The Biological basis of Behaviour

• 2020-12-22

Hippocrates was the first person to link thoughts and emotions with the brain. Later Rene Descartes (1596-1650) argued that the universe is composed of two separate elements and entities first one is the "Physical Matter" ie Brain and Body secondly "Human mind" ie soul, self and spirit. Cartesian Dualism explains that the human brain and mind are separate entities. This is how two main disciples were discovered, first is Ethology which can be defined as an area of study that values behaviour of the organism,  the evolutionary history and its aetiology in terms of stimulus, hormones and neurological events.  Second, is about the discovery of Evolutionary Psychology which states that it's an area of a theoretical approach to psychology that attempts to explain useful mental and psychological traits such as memory, perception, or language - as an adaptation that is like the functional products of natural selection. The field of biopsychology has six disciples namely Neurophysiology, Neuropharmacology, Neuroanatomy, Neuropathology, Neuroendocrinology and Neurochemistry. And Biopsychology can be further categorized into six different divisions which go like Physiological Psychology, Psychopharmacology, Cognitive Neurosciences, Neuropsychology, Psychophysiology and Cognitive Psychology. Biopsychology studies how our biological system has it's the effect on behaviour and related mechanisms of the cognitive processes. We study the anatomy of the Human Nervous System. Most importantly about the Central Nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and Peripheral Nervous System (body). Cells of the Nervous System and it's major pathways,  neurotransmitters, glandular systems, hormones and what are the method of studying the Nervous System. Furthermore, biotechnology also deals with the chromosomal role, functions and anomalies that lead to various changes within the body.   While the study continues to grow a major part of the biological basis on psychology is performed to find out the twin studies effect under various circumstances to investigate the nature and nurture role in the development of biopsychology.

Written By -

Prerna Gosain