PSYC62H3 Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Notes
Document Summary
Psychopharmacology is the discipline that attempts to systematically study the effects of drugs on behaviour, cognitive functioning, and emotions. Drugs that alter behaviour, cognitive functioning, or emotions are called psychoactive or psychotropic drugs. Psychopharmacology is made up of psychology and pharmacology, which refers to the study of the variables affecting behaviour and the study of the effects of drugs on biological systems respectively. Psychoactive drugs are chemicals that induce psychological effects by altering the normal biochemical reactions that take place in the nervous system. Drugs should not be viewed as simply bad or good. Human beings have been using drugs to alter mood and behaviour for thousands of years. Early viking warriors were said to ingest the mushroom amanita muscariam, which is capable of inducing gaiety, exuberance and berserk behaviour. Some native american indians used peyote cactus (a hallucinogen) in their religious ceremonies. Mushroom stones found in guatemala indicate there was a mushroom cult some 3500 years ago.
