Psychology

Biological and Cognitive Psychology are two different branches of the discipline. Biological Psychology, also referred to as Behavioral Neuroscience, is the study of behavior using biological principles. On the other hand, Cognitive Psychology interprets behavior based on mental processes without reference to physiological functioning.

Biological Psychology focuses on neurological functioning in relation to behavior (Kalat, 2009). It looks into how information travels and affects the different organs of the body. In turn it creates outward responses from an individual that can be called behavior. This branch of psychology uses mental processes to interpret human actions and manners.

Cognitive Psychology takes the more traditional route of the discipline. It explains behavior by examining the internal workings of the mind. It takes into account the different contributors to human behavior like memory, interpretation, and comprehension (Elsenck  Keane, 2005). It is the popular choice to rationalize issues on personal development an interpersonal functioning. It is also commonly used to identify probable reasons for mental dysfunction.

The two branches of psychology, although fundamentally different, are essentially correlated. Donald Olding Hebb provided the link that placed the two concepts together. His work in fact proved that behavior is a combination of actual physical functioning of the brain and thought processes.

Hebb, considered as the Father of Neuropsychology paved the way to a more holistic understanding of behavior. While his predecessors proposed theories on behavior, no one was able to establish relationship between the physical and experiential. It was only Hebb that would raise probable contributions of the physical brain activity with outward conduct.

Hebb believed that the study of behavior is really a study of the workings of the brain and the nervous system. He showed how neurological activity affects behavior. His book The Organizational of Behavior A Neuropsychological Theory that was published in 1949 underscored the importance of the relationship between what is cognitive and what is biological.

Hebbs observations gave the study of behavior a more tangible basis. Hebbian Learnings premise is that neurons group and actively work together, called cell-assemblies, to create outward responses to stimuli (Brown and Milner, 2003). The persistence of neurological activity forms what is called memory. The proposition on cell-assemblies is arguably the biggest contribution of Hebb to the study.

Through his work, Hebb also paved the way for the invention of various computational machines used to assess brain activity in a living person. These devices provide a numerical basis for behavioral measurement that is more objective in nature.

Donald O. Hebb greatly influenced the study of behavior. He brought the two different concepts of behavior, biological and cognitive, together in one theory. By explaining their correlation, he opened new schools of thoughts in the field. He also paved the way in advancing the different areas of behavioral assessment.

Based on Donald O. Hebbs work, behavior should be studied holistically combining both concepts in biological and cognitive psychology. One concept cannot stand alone without the other as both provide very important aspects in understanding of behavior. Hebb paved the way for psychologists today to use tangible brain functioning to explain behavior.