Psychophysiology examines the physiological foundations of psychological processes. Originally a broad field of research in the 1960s and 1970s, it has since become more specialized by method, topic of study and scientific tradition, with methodologies combining electrophysiological approaches such as EEG, neuroimaging including MRI and PET, and neurochemistry, and its subject matter branching into subspecializations including social, sport, cognitive, cardiovascular and clinical psychophysiology, among others.
Facts
Central QuestionPsychophysiology asks how psychological processes are grounded in physiological mechanisms, studying intact human subjects with methods such as EEG, neuroimaging and neurochemistry rather than the invasive techniques used on animal models. 1 Key DebatePsychophysiology is often confused with physiological psychology because both link mind and body, but the two fields differ in method and species studied: a psychophysiologist works with intact human subjects using noninvasive recording, while a physiological psychologist more often works with animal models using surgical or invasive techniques. 1 Connections
Associated With
His fight-or-flight research on the physiological correlates of emotion is foundational to psychophysiology.
Sources
1. Psychophysiology
Wikimedia FoundationDistinction from Physiological Psychology section
Psychophysiologists generally study the psychological/physiological link in intact human subjects
Distinction from Physiological Psychology section, physiological psychologist description
using surgical or invasive techniques and processes
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