The brain is the most complex, delicate and yet the most efficient among the organs of the human body. The intricate network of neurons in the brain is so complex that until now scientists have no way of predicting how the brain would work if it is damaged. The brain is the control center of the body, which is why when any damage to the brain occurs, the body ultimately is affected and can manifests in different behaviors (Rosenzweig, Breedlove & Leiman, 2002 p. 47). The study of the brain was limited to its physiology and anatomy and through medical and scientific advancements, we know more about the brain than ever before.
For example, the use of MRI allows us to study the brain without any need for surgery. Likewise, the different functions of the different parts of the brain have also been mapped and studied. Making it easier for us to treat and cure a person who may have had an accident to the brain. On the other hand, the slightest injury may not bring life altering conditions like being in coma, not being able to move or have amnesia. A nonfatal injury to the head that affects the brain usually has changes in behavior or personality that were not evident prior to the injury or accident (Gleitman, Fridlund & Reisberg, 2004 p.
66). For example, an injury to the frontal lobe of the brain may result to any of the following; mood swings, inability to express ideas, loss of attention and difficulty in problem solving. In the past, doctors and scientists only learned about what part of the brain corresponded to what function through brain trauma accidents. Abnormal behavior was thought to be caused by some abnormalities in brain functions or structure. Although some mental disorders had been found to have some brain related cause, not all mental disorders are biologically based.
On the other hand, the brain is always involved in man’s behavior because it ultimately controls the other parts of the body. Thus, when psychology focused only on the brain or on the behavior, it did not give a complete picture of human nature. Human behavior as it is studied at present give importance to the role that the brain plays in every action or reaction of the body. Behavior can be overt or covert; overt behavior refers to those observable behaviors that are manifested and explicit while covert behaviors refer to those actions, thoughts or feelings that might not be evident to an observer (Rosenzweig, Breedlove & Leiman, 2002 p.
31). A mentally disturbed individual may have normal overt behaviors but are actually having abnormal covert behaviors. For example, an obsessive compulsive whose phobia to germs may cause him/her to wash hands frequently, this may be a normal behavior by all appearances but the individual is actually having the most frightening thoughts about being infected with germs and the like.
The brain and human behavior without a doubt cannot be separated, especially now that most psychologists adhere to the notion that biology is a large contributor to a person’s behavior, in writing this essay, I had to think and remember what have been discussed at the start of the semester and be able to express it well. My brain is actually retrieving information from my memory and also controlling my attention, my concentration, the analysis of my answers and even my fingers and eyes as I type my answers.