Includes bibliographical references (p. [247]-256) and index.

Abbreviations -- Preface -- section A. The. science of physiological psychology -- Psychology and biology -- section B. Neural conduction and synaptic transmission -- The. components of the nervous system -- Transmission of the nerve impulse -- Synaptic transmission -- section C. The. central nervous system -- The. anatomy of the central nervous system -- Localization of cortical function -- Hemispheric lateralization -- Brain damage and recovery -- section D. The. peripheral nervous system -- The. somatic nervous system -- The. autonomic nervous system -- section E. The. endocrine system -- Hormones and their action -- The. pituitary gland -- The. adrenal glands -- The. pancreas -- The. thyroid and parathyroid glands -- The. gonads -- The. other glands -- section F. Psychopharmacology -- The. principles of drug action -- Sites of drug action -- Psychoactive drugs -- Tolerance and dependence -- section G. Vision -- The. visual system -- Coding in the retina and lateral geniculate nucleus -- Coding in the visual cortex -- Two visual systems -- section H. Audition -- The. auditory system -- Coding for pitch and timbre -- The. localization of sound -- section I. Other senses -- The. somatosensory system -- Taste and smell : the chemical senses -- section J. Movement -- Muscles and reflexes -- Control of movement by the brain -- section K. Biological rhythms and sleep -- The. nature of sleep and dreams -- The. functions of sleep -- Mechanisms of sleep and arousal -- Biological rhythms -- Disruptions of sleep and rhythms -- section L. Regulations of internal states -- Homeostasis -- Thirst and drinking -- section M. Eating -- Digestion, energy use and storage -- Physiological mechanisms in eating -- Dietary choice and psychological factors -- Weight control and its disorders -- section N. Reproductive behavior -- Reproductive and sexual differentiation -- Hormonal control of sexual behavior -- Neural mechanisms in sexual behavior -- parental behavior -- section O. Emotion -- Peripheral factors in emotion -- Central mechanisms in emotion -- Emotional expression -- Aggression -- Stress and psychosomatic illness -- section P. Learning and memory -- The. nature of learning and memory -- Classical and instrumental conditioning -- Brain structures involved in memory -- The. neural basis of learning and memory -- Amnesia -- section Q. Language -- Language and its disorders -- The. neural basis of language -- section R. Psychopathology -- Schizophrenia -- Mood disorders -- Anxiety disorders -- References -- Further reading -- Index.

Instant Notes in Physiological Psychology is a student-friendly guide to this core, but often daunting, subject. This book: presents core material in a way that can be easily understood by students of all backgrounds; demonstrates how mental activities depend on physiological processes; concentrates on hyuman psychology and illustrates descriptions with real examples; describes the nervous and endocrine systems in sufficient detail for the student to be able to understand how psychological processes depend on them; and discusses issues concerned witht he place of human beings in the natural world (evolution), and the use of physiological explanations for psychological phenomena (reductionism). - Cover.

All Ages.