People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suffer from a profound social disability. Social neuroscience is the study of the parts of the brain that support social interactions or the “social brain.” This module provides an overview of ASD and focuses on understanding how social brain dysfunction leads to ASD. Our increasing understanding of the social brain and its dysfunction in ASD will allow us to better identify the genes that cause ASD and will help us to create and pick out treatments to better match individuals. Because social brain systems emerge in infancy, social neuroscience can help us to figure out how to diagnose ASD even before the symptoms of ASD are clearly present. This is a hopeful time because social brain systems remain malleable well into adulthood and thus open to creative new interventions that are informed by state-of-the-art science.

An introductory video for biological explanations of and interventions for psychological disorders. This may be a helpful tool to introduce students to biological causes and biological treatments (medicinal and non-medicinal) related to psychological disorders. Suitable for Introductory Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and other courses that introduce basic knowledge of these topics.Runtime: 18:08

Biological psychology is the study of the biological bases of behavior and mental processes. It explores how biological factors like genes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and brain structures influence psychological components like thoughts, emotions, memories, and actions. This free and open textbook provides a wide ranging and up-to-date introduction to the main topics and methods of biological psychology.

This is an Open Educational Resource created by University College Groningen (The Netherlands) students taking the course Biopsychology in Spring 2021.

In small teams, students were tasked with creating, composing, and curating an online portfolio dedicated to an interdisciplinary exploration of a topic of their choice. Their portfolio needed to be grounded in neuroscience, incorporate peer-reviewed research, and propose active learning exercises for future students and viewers.

Included topics:
- A trip through the world of psychedelics
- Alzheimer's disease
- Animal minds
- Biopsychological aspects of sexuality
- Consciousness
- Go with the flow: an interdisciplinary exploration of the flow state
- Happiness and well-being
- Hypnosis
- Intergenerational trauma
- Lucid dreaming
- Machine learning for mind reading
- Social and cultural neuroscience of prejudice
- Our sense of self
- Out of body experiences
- You and aesthetics

Please enjoy exploring their work!

This free online (OER) textbook demonstrates the work and impact of community psychologists and allies by showcasing actual projects conducted in partnership with communities. The book displays cases in a dynamic and interactive format that will ignite students' desire and passion to study and become future community psychologists or those whose heart beats with the beloved community. You can find community psychologists and allies partnering with communities to change racist policies, end health disparities, create alternate settings for youth, foster community-based models to heal trauma, evaluate programs, and much more!

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Distinguish between the two major cell types of the nervous system, neurons and gliaIdentify the basic parts of a neuron

Students carry into class pre-conceptions based on stories they've heard, articles they've read and experiences they've had. One of the best opportunities to teach metacognition is at a 'gotcha' moment when they come to realize their pre-conception is amiss.

Welcome to Child Growth and Development. This text is a presentation of how and why children grow, develop, and learn. We will look at how we change physically over time from conception through adolescence. We examine cognitive change, or how our ability to think and remember changes over the first 20 years or so of life. And we will look at how our emotions, psychological state, and social relationships change throughout childhood and adolescence.

This course is designed to provide an understanding of how the human brain works in health and disease, and is intended for both the Brain and Cognitive Sciences major and the non-Brain and Cognitive Sciences major. Knowledge of how the human brain works is important for all citizens, and the lessons to be learned have enormous implications for public policy makers and educators.
The course will cover the regional anatomy of the brain and provide an introduction to the cellular function of neurons, synapses and neurotransmitters. Commonly used drugs that alter brain function can be understood through a knowledge of neurotransmitters. Along similar lines, common diseases that illustrate normal brain function will be discussed. Experimental animal studies that reveal how the brain works will be reviewed.
Throughout the seminar we will discuss clinical cases from Dr. Byrne's experience that illustrate brain function; in addition, articles from the scientific literature will be discussed in each class.

This Open Educational Resource text has been created from a combination of original content and materials compiled and adapted from a number of open text publications.Attributions are more clearly delineated in the License and Attributions area of this textbook, including descriptions of which sections were edited prior to their inclusion.This Open Textbook is designed to be a comprehensive coverage of Psychopathology and Abnormal behavior in a clinical context, reflecting past and current research, including coverage of the DSM-5.  Note from the author* : The variability of the in text citations and the absence of foot notes, reflect the very nature of this compilation of various source materials. We hope that this will not distract the reader. Original texts can be found by following the attribution url, for those interested in original authors, especially when a reference to research has been made.*Dr. Sonja Miller is a Clinical Psychologist and Visiting Assistant Professor at Suny Albany and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Hudson Valley Community College (at the State University of New York at Albany). 

Clinical Psychology Reading List. Reading/video list for upper-division seminar in clinical psychology.

Psychology 407: Seminar in Clinical Psychology

Cocaine afflicts many individuals and is potently addictive. Originally hailed as a wonder-drug in the late 19th century, cocaine is now considered an illegal substance. Cocaine’s addictive properties can be attributed to changes in the dopamine reward pathway of the Ventral Tegmental Area and Substantia Nigra, Prefrontal Cortex, Dorsal Striatum, Nucleus Accumbens, Amygdala, Globus Pallidus, and Hippocampus. This drug affects the brain in two processes: binge and crave. The binge process highlights cocaine’s ability to block dopamine reuptake from the synapse resulting in hyperstimulation of the postsynaptic neuron in the dopamine reward pathway. The crave process promotes drug-seeking behavior through conditional and contextual cues. Understanding the effects of cocaine in the brain may grant insight in creating future medication and therapies to treat individuals addicted to this drug.

How genetics can add to our understanding of cognition, language, emotion, personality, and behavior. Use of gene mapping to estimate risk factors for psychological disorders and variation in behavioral and personality traits. Mendelian genetics, genetic mapping techniques, and statistical analysis of large populations and their application to particular studies in behavioral genetics. Topics also include environmental influence on genetic programs, evolutionary genetics, and the larger scientific, social, ethical, and philosophical implications.

Cognitive Psychology is a psychological science which is interested in various mind and brain related subfields such as cognition, the mental processes that underlie behavior, reasoning and decision making.

Explores the theory and research related to information processing, focusing on attention, perception, memory storage and information retrieval. Also highlights work in artificial intelligence and cognitive neuroscience which serves to describe and explain cognitive processes.

What cognitive styles do we use to interact with technology? The GenderMag Project has identified five cognitive facets we bring to our use of technology.

How do individuals and families interface with larger systems, and how do therapists intervene collaboratively? How do larger systems structure the lives of individuals and families? Relationally-trained practitioners are attempting to answer these questions through collaborative and interdisciplinary, team-focused projects in mental health, education, the law, and business, among other fields. Similarly, scholars and researchers are developing specific culturally responsive models: outreach family therapy, collaborative health care, multi-systemic school interventions, social-justice-oriented and spiritual approaches, organizational coaching, and consulting, among others. This course explores these developments and aims at developing a clinical and consulting knowledge that contributes to families, organizations, and communities within a collaborative and social-justice-oriented vision.

This resource aims to gather tools, exercises, and skills for instructors to utilize in order to prepare students for college success. College preparation programs in high schools are also recommended to use these resources.