Biology OF

Behavior
Introduction
 The biology of behavior is the study of
behavioral functions of the nervous
system particularly the brain. Physiological
psychology is that branch of psychology
which seeks to determine how activity in
the nervous system is related to behavior
and the mind.
 Many aspects of human behavior and
mental functioning cannot be fully
understood without some knowledge of
the underlined biological process.
 Our nervous system, sense organ, muscle
and gland enable us to be aware of and
adjust to our environment.
 Our perception of event depend on how
our sense organ detect stimuli and how
our brain interprets information originating
from the senses
Body Mind Relationship
 Psychology study human behavior, which
involve both the body and the mind. They
are interrelated and interact upon each
other. Mental functions and physical state
affect each other.
 Mind is regarded as a function of the
body, It is the sum total of various mental
processes such as observing, knowing,
thinking, reasoning, feeling, imagining,
remembering, judging etc. Mind also
grows just as the body grows
 Body is represented by physical state and
bodily functions. Our nervous system and
gland which are an important part of our
body are responsible for our ways of
thinking, feeling and doing.
 Physiological structure, body fluid,
chemical and mechanical event, all
influence both our overt behavior and our
feelings and experience. Our mental
function like strong feeling, emotion,
attitude, motive thinking etc. Influence
our bodily activities and process.
 Emotions are a combination of body
response and mental process. Body
provide energy to fight, mind contribute
to the understanding, to offer an
explanation for one’s own actions or the
action of others. Just as the body
produce epinephrine to fight danger, the
mind helps to decide whether it is needed
for not.
Effect Of Body Condition On
Mental Functioning
 Increased blood pressure causes mental
excitement
 Severe pain reduce concentration level
 Chronic illness causes depression
 Physical fatigue affect our mood and
reduce our motivation, interest and
concentration
Effect Of Mental Condition On
Body Function
 Emotional conflict are responsible for peptic
ulcer ulcerative colitis
 Deep thinking and concentration can cause
physical strain
 Unconscious motivation and conflict give rise
to many physical complain and neurotic
disorder like conversion disorder
 Feeling of hostility and aggression are
expressed through the nervous system and
cause hypertension and cardiac disease
 Genetics And Behavior:
Heredity And Environment
 heredity is considered as “the sum total of
inborn individual trait”.
 Heredity is the basis for development of human
personality. It is like the raw material in the hand
of the artist out of which the potter or tailor
prepare the specific object.
 The complex pattern of social and intellectual
behavior are influenced by person’s genetic
endowment
 They also include physical deficiency and the
nature of glandular functioning.
Environment
 The child inherited the traits and
characteristics of his parents and
forefather through genes at the time of
conception.
 The environment is everything that affects
the individual except his genes
 Environment cover all the outside factors
that have acted on the individual since
he began life
Brain And Behavior: Nervous
System, Neurons And Synapse
 The entire behavior is effectively managed
and controlled by the co-ordination and
functioning of the nervous system
 How we will behave in a particular situation
depend upon the judgement of our brain
 Learning also to a great extent is controlled
by the nervous system
 Any defect in spinal cord or the brain seriously
affect the intellectual growth
 The process of growth and development is
also directly and indirectly controlled by the
functioning of the nervous system
Association With Cortex
Right And Left Hemisphere
 Cerebral cortex is responsible for many
higher order function like language and
information processing.
 The cerebral cortex is divided into sensory,
motor and association area
 Sensory area receive sensory input
 Motor area control movement of muscle
 Association areas involved with more
complex function such as writing
Each cerebral hemisphere is divided into
four lobes:
1. Frontal
2. Parietal
3. Occipital
4. Temporal Lobe
 Different part of the cerebrum are
connected with different mental function.
 The visual area lying in the occipital lobe is
connected with the eye through the optic
nerve.
 Auditory area lies in the temporal lobe.
connected with ears through auditory
nerve.
Association cortex
 It deals with more complex, integrative
function such as memory, emotions,
reasoning, will, judgement, personality
and intelligence.
Psychology Of Sensation
 Behavior in all form and shape has definitely a
biological or physiological base
 The behavior is based on the various stimuli
present in the external environment and lying
within our body.
 The stimuli in the form of various sensory
experience are received by our sensory organ
known as receptors
 External receptors eyes, nose, tongue, skin,
 Internal receptors responsible for feeling of
pain, hunger, thrust
Sensation
 Most of our behavior is dependent upon
what our senses tell us
 Vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch are
called the five senses. The function of the
five senses is called sensation.
Muscular And Glandular
Control Of Behavior
 what is received through the sensory
organ in the form of sensory input is
responded through bodily reaction and
motor activities carried out through
muscles and glands particularly the
hormones secreted by the ductless glands
which are responsible for most of our
behavior patterns.
Nature Of Behavior Of An
Organism, Integrated Response
Various activities of the nervous system can
be grouped together as three general
overlapping function.
1. Sensory
2. Integrative
3. Motor
Sensory
 Millions of sensory receptor detect change
called stimuli which occur inside and outside
the body
 They monitor such things as temperature,
light, sound from the external environment.
 Inside the body is this receptor detect
variation in pressure, PH, carbon dioxide
concentration and the level of various
electrolytes.
 All of this gathered information is called
sensory input
Integrative
 Sensory input is converted into electrical
signal called nerve impulses that are
transmitted to the brain
 There the signals are brought together to
create sensation to produce thoughts or
to add to memory.
 Decisions are made each movement
based on sensory input. This is integration.
Motor
 Based on the sensor input and integration the
nervous system responds by sending signals to
muscles causing them to contract or to gland
causing them to produce secretions
 Muscle and glands are called effectors
because they cause an effect in response to
detection from the nervous system.
 This is the motor output or motor function
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