This document summarizes six divisions of biopsychology: physiological psychology, psychopharmacology, neuropsychology, psychophysiology, cognitive neuroscience, and comparative psychology. For each division, it outlines the mechanism of action/memory, purpose, typical subjects, and key parameters. Physiological psychology directly manipulates animal brains to study memory mechanisms. Psychopharmacology investigates drug effects on the brain in animals and humans. Neuropsychology studies brain damage in humans through case studies. Psychophysiology examines the relationship between physiological activity and psychology in humans. Cognitive neuroscience uses brain imaging to observe memory in humans. Comparative psychology compares species' behaviors to understand evolution and adaptation.

1. Biopsychology
Mechanism of Action MEMEORY Purpose Subject (s) Parameters
Physiological Psychology
 Di rect manipulation of the brain
of subjects.
 Linked the Hippocampus to
memory by surgically
removing the hippocampus in
rats to assess ability to
perform various memory
related tasks.
 Seeks to define the
neural mechanisms
of behavior.
 Animal (Usually)  Has the ability to bring the power of the
experimental method and invasive neuroscientific
techniques to answer a question.
 Limited to the study of laboratory animals.
 Takes place in a controlled laboratory s ettings
 Pure Research Design
Psychopharmacology
 Incre ase memory i n Alzhiemer’s
patients by giving meds to
increase Aceylycholine
(Chemical Formula CH
COO(CH )2N+(CH 3)3) in the
brain. Acetylcholine i s a
primary neurotransmitter
which has both excitatory and
inhibitory properties in the CNS.
 Investigates the
effects of drugs on
brain.
 Animals and Humans  Favors Pure Research Design
 Studies applied questions (e.g., drug abuse,
therapeutic drugs)
Neuropsychology
 In patients with alcohol
produced brain damage, there
i s a particular difficulty in
remembering events.
 Studies brain
damage in humans,
paying special
attention to cortical
areas.
 Humans  Neuropsychology's s trength is that i t deals with
human subjects.
 By the same token, this is also i ts weakness
because i t excludes experimentation.
 Almost exclusively deals with case s tudies and
quasi-experimental s tudies
 The most applied of the 6 divisions of
biopsychology;
 Neuropsychological tests of brain damaged
patients facilitate diagnosis, treatment, and
l i festyle counseling

2. Mechanism of Action MEMEORY Purpose Subject (s) Parameters
Psychophysiology
 When patients are shown
fami liar faces, normal
responses are elicited in the
ANS. When damage occurs to
the brain, response is still the
same even though the patient
does not recognize the faces.
 Aims to show the
relationship
between
phys iological activity
and psychological
processes.
 Humans  Uses Noninvasive techniques i.e. EEG
Cognitive Neuroscience
 Observe memory by using brain
imaging technology to observe
changes in the physical
s tructures of the brain, while
performing routine memory
ta sks.
 Attempts to identify
neural bases of
cogni tion.
 Humans  Uses Noninvasive techniques i.e. MRI
 Focuses on the demystification of cognitive
processes of learning and memory, attention, and
complex perceptualization.
Comparative Psychology
 Confi rm the hippocampus’s
involvement in memory activity
through the observation of
food s torage procedures of
bi rds.
 Compares different
species to
understand
evolution, genetics,
and adaptivity of
behaviors.
 Animals  Comparative and functional approaches toward
species
 Laboratory research paired with studies of animals
in their natural environments (ethology)

3. References
Horney, K. (1967). Feminine Psychology, New York: W. W. Norton.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96.
Rogers, C. (1951). Client-centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory. London: Constable.