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CULTURAL and psychological processes. They and other researchers working from a biological perspec-
AWARENESS tive are announcing discoveries about the interplay of our biology and our behavior and
In the biopsychosocial approach, mind at an exhilarating pace. Within little more than the past century, researchers seeking
culture — the enduring beliefs, ideas, to understand the biology of the mind have discovered that:

attitudes, values, and traditions
shared by a group — is an important • Among the body’s cells are neurons that conduct electricity and “talk” to one another by
component in understanding human sending chemical messages across a synapse (see Module 1.3).
behavior. It plays a role equal to those
of the biological and psychological • Our experiences wire our adaptive brain.
systems. Can you think of some ways • Specific brain systems serve specific functions (though not the functions Gall supposed).
your culture influences your behavior?
• We integrate information processed in these different brain systems to construct our

®
AP Exam Tip experiences of sights and sounds, meanings and memories, pain and passion.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Not for redistribution.
We have also realized that we are each a system composed of subsystems that are in
You will see versions of Figure 1.4-2 turn composed of even smaller subsystems. Tiny cells organize to form body organs. These
throughout the text. Spend some organs form larger systems for digestion, circulation, and information processing. And
time now familiarizing yourself with
how the figure’s three viewpoints those systems are part of an even larger system — the individual, who in turn is a part of a
might contribute to behavior family, a community, and a culture. Thus, we are biopsychosocial systems. To understand our
or mental processes, the very behavior, we need to study how these biological, psychological, and social- cultural systems
foundation of psychology.
work and interact, and how they shape us over time. The biopsychosocial approach
integrates these three levels of analysis — the biological, psychological, and social-

cultural ( F igure 1.4-2 ) .

biopsychosocial approach
an integrated approach that As we’ve seen, we are formed by both ancient evolution and our fluctuating
incorporates biological, psycho- hormones — but we are also shaped by our enduring cultures, by our daily experiences, and
logical, and social-cultural levels by our immediate neural activity ( Sapolsky, 2017 ). Consider, for example, the brain’s ability
of analysis. to rewire itself as it adapts to experience.
levels of analysis the differing
complementary views, from Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
biological to psychological to
social-cultural, for analyzing any
given phenomenon.

Biological influences: Psychological influences:
• genetic predispositions (genetically • learned fears and other learned
influenced traits) expectations
• genetic mutations (random errors in • emotional responses
gene replication) • cognitive processing and
• natural selection of adaptive traits perceptual interpretations Psychological
and behaviors passed down
through generations
• genes responding to the environment Biological Social-cultural

Behavior or
mental process Behavior or mental process

Social-cultural influences:
• presence of others
• cultural, societal, and family expectations
• peer and other group influences
• compelling models (such as in the media)

Figure 1.4-2
Biopsychosocial approach
This integrated viewpoint incorporates various levels of analysis and offers a more complete picture of any given behavior or mental process.

56 Unit 1 Biological Bases of Behavior

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