Methods of physiological psychology

Physiological psychology studies how the brain and body produce behaviour, and its methods range from examining brain tissue after damage to recording electrical activity in a living, behaving person. For example, an EEG records rhythmic brain waves from the scalp without any surgery, while a lesion study infers a region's function from what is lost when it is damaged. This chapter covers invasive methods — anatomical, degeneration, lesion, chemical and microelectrode methods — and non-invasive methods — EEG and brain scanning.