Brain, Mind, and Behavior

What is the purpose of studying the structure, functions and mechanisms of the brain?

Most scientists and students who study the processes and structure of the human brain do so in order to understand why and how people behave as they do (4). Considering that the human brain may be the most complex living structure in the universe, the study of the brain gives great promise of understanding the myriad activities that humans do--moving, sensing, eating, drinking, breathing, talking, and sleeping (6). Experts do not necessarily agree on the extent of the relationship between the mind and the brain, but the writers of the text contend that the brain also handles the functions of thinking, dreaming, musing, hoping, and aspiring.

All of these attributes and capabilities of humanness are of great interest to anyone curious about the nature of life and what it is to be human. The more one can understand about the mental and physical activities that take place within the brain and mind, the more one understands oneself and fellow humans. This greater knowledge can only improve the quality of life for the person who strives to understand more in this area. Much of what happens in the brain can be mystifying to a person who is in awe of so much capability, but the awe can be replaced with respect when aspects of the human brain are learned.

Behavior takes on new meaning when it is understood in the context of the complexities of the human b

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of information can be processed in quite sophisticated ways. This capability dramatically affects the quality of life in the 1990's. And computers work simply by rote. Although they do quite perfectly that for which they are designed, they do not originate new actions and thinking. In this way, humans are quite unique and advanced compared to computers. Although at first glance, computers might seem more powerful than humans, it is not so because only humans can adapt, laugh, or create something new. Humans can engage in create association processes, something that is virtually impossible for computers. According to the authors, a major difference between the human and a computer is the connection of the brain to the human body, greatly increasing the capacity for diverse actions and adaptations to the environment (30). All this requires large numbers of neurons to handle the sophisticated job of initiating and regulating everything connected with the human's thinking and acting. If there were only a few neurons, the human capacity for interaction with other humans, oneself, and the environment would be quite limited, more like a machine. Even the simplest animals have sophisticated brain systems which enable them to le

Category: Psychology - B