Definition of Physiological Psychology
-By Timothy Lyons
Physiological psychology is also known as behavioral neuroscience. The definition of physiological psychology is the study of the human neurological functions as they relate to behavior and perception. Studies are conducted on animal subjects as well as human subjects through the use of modern techniques such as magnetic and functional magnetic resonance imaging. By either manipulating the brain in controlled experiments or studying damage caused by natural means scientists can being to understand the neural correlates that affect emotions, memory and behavior.
The definition of Physiological psychology is really about the physical mechanisms within the human body that affect the mental processes. The idea of physiological psychology is to bring an understanding of these physiological mechanism, in the context of how they do or might affect the human body to influence certain pathological behaviors that are interfering with our lives. An example of this would be the function of cells or the brain in regard to psychopharmacology. It is very useful to gain information that is from the biological underpinnings of pathology as both a tool to teach and as a way of understanding in actual treatment settings. The study of behavioral neuroscience has the overarching purpose to link mental processes and problems with the actual physical form of the human body. This enhances the ability to differentiate between those issues which are physically related and those that are more in line with a somatic symptom disorder. It is also true when there is no explanation for a psychological disorder that can be attributed to any physical issues. In this way the knowledge gained from physiological psychology can assist in helping clients to choose the best course of action when it comes to treatment.
References
Carlson, N. R., & Birkett, M. A. (2017). Physiology of Behavior (12 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
www.merriam-Webster.com. (n.d.). Definition of PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY. Retrieved January 15, 2017, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/physiological+psychology