Physiological Psychology

The Medical or Biological Approach

The physiological approach focuses on the relationship between our biological makeup and our behavior and experiences. This area can be very convincing. For example, we know that the structure of our nervous system (including our brains) and the action of chemicals can have an effect on our behavior. However, an important question is how much does biology affect us?

 

Some physiological psychologists take a reductionist argument to answer this question. That is, they argue that behavior and experience can be explained in terms of brain structure and chemicals. This reductionist argument can lead psychologists to making discoveries, for example, in the affect of drugs on mood and behavior. However, other psychologists take the view that we cannot explain complex human behavior and experience just in terms of brain structure and chemicals. There are other psychological variables which need to be considered, such as how we act alone compared to how we act in groups.

 

The main assumption of the physiological approach is therefore that behavior and experience can be explained by physiological changes. This approach investigates the brain, the nervous system and other biological factors such as hormones.  Since these factors are under genetic control, inheritance should play an important part in psychology.