Answer to Question #293599 in Psychology for abhay

Question

Please write at least 500 words(250 words for each prompt at least) for the paper and of course you can go beyond 500 words. 

Following are the two prompts that you need to write on:

Do you think studying "biology of mind" is imperative to the field of Psychology?

 

In what ways, knowledge of “biology of mind” has changed the way you see the world.

Answer 1

Part One

I think that studying, the ‘biology of mind’ is imperative to the field of psychology. One important factor to understand is that psychology pertains to the study and assessment of mental processes and how they relate to the behaviors of human beings. With psychology, the activity in one’s brain can be intertwined with their behaviors and mental processes. This provides a critical knowledge base as it establishes an association between the brain’s functioning and human behavior and how psychology can be leveraged for the actualization of behavioral goals. It is essential to understand that the biology of the mind portrays complex processes including attention, memory, feelings, and language that are essentially enabled by the brain’s biology (Barret, 2009). The human brain is an increasingly powerful tool, tasked with the responsibility of enabling hearing, sight, memory, and learning. It plays an integral role in the normal functioning of a person, affecting their behaviors, attitudes and perceptions of the world. For instance, a schizophrenic person often experiences psychosis which is characterized by the abnormal perception of reality and people. They experience hallucinations and delusions which essentially influence their behaviors and actions (integral to the field of psychology) which are essentially influenced by the activity in their brain. This, in turn, provides the basis for psychologists to analyze brain functions and how they influence human behavior, consequently forming the basis and framework for psychological practice. It cannot be refuted that all professions have a vested interest in how the brain works. However, with psychology, it is imperative as it forms the central tenet through which psychological conditions and processes can be understood.

Part Two

The knowledge of the ‘biology of mind’ has significantly changed the way I see and perceive the world. First, I have an increased self-understanding and insight which essentially translates to my interactions, attitudes and behaviors towards other people. In learning about the mind, psychological constructs such variations in personality helped provide insights that promoted a personal understanding of myself and of those around me. Secondly, knowledge of the biology of the mind provided an in-depth understanding of the human nature by establishing a relationship between a person’s brain, their environment and consequent behaviors and attitudes. Secondly, with information being provided on the evolution of the brain, I was able to understand natural urges that are primarily influenced by brain processes such as happiness, sadness and anger (Kosslyn et al., 2004). For example, when a person is angry or happy, an assessment of the internal and external processes can be performed to identify how the brain triggers these emotions and their consequent behavior. Knowledge of the biology of the mind has changed the way I perceive the world around me by helping me overcome biases. Learning about the social aspects of the brain such as in-group and out-group bias, provided knowledge on the root causes of prejudice and discrimination. Additionally, a comprehensive explanation was provided on the association between these biases and our environments, which essentially helped me in identifying all associated biases including implicit bias. This information provides an explanation on why some people are the way they are and the necessary psychological strategies that can be leveraged to influence their brain functioning. 

References

Barrett, L. F. (2009). The future of psychology: Connecting mind to brain. Perspectives on psychological science, 4(4), 326-339.

Kosslyn, S. M., & Rosenberg, R. S. (2004). Psychology: The brain, the person, the world. Pearson Education New Zealand.