Written to guide undergraduate students new to brain and behaviour through the key biological concepts that determine how we act, Biological Psychology provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject. It includes detailed coverage of sensation, movement, sleep, eating and emotions, with further chapters on the biological basis of psychological disorders and the effects of drug-taking.
Uniquely, the authors emphasize the importance of learning and memory as a key thread throughout and include advanced chapters on key research areas that push discussion further and encourage critical thinking, making this book appropriate for undergraduates studying biological psychology at any level.
Key features include:
- 'Spotlights' offering insights into key areas of research that expose the most important developing issues in the field today
- A clear structure including roadmaps and key points for each chapter to ease navigation through the book and understanding of the links between concepts
- Full colour presentation to bring the topics to life through clear and comprehensive illustrations and diagrams
- A companion website at study.sagepub.com/higgs with a range of materials for instructors and students
Cooper, Alison: -
Dr Alison Cooper's interest in Neuroscience began during her Natural Sciences degree when she accidentally found herself studying the properties of neurones that form the circuit that controls grasshopper movement. She pursued an interest in understanding how the activity of neuronal cells could underpin behaviour for her PhD by researching the properties and functions of the parts of the brain that contribute to human motor behaviour. During this time, she became interested in neuropharmacology, and the link between synaptic neurotransmission and human function/ dysfunction has remained the focus of her thoughts. Following various Postdoctoral positions, she took an ever-greater role in Neuroscience education of undergraduates in various professional and non-professional undergraduate programmes. In recent years she has used her experience to extend her interest in education to the public who want to understand their own or others' brains through public engagement in person and, globally, through online courses.
Higgs, Suzanne: -
Professor Suzanne Higgs has a degree in Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology from the Univer-sity of Oxford, UK. During her degree she became fascinated by the effects of drugs on the brain and behaviour, which motivated her to pursue a PhD in Psychopharmacology at the University of Durham. After her PhD, she worked as a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford before moving to the University of Birmingham, UK to take up a faculty position in the School of Psychology. She has taught at all levels on the BSc in Psychology programme at Birmingham and has over 20 years of lecturing experience. She specialises in teaching psychopharmacology and the biological bases of motivated behaviours, in particular, the psychobiology of appetite, which is the topic of her research.
Lee, Jonathan: -
Professor Jonathan Lee has a degree in Natural Sciences, specialising in Neuroscience, from the University of Cambridge. He has always been interested in the value of studying biological mechanisms in order to understand behaviour. This interest has been particularly focused on unconscious memories and their impact on behaviour. In his PhD and Postdoctoral research, also at the University of Cambridge, he studied the contribution of gene expression and pharmacological mechanisms in the processes underlying long-term fear and addictive drug memories. He has continued these research interests since moving to the University of Birmingham, using his research experience to teach an introduction to Biological Psychology in the BSc Psychology programme.
