PSYCHOBIOLOGY: HISTORY, WHAT IT STUDIES, BRANCHES, CONCEPTS - PSYCHOLOGY - 2025

The psychobiology is a discipline that studies human behavior taking into account the biological basis of the body. For this, it is based on the property of bodies to establish an active and adaptive relationship with the environment.

In this way, psychobiology explains human behavior by analyzing the relationships between cognition (what we think), what we feel, biological systems, and the environment.

Psychobiology studies the nervous system, its functions and its ability to experience physiological changes in accordance with its relationship with the environment. Source: pixabay.com

It is important to add that psychobiology is the product of a long historical process, the result of the evolution of concepts from a wide range of fields of study such as physics, medicine, anatomy, chemistry and biology.

The effort to understand how psychological and biological connections shape the human experience provides psychobiology with a unique perspective in psychology. In addition, the breadth of psychobiology has caused other branches of knowledge to emerge from it, such as psychophysiology and psychopharmacology.

History of psychobiology

Ancient Greece

Hippocrates and Alcmeon of Croton (5th and 6th centuries BC) were the first to postulate that the brain was the organ in charge of coordinating human actions.

This conception was innovative and faced the general proposal of the thinkers of the time, who argued that the heart was the control center of human behavior.

Later, Galen (129-216 AD), influenced by the doctrines of Hippocrates and, according to his own studies and research, reinforced the concept that places the brain as the seat of intelligence and the receptor of human emotions.

In addition, Galen was also a pioneer in the scientific observation of physiological phenomena and performed dissections that allowed him to identify various cranial nerves.

These findings were key to the development of knowledge about human anatomy, specifically for the understanding of the nervous system; later, this information was decisive for the approaches of psychobiology.

René Descartes (1596-1650)

René Descartes was a philosopher who supported the idea of ​​the control that brain mechanisms exert on human behavior. Thanks to his research and observations, he managed to determine that, unlike animals, man's capabilities resided far beyond the brain, that is, in the mind.

In this way, Descartes proposed that the mind is an entity associated with intelligence, emotions and memory, attributes that are only characteristic of human beings. These findings led Descartes to establish a dualistic conception for human behavior, since he postulated that the mind and the body are separate entities.

However, it took a long time for the brain's role in human perception and action to be officially recognized.

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

The concepts and evidence of Charles Darwin on the evolution of species were decisive for the development of psychobiology. Source: pixabay.com

The works and findings of Charles Darwin described the phenomenon of natural selection, which led him to conclude that man was simply one more animal.

In addition, in his Theory of Evolution, he argued the idea that the human is a changing being influenced by the environment in which he lives, which was opposed to the old conception of man as something permanent.

These new concepts and ideas implemented by Darwin became the pillars of what would later become psychobiology.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934)

Cajal's great contribution to the evolution of science and medicine is the postulate of Neural Theory. In it, the researcher showed that neurons are the basic and functional structures of the nervous system.

Likewise, he showed that neurons are discrete entities with expansions and that the relationship between them is by contiguity; this later served to establish the concept of synaptic connection. This finding on the type of connection between neurons was decisive for the development of branches of psychobiology such as psychopharmacology.

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

Ivan Pavlov's influence on psychobiology is extensive. In fact, his work on classical conditioning is the basis of much research in this discipline.

The term "classical conditioning" is used to designate the first type of learning of every human being and consists of the individual's response to environmental stimuli. In this way, the existence of a connection between a new stimulus and an existing reflex is described.

Currently, psychobiology studies the neural mechanisms that determine this type of learning and the role of Pavlovian conditioning in adaptation.

Donald Hebb (1904-1985)

Psychobiology began to be an important discipline in the 20th century. In 1949, the first theory on brain activity was exposed, which determined how psychological phenomena (perceptions, emotions, thoughts and memories) develop.

The theory was developed by Donald Hebb and is based on the study of synaptic connections and their relationship to learning. This proposal by Hebb had a strong impact on neuropsychology and remains a fundamental reference in research work.

What does psychobiology study? (Object of study)

Psychobiology studies human behavior taking into account the existence of a biological conditioning that is marked by factors inherent to the species, such as individual characteristics or genetic potential and the environment in which gene expression modulates.

For the study of human behavior, the main focus of psychobiology is the analysis of the nervous system, its functions and especially the ability of this system to undergo physiological changes according to its relationship with the environment.

Other topics that are the object of study in psychobiology are: language acquisition, social changes, personality, emotional development, identity formation, and motor skills.

Psychobiology today

Psychobiology is characterized by having a great variety of approaches, therefore, on many occasions it needs the contribution of other disciplines. This integrative confluence has brought with it some conceptual problems, especially when establishing the study objectives of psychobiology and neuroscience.

However, because psychobiology is interested in the study of the biological bases of behavior - which include nervous, genetic, evolutionary and ecological aspects - neuroscience has been proposed as part of psychobiology.

Branches of psychobiology

Psychophysiology

It is the study of physiological processes (neuronal activity, metabolism, blood flow, self-regulation) that are related to psychic life and behavior.

Psychopharmacology

Psychopharmacology is a discipline that studies the action of drugs on behavior and emotions.

In turn, it analyzes the use of pharmacological treatments and how they complement each other in the way of acting on psychobiological disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolarity, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, dementias or the adictions.

Neuropsychology

Neuropsychology is a specialty belonging to the neurosciences that studies the relationship between mental and behavioral processes and the brain.

In this way, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive, behavioral and emotional problems that can be the result of different processes that affect normal brain function.

Comparative psychology

Comparative psychology studies the behavior and mental life of animals (including the human species), based on the idea that there are certain characteristics of these that have evolved over time.

Consequently, comparative psychology studies the similarities and differences in the evolution of behavior and the mind of species.

Behavioral genetics

Behavioral genetics studies issues such as perception, learning, memory, motivation, psychological disorders, among others, but from a genetic perspective. In this way, its objective of study is to determine the contribution of genetics in a particular behavior.

Developmental psychobiology

This discipline studies changes in behavior over time, so it covers the period from the individual's birth to his death.

Featured Concepts

Gen

A gene is the unit of genetic inheritance. They are transmitted from parents to children and have the information necessary to determine the traits of the individual.

Neuron

Neurons are nerve cells that pick up stimuli and conduct nerve impulses through connections called synapses.

Neural synapse

The neuronal synapse is the zone of impulse transmission between two neurons or between a neuron and a gland or a muscle cell. According to the form of transmission, electrical and chemical synapses are defined.

Genetic heritage

Genetic inheritance is the transfer -from parents to children- of the necessary information (genetic material) for a certain characteristic or function. It is carried out through the gametes (eggs and sperm) of the parents.

However, the information contained in genes can have errors (mutations) that alter the function of the gene. These alterations can be transmitted from parents to children and trigger genetic diseases.

Cognitive functions

Cognitive functions are the mental or intellectual processes such as the ability to pay attention, remember, produce and understand language, solve problems and make decisions.

Evolution

In the biological sciences, evolution is the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations, this process being driven by natural selection.

Conduct

Behavior is the way people or animals behave in various contexts of life. In this way, the study of behavior is the description of the actions carried out by an individual in the face of stimuli and the connection that he establishes with his environment.

References

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