Steven Crane Compiled Section Handouts. Human Behavioral Biology 2012

Like reading a paragraph in a font that's very hard to read: you have to analyze the letters to read it.

Philosophical religiosity

Epilepsy in the temporal lobe (activation) leads to what outcomes?

• 
  Hyper-seriousness
  
• 
  Perseveration: sticking with ideas/patterns
  
• 
  Dislike of new things
  
• 
  Hypergraphia: obsessive writing
  
• 
  Concern with the philosophical features of religion (not necessarily religious belief itself)
  

Genetics and Evolution

What are the demographics of religious belief?

• Less than 2% identify as atheists. A few more identify as agnostic.

• So religious belief is almost universal.

• EXCEPT in Scandinavian countries where >50% are now atheistic.

• 
  Also recall the ecological correlates of religion: deserts with monotheism, rainforests with polytheism.
  

How does religiosity correlate with size of group?

• 
  The larger the group, the more the chief religious entity is emphasized to be monitoring behavior. Kind of serves as a policing force of sorts.
  

How does it correlate with SES distribution?

• 
  The more income inequality, the more religiosity. Esp. ritualistic versions.
  
• 
  Interpretation: lack of control and inequality in a given context leads to satisfying rituals and the promise that the meek shall inherit the earth.
  

And my (Steven's) apologies to my diligent section-handout-readers, but I had to peace out 10 mins before the end of this lecture so you should be sure to review the final points from your own notes.

Final Lecture

This one is all about where we draw the line between "normal" and "abnormal" behavior; it's about where fault should lie for behavior; it's about wrapping up the myriad influences on human behavior.

In what way do we know think of epilepsy in terms of volitional control?

• 
  There's clearly a disease and there's clearly the person. And those are two different entities even though they both influence behavior.
  
• 
  We're pretty good about understanding this line with epilepsy and generally with schizophrenia. Less so with dyslexia, depression, or frontal cortex damage.
  

Two examples of impulsivity/inhibition and the frontal lobe:

1. 
   D2 receptor variants make for differences in risk taking/impulsivity/sensation seeking. But the