INTRODUCTION TO

BIOPSYCHOLOGY
BIOPSYCHOLOGY

 Scientific study of the biology of behaviour

 The field of psychology that deals with the health of the brain and its
effect on behaviour
 Subfields :
 Cognitive neuroscience
 Behavioural neuroscience
 neuropsychology
OVERVIEW OF BIOPSYCHOLOGY

 A different way of understanding human behavior is to look at it the

opposite way: from the inside to the outside.

 Mental health and mental illnesses are treated as functions of the brain's
state

 A healthy brain produces a healthy mental state and an unhealthy brain

produces mental illness. 
 Biopsychology is an integrative discipline – draw together knowledge
from the other neurosciencetific disciplines and apply it to the study of
behaviour.
 The Relation between Biopsychology and
the Other Disciplines of Neuroscience

 Neuroscience is a team effort, and

biopsychologist are important members of
the team (Albright, Kandel, & Posner, 2000).
 Disciplines of neuroscience that are particularly relevant to
biopsychology;
 Neuroanatomy – The study of the structure of the nervous system.
 Neurochemistry – The study of the chemical bases of neural activity.
 Neuroendoctrinology – The study of interactions between the the nervous system and endocrine system.
 Neupathology – The study of nervous system disorders
 Neuropharmocology – The study of the effects of drug on neutral activity
 Neurophysiology – The study of functions and activities of the nervous system.
THE GENETIC CODE

 The gene is the biological unit

that directs cellular processes
and transmit inherited
characteristics
 Found on the chromosomes
 DNA – codes that carries the
generic information
IMPORTANCE OF BIOPSYCHOLOGY

 Nature vs Nurture
 A number of behaviours are genetically influenced.
 One does not inherit a behaviour itself, but genes influence structure and
function in the brain and body in a way that influences behaviour
 Behaviour is a product of both genes and environment
 Genes produce predisposition, and environment further determines the
outcome