ABSTRACT
If you have studied biology, you may by now be asking some very reasonable questions about the relationship between biology and psychology. Surely there must be biological influences on psychology, yet rather surprisingly it is quite possible to read most of a psychology textbook like this without a mention of the humble brain. Regardless of other factors, all thinking, feeling and behaviour is ultimately dependent on the brain and the rest of the nervous system. In this chapter we shall look very briefly at the structure and function of the brain, and at some of the
techniques we use to study it. We can then look in depth at bodily rhythms, sleep and dreams, and examine a key application of this field-understanding the effects of shiftwork and jet lag. We can then have a look at a contemporary issue in psychology: whether differences in the abilities and characteristics of men and women can be explained by biological differences. First, however, let us look at the assumptions that underlie the neurophysiological approach to psychology:
• Like other biological approaches to psychology, neurophysiology is a science. It uses advanced technology to monitor what is happening in the brain, the rest of the nervous system and other body systems and link these to psychological function.
