Social Affects on Neurobehavior Essay -- Biology Essays Research Paper

Social Affects on Neurobehavior "The brain does not exist in isolation but rather is a fundamental, interacting component of a developing, aging individual who is a single actor in the larger theater of life. This theater is undeniably social. . ." (1) For the past few weeks our class discussions have largely hinged on brain and neuron function and how this relates to behavior. Some students in the class have expressed a difficulty with the concept that brain equals behavior because they feel like this limits their individuality and choice if they are only a combination of inputs and outputs. As a student of the social sciences I question this thinking because behavior is not just limited by brain function but also by social constraints. People's actions are limited by values, norms and mores found in their respective environment. In my web research, and with help from Dr. Grobstein, I found a few sites dedicated to what is called 'Social Neuroscience' and some studies that have been done to show that in animals and humans social influences can have a direct effect on biological function from the release of certain chemicals to actual changes in receptors. The first site is run by Ohio State and tells the history of social neuroscience and looks at social factors and the immune system. The second is run by a professor in the United Kingdom looking at diet and criminality and the last is from Georgia State and looks at social status and defense mechanisms in crayfish. William James an American psychologist of the 19th century was one of the first people to state that there is a connection between neurophysiological processes and psychological phenomena (1). In 1992 John Cacioppo and Gary Bernstein determined that t... ... responsiveness even when the crayfish becomes the subordinate. So a change in the social status of the crayfish causes changes in the receptors for seratonin in the nervous system of the crayfish. This is a striking example of the social environment causing direct changes in the nervous system. As more and more research in this area develops, I am sure we will see an even stronger connection between social environment and the development and functioning of the nervous system and maybe gain more insight into why people behave the way they do. WWW Sources 1)Ohio State Social Neuroscience Laboratory http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/units/psych/s-psych/socnelab.htm 2)Crime and Nourishment http://mhnet.org/perspectives/articles/art03964.htm 3)Research: The Neural Bases of Behavior, (very interesting picture of the LG neuron) http://www2.gsu.edu/~biodhe/