when anxiety levels are high, many people are compulsive overeaters and do not even know it, others think that these people just live to eat. However, it is very important to give treatment to such a person so that he can lead a normal and happy life.

The treatment consists of counseling with the mental health clinicians, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, qualified nurses, and social workers in the outpatient mental health setting can provide one-to-one personal therapy, group therapy, or nutrition counseling to treat most eating disorders (Kosslyn & Roseberg 2007).

Medications like anti-depressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and anxiety drugs help stabilize bingeing, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and any underlying depression (Saundra 2008).

Reference

Abedi Abbas (2007); Emotional Control Tips to Keep Composure in Any Situation. 2009. Web.

Diet bites (2001); Free Diet Bites Weight Loss Program. 2009. Web.

Gillian Butler, Freda McManus (2000); Psychology: A Very Short Introduction; Oxford University Press, UK; New edition.

Greenville College (2009), Eating Disorders. Web.

Kosslyn Stephen, Rosenberg Robin (2007); Fundamentals of Psychology in Context 3rd Edition Pearson Higher Education.

Samuel Wood, Ellen Wood, Denise Boyd (2007); World of Psychology, 6th Edition Pearson Higher Education.

Saundra Ciccarelli, J. White (2008); psychology 2^nd edition Pearson Higher Education.

The South Carolina Department of Mental Health (2006); Get the Facts on Mental Illness: Eating Disorders. 2009. Web.

Wade Carole, Carol Tavris (2008); Psychology International Edition 9th Edition.

Zimbardo Philip, Johnson Robert (2008); Psychology Core Concepts: International Edition Pearson Higher Education.

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