psychobiology

[ sahy-koh-bahy-ol-uh-jee ]

noun

1. the use of biological methods to study normal and abnormal emotional and cognitive processes, as the anatomical basis of memory or neurochemical abnormalities in schizophrenia.
2. the branch of biology dealing with the relations or interactions between body and behavior, especially as exhibited in the nervous system, receptors, effectors, or the like.

psychobiology

/ ˌsaɪkəʊˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl; ˌsaɪkəʊbaɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. psychol the attempt to understand the psychology of organisms in terms of their biological functions and structures

Derived Forms

• ˌpsychobioˈlogically, adverb
• ˌpsychobiˈologist, noun
• psychobiological, adjective

Other Words From

• psy·cho·bi·o·log·i·cal [sahy-koh-bahy-, uh, -, loj, -i-k, uh, l], psycho·bio·logic adjective
• psycho·bi·olo·gist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychobiology¹

From the German word Psychobiologie, dating back to 1900–05. See psycho-, biology

Example Sentences

"This paper is important because it provides, for the first time, evidence of the existence of a link between frailty in older adults and intensity of the response to T. gondii infection," said co-author Blanca Laffon, a professor of psychobiology at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Chemistry and Biology at University of A Coruña.

From Science Daily

According to Dr. Martin Picard, Ph.D., associate professor, and director of the Mitochondrial Psychobiology Group at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, "stress experiences will naturally affect our biology. Our body will have very real psycho-biological responses."

From Salon

“The findings are both intriguing and sobering,’’ said Bertha Madras, a psychobiology professor and researcher at Harvard Medical School.

From Seattle Times

“It’s just a whole process every time,” said the junior psychobiology major.

From Los Angeles Times

"What John's paper has done," says Sarita Robinson, who teaches cognitive neuropsychology and psychobiology at the University of Central Lancashire, "is actually plug this gap and said, 'Look, the physical is important, yes. If you are in a concentration camp and you haven't got enough food, that is going to eventually kill you. But actually, the psychological pressures of being in that extreme environment could also be impacting on your likelihood of survival."

From Salon