Behavioral neuroscience
Behavioral neuroscience, also known as
biological psychology,
biopsychology, or
psychobiology, is part of the broad, interdisciplinary field of
neuroscience, with its primary focus being on the biological and neural substrates underlying human
experiences and
behaviors, as in our
psychology. Derived from an earlier field known as
physiological psychology, behavioral neuroscience applies the principles of
biology to study the
physiological,
genetic, and
developmental mechanisms of behavior in humans and other animals. Behavioral neuroscientists examine the
biological bases of behavior through research that involves
neuroanatomical substrates, environmental and
genetic factors, effects of
lesions and electrical stimulation, developmental processes, recording electrical activity,
neurotransmitters,
hormonal influences, chemical components, and the effects of
drugs. Important topics of consideration for neuroscientific research in behavior include
learning and
memory, sensory processes,
motivation and
emotion, as well as genetic and molecular substrates concerning the biological bases of behavior. Subdivisions of behavioral neuroscience include the field of
cognitive neuroscience, which emphasizes the biological processes underlying human cognition. Behavioral and cognitive neuroscience are both concerned with the
neuronal and biological bases of psychology, with a particular emphasis on either
cognition or behavior depending on the field.
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