Biological Foundations of Psychology
Learning Objectives:
Explain the development, structure, and function of biological systems and their role in behavior, cognition, and emotion.
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Learn about patient S.M. (known only by her initials to protect her identity), a literally fearless mother of three who, at the age of 30, was held at knife-point at 10:00 p.m. in a seedy neighborhood. The drugged-out man who had initially threatened S.M.'s life, was now unnerved as he realized she was showing no signs of fear. Her heart rate doesn't quicken, her breathing remains normal. He lets her go.
S.M.'s unusual lack of ability to experience fear caught the eyes of scientist who were eager to study the relationship between behavioral functioning and the brain. Scientists conducted experiments which exposed S.M. to situations that would terrify most people (the experimenters only used stimuli that had little risk of causing harm for ethical reasons). Scientists took S.M. to exotic pet stores where they exposed her to spiders and snakes, had her watch clips from movies like The Shining, The Ring, and
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