Divisions of Brain that interest research psychologists

Divisions of Brain that interest research psychologists

By

Aysha Siddiqui.

Biopsychology,

Walden University

Introduction

The connection between brain and behavior has been long established by research. Though some psychologists believed until few years back that behavior should be studied in its own individuality (Catania & Gill, 1964), the importance of understanding the functions of the brain to understand the basis of behavior is well established.  Rachel Adelson (American Psychological Association, APA, 2002) writes that only by understanding the connection between different parts of the brain and their exact function that we can reach to the roots of many behavioral health problems.

The human brain is one of the most massive, intricate and appealing part of the body that relates to behavior. Several neurons in the brain produce a chemical reaction as a result of electrical signals that passes between them and this results in behavior (Breedlove & Watson, 2013). However, learning about the behavioral problems and how the brain functions around those behavioral health issues has more depth than this simple function of neurons. Research psychologists are the link between understanding the function of the brain, its structure and the important role it plays in behavior.

    Divisions of brain research psychologists are interested in

·         Neurons and Neurophysiology

Research psychologist would mainly be interested in those structures, functions of the brain that have been found to control, affect and cause behavior, emotions and feelings. According to LeDoux (1998) emotions are the result of the biological activity of the nervous system and ‘emotional brain’ is what the psychologists must study. The chemical exchange and transmission of electric sparks between neurons among many other perplexing things also is the reason for the emotions. In that way the study of the almost 10 billion neurons and the activity that surrounds them has to be the primary division of brain that research psychologists would be interested in.

·         Cerebral Cortex -Frontal, partial, occipital and temporal lobes)

Byrnes (2001) makes a point about the importance of learning the brain functions by the words Neisser (1967) that the brain for the psychologists is like the computer for a man who wants to learn how to ‘use’ the software and not what the hardware is made of. Same way the psychologists try to understand the reason for cognitive behavior rather than how it occurs. The researchers, however play a slightly different role who try to understand the reason for the behavior and actions. The Cerebral cortex is the uppermost structure of the brain (Byrnes, 2001) that’s responsible for movement, sensory information (hearing, visual etc.) and experiences retention like memory and learning. From educators who are involved in research to PTSD researchers and the research psychologists this division of the brain would be of importance and interest.

·         Neuroimaging techniques

As important it is for research psychologists to understand the various divisions of the brain, it is also of significance for them to understand that updated technology or methods used for looking at the function, structure of the brain. This includes all the different kinds of technology and methods used for obtaining the brain images. Other than Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) research psychologists would benefit from the use of electroencephalogram (EEG) which tracks the electrical activity of the brain (Brynes, 2001). EEG has been beneficial in tracking.

·         Brain networks

Driver et al (2010) highlight in their study the extensive brain networks maybe underlying the cognition and spatial attention, so they should be studied in detail with help of imaging techniques by the researchers of behavior. They also imply on the importance of understanding the damaged brain due to injury or disability for research psychologist. The emphasis of Driver et al (2010) is especially on the frontal cortex, parietal cortex and connection to modulate sensory areas.

Divisions of brain of my interest

I am very interested in the development of brain and how young children’s thinking, behavior differs from adults. The minds of children are untainted by many things of the society unlike adults except some unfortunate little ones who have to face physical or mental trauma at a young age as well. I am appealed by the idea of helping young children who face traumas and suffer from PTSD and also by the less fortunate in this world who don’t have access to health care easily. Perry et al (1995) study reveals that a child’s brain differs in development from an adult and if a child faces any kind of emotional or mental trauma then the cues that the central nervous system receives from the environment, they are disrupted. A developing brain is highly dependent on the sets of the environment and ‘micro environmental cues’.

References

Byrnes, J. P. (2001). Minds, brains, and learning: understanding the psychological and educational relevance of neuroscientific research. Guilford Press.

Catania, A. C., & Gill, C. A. (1964). Inhibition and behavioral contrast. .Psychonomic Science.

Driver, J., Blankenburg, F., Bestmann, S., & Ruff, C. C. (2010). New approaches to the study of human brain networks underlying spatial attention and related processes. Experimental Brain Research, 206(2), 153-162.

LeDoux, J. (1998). The emotional brain: The mysterious underpinnings of emotional life. SimonandSchuster. com.

Perry, B. D., Pollard, R. A., Blakley, T. L., Baker, W. L., & Vigilante, D. (1995). Childhood trauma, the neurobiology of adaptation, and use dependent development of the brain? Infant Mental Health Journal, 16(4), 271-291.

Rachel Adelson (2002) Food for thought. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug02/food.aspx