biological psychology
What is Biological Psychology?
It is the study of the physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience.
It is synonymous with the terms biopsychology, physiological, and behavioral neuroscience.
Much of biological psychology is devoted to studying brain functioning.
Physiology is the study of body processes- the dynamic of tissue and organ system of the body.
It is the study of the physiological basis of human and animal behavior.
Areas of Biological Psychology
Mix of “pure” and “applied” research
Physiological psychology
Scientific study of brain/behavior in controlled experimental settings
Generally uses animal subjects
Psychopharmacology – study of the effect of drugs on the brain, behavior, and well as interactions
Neuropsychology – Generally studies the effects of brain damage in humans
Deals with clinical populations
Gathers information via case-studies
Works towards treatment
Cognitive Neuroscience – cross between cognitive psychology and physiological psychology
Experimental exploration of human cognition and the physiological processes involved
E.g., fMRI analysis of attention
E.g., Event-related potentials and dreaming
Behavioral Explanations of Behavior
The explanation of behavior fall into four categories: Physiological, ontogenetic, evolutionary and functional (Tinbergen, 1951).
Physiological Explanation relates a behavior to the activity of the brain and organs.
Ontogenetic Explanation describes the development of a structure or a behavior.
Evolutionary Explanation reconstructs the evolutionary history of a structure or behavior.
Functional Explanation describes why a structure or a behavior evolved as it did.
The Brain and Conscious Experience
Biological explanations of behavior raise the mind-body or mind-brain problem: “What is the relationship between mind and the brain?” Dualism is the belief that mind and body are different kinds of substance –mental substance and
It is the study of the physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience.
It is synonymous with the terms biopsychology, physiological, and behavioral neuroscience.
Much of biological psychology is devoted to studying brain functioning.
Physiology is the study of body processes- the dynamic of tissue and organ system of the body.
It is the study of the physiological basis of human and animal behavior.
Areas of Biological Psychology
Mix of “pure” and “applied” research
Physiological psychology
Scientific study of brain/behavior in controlled experimental settings
Generally uses animal subjects
Psychopharmacology – study of the effect of drugs on the brain, behavior, and well as interactions
Neuropsychology – Generally studies the effects of brain damage in humans
Deals with clinical populations
Gathers information via case-studies
Works towards treatment
Cognitive Neuroscience – cross between cognitive psychology and physiological psychology
Experimental exploration of human cognition and the physiological processes involved
E.g., fMRI analysis of attention
E.g., Event-related potentials and dreaming
Behavioral Explanations of Behavior
The explanation of behavior fall into four categories: Physiological, ontogenetic, evolutionary and functional (Tinbergen, 1951).
Physiological Explanation relates a behavior to the activity of the brain and organs.
Ontogenetic Explanation describes the development of a structure or a behavior.
Evolutionary Explanation reconstructs the evolutionary history of a structure or behavior.
Functional Explanation describes why a structure or a behavior evolved as it did.
The Brain and Conscious Experience
Biological explanations of behavior raise the mind-body or mind-brain problem: “What is the relationship between mind and the brain?” Dualism is the belief that mind and body are different kinds of substance –mental substance and