Psychology Atlas

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Branches of Psychology

Biological Psychology

Also Known As Biopsychology
Physiological Psychology and Neuroscience

The branch of psychology, also called biopsychology or neuropsychology, that studies physiological processes within the human body, including the brain, the nervous system, neurotransmitters and hormones, and how they shape behavior and mental life.

Facts
Central Question
How do the brain, the nervous system and the rest of the body's biology give rise to behavior and to mental experience? 1
Key Debate
The mind-body problem: how a physical brain and body relate to subjective mental experience, a question debated since antiquity that remains unresolved among competing accounts running from strict physical monism to forms of dualism. 1
Connections

Associated With

Alexander Luria, Psychologists

Founded modern neuropsychology, the field the branch article itself names as one of its own alternate names (biopsychology or neuropsychology).

Source Wikipedia: Alexander Luria

Includes

Source Wikipedia: James-Lange Theory
Source Wikipedia: Paul D. MacLean

The manipulation is physiological (an injected arousal agent), so the study is placed in the biological branch as well as social psychology.

Source Wikipedia: Cannon-Bard Theory
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Behavioral neuroscience
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Opening definition
    the biological and neural substrates underlying human experiences and behaviors, as in our psychology
  • History section
    what is the connection between the mind and body? The debate is formally referred to as the mind-body problem
  • Introduction
    Behavioral neuroscience applies the principles of biology to study the physiological, genetic, and developmental mechanisms of behavior in humans and other animals.
Simply Psychology, Branches of Psychology
Simply Psychology (Saul McLeod Ltd)
  • Branches of Psychology, Biological Psychology section
    Biological psychology focuses on studying physiological processes within the human body, often including the study of neurotransmitters and hormones.
  • Branches of Psychology, Biological section
    Biological psychology focuses on studying physiological processes within the human body, often including the study of neurotransmitters.
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Wikipedia: James-Lange Theory
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: James-Lange Theory of Emotion, Theory section
Quote, Includes: James-Lange Theory of Emotion, Theory section
The basic premise of the theory is that physiological arousal instigates the experience of emotion.
Wikipedia: Cannon-Bard Theory
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Walter Cannon, Theory mechanism section
Quote, Includes: Walter Cannon, Theory mechanism section
The key component of the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion is that when the thalamic discharge occurs, the bodily changes occur almost simultaneously with the emotional experience.
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Wikipedia: Paul D. MacLean
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Paul MacLean, infobox
Quote, Includes: Paul MacLean, infobox
Fields Neuroscience
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Wikipedia: Alexander Luria
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Alexander Luria, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Alexander Luria, Lead section
was a Soviet neuropsychologist, often credited as the father of modern neuropsychology.
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