Psychobiology

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Until the end of the 1980s, the term psychobiology could be equated with behavioral research , as it was rarely used and above all to distinguish it from so-called classical comparative behavioral research (ethology) .

Goal setting

In the meantime, psychobiology is in the process of establishing itself as an independent, interdisciplinary research direction, in particular with the aim of investigating the interplay between the brain and behavior, for example the biological basis of emotional movements (aggressiveness, fear, joy, sadness), the Learning ability, sexual behavior, pain perception and, last but not least, psychological and psychiatric illnesses (stress reactions, drug addiction, dementia).

Psychobiology, with its findings and theories, is also involved in the discussion about the phenomenon of "instinct reduction" attributed to man by Arnold Gehlen .

Synthesis of disciplines

Psychobiology can therefore be understood as an interdisciplinary synthesis of neurobiology and physiology , behavioral biology and evolutionary research , genetics and molecular biology , psychology and ethnology . There are also points of contact with medicine , cybernetics , cognitive research and philosophy .

Focus

However, the focus of the research projects at the respective universities is often very inconsistent - on the one hand primarily in the field of psychology (with a sideways glance at the natural sciences in the sense of biological psychology ), on the other hand primarily in the field of biosciences or medicine (with a sideways glance at psychology) .

literature

  • John P. Pinel, Wolfram Boucsein (Ed.): Biopsychology: An Introduction. Heidelberg 1997, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, ISBN 3827400244
  • Eva Irle, Hans J. Markowitsch (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Psychology. (Biological Psychology Volume 7): Comparative Psychobiology . Hogrefe-Verlag 1998, ISBN 3-8017-0548-X
  • Klaus Immelmann , Klaus R. Scherer, Christian Vogel: Psychobiology. Basics of behavior. Beltz-Verlag 1988, ISBN 3-621-27073-6

See also

Web links