The biology behind your behavior
Do you ever wonder why some characteristics seem to run in families?
Or why emotionalheartbreakcan feel so physically painful?
The biological perspective in psychology can offer some answers to such questions.
Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell
There are many different ways of thinking about topics in psychology.
The biological perspective looks at psychological issues by studying the physical basis for animal and human behavior.
One of the primary debates in psychology has long centered on the relative contributions ofnature versus nurture.
The biological perspective, on the other hand, tends to stress the importance of nature.
The Biological Perspective in Psychology
Biological psychology is often calledbiopsychology, behavioral neuroscience, or physiological psychology.
Someone who takes the biological perspective might consider how certain types of brain injury might lead to aggressive actions.
Or they might consider genetic factors that can contribute to such displays of behavior.
Antidepressants affect theseneurotransmitter levels, which may help alleviate depression symptoms.
Such techniques allow researchers to examine how the brain works in real-time.
Consider our temperamentsthe early patterns of emotional and behavioral responses that we see even in babies.
In some cases, using this approach can even lead to potential pitfalls.
The weakness of this approach is that it often fails to account for other influences on behavior.
By utilizing a variety of approaches to problems, researchers can develop solutions that can have helpful real-world applications.
This perspective also allows researchers to come up with new treatments that target the biological influences on psychological well-being.
- doi:10.1038/s41380-022-01661-0
Pastorino, EE, Doyle-Portillo, SM.What Is Psychology?
Foundations, Applications, and Integration.
Boston, MA: Cengage Learning; 2015.
