Module 3. Neural and Hormonal Systems

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3-1 Why are psychologists concerned with human biology?

biological psychology the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes. (Some biological psychologists call themselves behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists, physiological psychologists, or biopsychologists.)

Your every idea, every mood, every urge is a biological happening. You love, laugh, and cry with your body. Without your body—your genes, your brain, your appearance—you would, indeed, be nobody. Biological psychologists study the links between our biology and behavior. We find it convenient and intuitive to talk separately of biological and psychological influences on behavior (Forstmann & Burgmer, 2015). But we need to remember that to think, feel, or act without a body would be like running without legs.