Melissa's Case Study Of The Brain And Behavior

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Brain and Behavior The brain and nervous system, more specifically the neurotransmitters, are linked to the way a person not only thinks but behaves. The neurotransmitters that may be problematic for Melissa are her glutamate which plays an important role in memory, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which can influence aggression, dopamine which assists with learning and attention, and serotonin which helps the brain with mood regulation (Feldman, 2015, p. 54-55). It is important to note that a person’s behavior can also be affected by his or her genetic makeup. Studies have shown that a person’s cognitive abilities, personality, and predisposition towards mental illness, to a certain extent, can be influenced by heredity (Feldman, 2015, p. 58). In Melissa’s case, a deeper look into her family history could help determine if Melissa’s behaviors, both positive and negative, are influenced, in part, by heredity. Also the fact at the age of four, Melissa had a grand mal seizure resulting in some lasting after effects, such as involuntary muscle movements on the left side and walking difficulties, is …show more content…

Subocz has been using operant conditioning coupled with positive reinforcement with some success to help Melissa make sure she completes her homework. Ms. Subocz uses operant conditioning be creating a situation where Melissa completes her homework due to favorable consequences (Feldman, 2015, p. 176). Melissa receives a sticker for every homework assignment she completes and turns in as positive reinforcement (Feldman, 2015, p. 178). Now that Ms. Subocz is noticing some success with this reward program she should introduce aforementioned goal-setting theory to bridge Melissa into cognitive learning. Cognitive learning has the opportunity to train Melissa’s brain to want to understand the “thought processes that underlie learning” (Feldman, 2015, p. 189), thereby sparking her mental processes to see the joy in learning rather than doing it to receive a

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