Issues In Psychobiology

At the time of original publication psychobiology was one of the most rapidly developing areas of psychology. Its growth owed much to recent advances both in techniques for studying the physiological bases of behaviour and in major conceptual advances in the way people thought about the brain. First published in 1989, this textbook introduction to the field looks at the state of psychobiology in the light of these advances. The issues covered include: the factors that have shaped the current state of the field; the value of animal subjects in the study of psychological processes; the problems of studying the brain, including the theoretical assumptions underlying the most widely used methods; the current status of influential theories, like Stellar’s 2-center theory of motivation and Papez’s theory of emotion; the relationship between psychological theory and physiological data, such as recent accounts of the visual system; the problems presented by ‘emergent properties’ like consciousness.

At the time of original publication psychobiology was one of the most rapidly developing areas of psychology. Its growth owed much to recent advances both in techniques for studying the physiological bases of behaviour and in major conceptual advances in the way people thought about the brain. First published in 1989, this textbook introduction to the field looks at the state of psychobiology in the light of these advances. The issues covered include: the factors that have shaped the current state of the field; the value of animal subjects in the study of psychological processes; the problems of studying the brain, including the theoretical assumptions underlying the most widely used methods; the current status of influential theories, like Stellar’s 2-center theory of motivation and Papez’s theory of emotion; the relationship between psychological theory and physiological data, such as recent accounts of the visual system; the problems presented by ‘emergent properties’ like consciousness.

In this book, Murphy brings together a team of international experts to review cutting-edge scientific literature from the field of psychobiology and related disciplines which addresses important questions and broadens our understanding of substance use behaviours. The reader is introduced to the multi-faceted nature of substance use and misuse, and its growing need to be discussed across diverse disciplines and perspectives. The book also addresses important questions regarding public policy and professional practice in the context of different social and cultural environments, and comments on the methodological and ethical issues in substance use and misuse. Chapters explore a spectrum of substances, which include: cocaine, alcohol, ecstasy (MDMA), methamphetamine, synthetic cannabinoids, tobacco, ketamine, novel psychoactive substances, and vaping products. The use of these substances poses important questions for science and for society. This book is written to help academics, practitioners, and students in a variety of academic and professional disciplines answer those questions while staying up to date with the psychobiological literature. This is a vital resource for professionals and upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking research in areas related to biological psychology, biology, health studies, and medicine.

In this book, Murphy brings together a team of international experts to review cutting-edge scientific literature from the field of psychobiology and related disciplines which addresses important questions and broadens our understanding of substance use behaviours. The reader is introduced to the multi-faceted nature of substance use and misuse, and its growing need to be discussed across diverse disciplines and perspectives. The book also addresses important questions regarding public policy and professional practice in the context of different social and cultural environments, and comments on the methodological and ethical issues in substance use and misuse. Chapters explore a spectrum of substances, which include: cocaine, alcohol, ecstasy (MDMA), methamphetamine, synthetic cannabinoids, tobacco, ketamine, novel psychoactive substances, and vaping products. The use of these substances poses important questions for science and for society. This book is written to help academics, practitioners, and students in a variety of academic and professional disciplines answer those questions while staying up to date with the psychobiological literature. This is a vital resource for professionals and upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking research in areas related to biological psychology, biology, health studies, and medicine.

The International Handbook of Psychobiology provides authoritative, cutting-edge research across the range of areas that fall under the umbrella of psychobiology. It is a valuable source for researchers looking to update their knowledge on a wide range of topics. The International Handbook of Psychobiology comprises 30 chapters which are organized into the following sections: the physical environment: how psychobiological processes regulate how we respond and cope; stress and anxiety; managing and enhancing cognition and mood; substance use and misuse; sleep; and Psychobiology and human development. Each of the chapters is authored by experienced and active researchers in their field who provide authoritative reviews of its current state of knowledge.

Psychobiology provides a comprehensive, yet accessible introduction to the study of psychobiology and the key concepts, topics and research that are core to understanding the brain and the biological basis of our behaviour. Assuming no prior knowledge of biology, the text emphasises the interaction of psychobiology with other core areas of psychology and disciplines. Through the use of exciting and engaging examples, the role of psychobiology in the real world is explored and emphasisised to allow students to connect theory to practice in this fascinating subject.

The Mind–Body Problem: A Psychobiological Approach examines the mind-body problem from a psychobiological perspective. It intends to show that the idea of a separate mental entity is not only unwarranted by the available data and the existing psychological models, but collides head-on with the most fundamental ideas of all modern science and is thus a stumbling block to progress. The book abandons ordinary language in favor of the state space language, which is mathematically precise and is shared by science and scientific philosophy. Comprised of 10 chapters, this monograph begins with an overview of the mind-body problem and its main proposed solutions, classified into main genera: psychophysical monism and psychophysical dualism. In particular, ten views on the mind-body problem are analyzed, along with three main varieties of materialism with regards to the problem: eliminative, reductive (or leveling), and emergentist. The discussion then turns to the notion of a concrete or material system, based on the assumption that behavior is an external manifestation of neural processes. Subsequent chapters explore the specific functions of the central nervous system; sensation and perception; behavior and motivation; memory and learning; thinking and knowing; and consciousness and personality. The book also considers sociality and social behavior in animals before concluding with an assessment of a psychological explanation of the mind, with emphasis on dualism and monism. This work will be of interest to students, academicians, practitioners, and investigators in the fields of psychobiology, psychology, neurophysiology, and philosophy.

Broadly defined psychobiology is a wide field of scientific endeavor, which bridges the artificial divide imposed by the Cartesian philosophy of things of the mind and things of the body. Starting in the early decades of the 20th century, mind-body research developed new avenues of understanding in Western science. It became increasingly clear that processes attributed to the psyche, including emotions, cognitions, memories, and personalities, had important effects upon physiological events, could disrupt homeostasis, determined and controlled allostasis, and arose, in fact, from biological phenomena driven by cell biology, biochemistry, genomics and, in a larger sense, interactomics. In brief, psychobiology reunited, at last, the sciences of psychology and physiology. Current advanced research in psychobiology proffers a new perspective on human and animal behavior, with cognitions, emotions, and traits describing the interaction between biological systems and behavior. Today, novel frontiers in psychobiology research encompass how cognition (what we are thinking) and mood (how we are feeling) combine with, determine and are engendered by biological events. The superb chapters that compose this book are written by the premier internationally and most renowned psychobiologists in the world at this time. They examine several of the most important domains of psychobiology research today: from a novel conceptualization of stress in the context of the person-environment fit model, to the modulation of immune surveillance by perceived stress, the alterations of cognition by pharmaceutical use and over-use, as well as from athletic training or ionization poisoning to, ultimately, the brain-gut interaction. The role of functional MRS in the study of advanced research questions in psychobiology is also discussed in depth. Taken together, this collection of chapters make this book on advanced psychobiology both timely and critical. Expectations are that future research development in psychobiology, as the field continues to advance, will continue to strive to understand how psychological and biological connections shape the human experience. Psychobiology will increasingly provide a uniquely new perspective in psychology on the one hand, and on the other hand, in biology along several of the dimensions proffered in this book.