Biological Psychology Paper
Biological Psychology Paper
Biological psychology is a vital part of psychology; without it psychology would not be considered a science, rather it may still be considered an art. Biological psychology has an extensive history, and each step has brought us closer to the reality that the brain is our main power source, and how much it affects our behavior. There have been many scientists and theorists that have contributed to the field of biological psychology, each having their own beneficial impact. As stated, biological psychology is vital to psychology, as well as other fields in psychology and neuroscience. Biological psychology seems to bring to mind many assumptions when it is thought of, and we will evaluate those assumptions as well as the subjects afore mentioned.
Definition and Historical Development
Biological psychology is defined as being “the study of the brain and how it causes or relates to behaviour” (Wickens, 2005, p. 3); it is often referred to as biopsychology or psychobiology. The past of biological psychology has been a colorful and descriptive past, thanks to the many theorists and scientists in the field.
The ancient Greeks were one of the first to propose that the brain was related to the mind. “Plato (429 – 348 BC) proposed that the brain was the organ of reasoning” (Wickens, 2005, p. 4). An important physician during the Roman Empire was Galen (AD 130 – 200); he was “one of the first writers to propose a theory of brain functions based on the ventricles” (Wickens, 2005, p. 4). Galen believed that the heart was important to the body because it “contained the vital spirit that gave the spark of life to the person. This vital spirit was also seen as providing the ‘substance’ of the mind, and it was transported to a large group of blood vessels at the base of the brain called the rete mirabile (‘wonderufl net’)” (Wickens, 2005, p. 4).
IN the 4th century AD,