ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the biological, social and cognitive perspectives of psychology in more detail. Biological psychologists argue that individuals may be biologically predisposed to certain behaviours based on the genes inherited from their parents. Alternative biological explanations relate to the structure of the brain, where different areas of the brain are tasked with different functions. Evolutionary psychology helps explain how behaviours that might seem very current are in fact linked to quite primitive drives to survive. There are three important areas of investigation in social psychology: group behaviour, attitude formation and social cognition. Where biological psychology focuses on the organism of the brain and central nervous system, cognitive psychology concentrates on the functions of the mind. As there is evidently an overlap between the brain and cognitive functions, there has been a blending of cognitive and biological psychology, through the study of neuroscience. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
