Psychology 101

FUNDAMENTALS
OF PSYCHOLOGY
Session 1

1. Neurotransmitters A view into biology of Psychology
2. Evolution The boundary of psychology
Course contents
Day 1
Day 2 3. Social Psychology How we interact with the world
4. Cognitive psychology
5. Personality Psychology Who am I and what is me
6. Spiritual Psychology What is my relationship w/ myself
Day 3

Neurotransmitters
(Chemical Messengers)
1. Dopamine
2. Serotonin
3. Oxytocin
4. Endorphins
5. Adrenaline
6. Cortisol

The Bright Side
youtube.com
Dopamine

Rhesus Monkeys and
Biological Addiction
Biology 342 Fall 2012 by
Chrissy Schmidt and Liz
Pekarskaya
Dopamine

Dopamine
Sapolsky’s
Experiment
Source: YouTube

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-wise/201510/shopping-dopamine-and-anticipation
Scenario 1 dopamine response

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-wise/201510/shopping-dopamine-and-anticipation
Scenario 2 dopamine response

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-wise/201510/shopping-dopamine-and-anticipation
Scenario 3 dopamine response

Importance
of Dopamine
Dopamine plays an important part in
1. Learning
2. Motivation
3. Mood
4. Attention
5. Movement

The Bright Side
youtube.com
Serotonin

Serotonin as Victory and
Conﬁdence hormone

Serotonin
Mood &
Dominance

Importance
of Serotonin
Serotonin plays an important part in
1. Regulating mood, happiness and anxiety
2. For stimulating the parts of the brain that
control sleep and waking
3. Low levels of serotonin are associated with
increased libido, while increased serotonin
levels are associated with reduced libido.

Oxytocin
Love hormone
The Bright Side
youtube.com

Oxytocin and Dogs
Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds,
Science, Vol 348, Issue 6232, 17 April 2015

Importance
of Oxytocin
Oxytocin plays an important part in
1. Sexual arousal
2. Recognition
3. Trust
4. Romantic attachment
5. Mother–infant bonding

Endorphine
The Bright Side
youtube.com

Endorphins and
physical labor/ pain

Endorphine plays an important part in
1. Body’s natural pain relievers
2. Exercise-induced euphoria (runner's high)
3. Endorphins have been found to be associated
with states of pleasure, including such
emotions brought upon by laughter, love, sex,
and even appetizing food.
Importance
of Endorphine

Adrenaline
The Bright Side
youtube.com

Adrenaline
Fight Flight Freeze

1. Adrenaline enriches your blood and gets it
where it’s needed
2. Adrenaline gives you superhuman pain
resistance. It helps knock down your body’s
ability to sense pain
3. Adrenaline unlocks your absolute maximum
strength (for a few moments, at least)
Importance
of Adrenaline

Cortisol
Stress/
Wakefulness

1. Manages how your body uses carbohydrates,
fats, and proteins
2. Regulates your blood pressure
3. Increases your blood sugar (glucose)
4. Controlling your sleep/wake cycle
5.
6. Boosts energy, so you can handle stress and
restores balance afterward
Importance
of Cortisol

Positive and Negatives
of Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters Positive Negative
Dopamin Motivation to do good things Motivation to open
Instagram
Serotonin Victory Public Perception
Oxytocin Love Violence to protect
relationship
Endorphine Exercise Self harm
Adrenaline Fight threats Makes you nervous talking
to girls
Cortisol Wakefullness Stress

Neurotransmitters
and Psychology
A Philosophical Discussion

A
Scala Naturae
Darwin & the
Creationists
A: medieval Great Chain of Being
B: 1579 drawing of the Great Chain of
Being from Didacus Valades [es],
Rhetorica Christiana
B