| Psychobiology |
Website Links For Biological |
Information AboutPsychobiology |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY | |
| biopsychology | |
| psychology | |
| neuropsychology | |
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Biological psychology is the scientific study of the biological bases of behavior and mental states. Because biological psychology and Neuroscience both study the Nervous System often using the same techniques (such as FMRI and MEG ), it is difficult to say whether biological psychology is a branch of Neuroscience or whether they are one and same. Many researchers use the terms interchangeably. Biological psychology is also known as biopsychology, psychobiology, Physiological Psychology , Behavioral Neuroscience , and Neuropsychology . Research Methods Biological Psychologists use Empirical Experiments to study changes in Central Nervous System activation in response to a stimulus. A number of techniques is used to measure activation:
Biological psychology does not just look at neurons and use the methods mentioned above. Biological psychology also looks at genetics and their influence on the probability of an individual getting a disease. For example, biological theories of phobias look at a heritability. Davison, Neale and Kring (2004) state that blood, injury and injection phobias run in families; if someone has this specific phobia there is a 64% chance a first degree relative will also have it. This is significantly higher than the percentage at which it occurs in the general population, 3-4%. Studying monozygotic/MZ (identical) and dizygotic/DZ (un-identical) twins is also a method used by biological psychologists. If MZ twins have a higher concordance rate (if one twin has a disorder, the likelyhood the other has it) than DZ twins then the disorder is likely to have a biological element. This is because MZ twins share 100% of their genes and DZ twins share only 50%. Of course with twin studies and family studies what must also be remembered is that they most likely share the same enviroment which may have an effect. Adoption studies are also used in biological psychology. These are studies which look at children who are adopted into families who do not have a history of a disorder, but their biological parents do, and see what percentage of children in the study get this disorder. This helps to rule out enviromental factors, because these children have a biological link (genetically) to the disorder, but are reared in an enviroment which is free from the disorer. This helps to distinguish between nature and nurture influences on the development of psychological disorders. Biological psychology also looks at many other elements which are usually specific to a particular disorder. Phobias have been associated with a heightened autonomic nervous system, but studies generally do not support this. Panic disorder has been associated with sensitive CO2 receptors. Biological psychology is also very interested in neurotransmitters, and whether too much or too little of a specific neurotransmitter has an effect on a disorder. For example, depression is associated with low levels of norepinephrine and serotonin. This link has been established by studies which look at what drugs have a theraputic effect on depression. Treatments for Disorders according to the Biological Paragigm. Biological treatments are usually drug treatments. Tranquilizers are frequently used for anxiety disorders. Anti-depressants such as Tricyclics, Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI) and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). Other treatments can include ECT - electroconvulsive therapy, or psychosurgery amongst others. Criticisms of Biological Psychology. Biological approaches are very reductionist, reducing human behaviour down to genetics and neurotransmitters. This means that they ignore the effects of personality, emotion, thoughts, social and enviromental factors in the development of a disorder. Drug therapies usually have many severe side effects which can even be so bad that patients stop treatment. They can also have severe withdrawal effects, and the disorder can come back when patients stop taking the medication, an indication that this may only treat the symptoms not the causes of behaviour. However, drug treatments are useful in severe cases where nothing else works, for example anti-depressants for suicidal patients. SEE ALSO
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