2 The Role of Biology in Psychology

STRONG MEDICINE: MIND OVER MATTER

When Michael was a child, it was clear that his brain worked differently from other people’s brains. “Growing up,” he recalls, “I was . . . constantly bouncing off the walls—I could never sit still” (Dowd, 2017). A doctor diagnosed Michael with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The symptoms of this disorder include the inability to pay attention, impulsive behavior, and excessive levels of activity (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). When his symptoms started to cause him difficulties in school, his mother enlisted teachers to help him better focus his attention. Michael’s extra energy was put to good use in sports, especially swimming, and these activities helped Michael compose himself and taught him self-discipline. It turned out that Michael’s rigorous swimming schedule and motivation to succeed in swimming provided him with the focus he needed. In 2016, Michael became the most decorated Olympic champion of all time. That’s right, Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimmer with 28 medals—23 of them gold—has ADHD (see first photo).

Because ADHD affects about 1 in 14 school-aged children, chances are good that you know someone like Michael (Thomas et al., 2015). But what exactly is ADHD? It is a disorder of how the brain functions. To understand any mental activity or behavior, you need to understand the underlying biology. In this chapter, you will learn about the parts of the brain, including areas that help people control their attention and behavior (Hoogman et al., 2019). Research into brain disorders and how biology contributes to them helps us understand how typical brains function. We also need to consider how both nature and nurture affect processing in the brain and body. As Michael Phelps puts it, it is often true that “your mind is the strongest medicine you can have. . . . You can overcome anything if you think you can and you want to” (Wedge, 2012).