Biopsychology, 12th edition

Published by Pearson (September 18, 2026) © 2027
  • John P.J. Pinel
  • Steven J. Barnes

Title overview

For courses in Physiological Psychology and Biopsychology.

A student-focused approach to how the central nervous system governs behavior

Biopsychology introduces the discipline through a unique combination of biopsychological science and reader-oriented discourse. Authors John Pinel and Steven Barnes explain the key tenets of the field, emphasizing the scientific method throughout. In order to highlight the social and personal implications of the material, they address students directly via clear language, storytelling and useful metaphors.

The 12th Edition reflects the latest developments in the field, including a fresh approach to coverage of neurodevelopment, with updated content throughout.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Throughout the text, the authors emphasize the big picture, focusing on 7 broad themes: thinking creatively, evolutionary perspective, epigenetics, neuroplasticity, individual differences, clinical implications and consciousness.
  • Case studies show how biopsychological principles apply to the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders.
  • Exclusive illustrations, many created by designer Maggie Edwards, clarify and reinforce key content.
  • Personal and social messages encourage students to consider the relevance of biopsychological research to their lives outside the classroom.
  • Scan Your Brain study exercises prompt readers to pause to consolidate material before continuing.
  • Check It Out demonstrations enable students to apply biopsychological concepts.

New and updated features of this title

  • NEW: The 12th Edition includes coverage of many recent developments to reflect this rapidly progressing scientific field. A revised sequence of chapters improves learner scaffolding. And more than 2,400 new citations keep the text current. Examples of new and updated content include:
    • Coverage of the comparative evolution of the cerebellum vs. cerebral cortex in Chapter 2
    • Material on data-driven approaches to cognitive neuroscience in Chapter 6
    • A discussion of cannabis use disorder and the long-term implications of marijuana consumption in Chapter 17
  • NEW: The authors have extensively revised the previous edition’s chapter on neurodevelopment. The new Chapter 5, Neurodevelopment, Neuroplasticity and Neurodiversity, presents a reimagined discussion of neurodevelopmental processes and research methods, covering topics such as functional neuroimaging and the processes of gliogenesis. The chapter also offers refined coverage of how the concept of neurodiversity relates to autism.
  • NEW: Exclusive comics in 8 chapters highlight important personal or social implications of behavioral neuroscience research. Created by author Steven Barnes in collaboration with artist Kim Nipp, a former behavioral neuroscience student, these comics help readers unpack tricky concepts and theories.

Key features

Features of Revel for the 12th Edition

  • Chalk It Up animations, created exclusively for this title by the authors and their collaborators, illustrate complex biopsychological processes, concepts and theories. These engaging chalkboard-based stop-motion animations inspire interest in important, challenging topics.

Table of contents

  1. Biopsychology as a Neuroscience
  2. Evolution, Genetics and Experience
  3. Anatomy of the Nervous System
  4. Neural Conduction and Synaptic Transmission
  5. Neurodevelopment, Neuroplasticity and Neurodiversity
  6. Research Methods of Neuroscience
  7. Neuroscience of the Visual System
  8. Sensory Systems, Perception and Attention
  9. The Sensorimotor System
  10. Brain Injury and Brain Disease
  11. Learning, Memory and Amnesia
  12. Lateralization, Language and the Split Brain
  13. Neuroscience of Emotion, Stress and Health
  14. Hunger, Eating and Health
  15. Hormones, Sex and Behavior
  16. Sleep, Dreaming and Circadian Rhythms
  17. The Neuroscience of Drugs and Addiction
  18. The Neuroscience of Psychiatric Conditions

Author bios

About our authors

John Pinel obtained his Ph.D. from McGill University in Montreal and worked briefly at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before taking a faculty position at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where he is currently Professor Emeritus. Professor Pinel is an award-winning teacher and the author of more than 200 scientific papers. However, he feels that Biopsychologyis his major career-related accomplishment: “It ties together everything I love about my job: students, teaching, writing and research.”

Born in Montreal, Canada, Steven J. Barnes moved to the west coast of Canada in the mid-1990s to study at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and ultimately completed his doctorate there. He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow, first in the Department of Epileptology at the University of Bonn and then in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University, after which, he took his current position at UBC, where he is a Professor of Teaching (Psychology) and has the pleasure of teaching hundreds of students each year. He is grateful to currently to live, work and play on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (“East Vancouver”).

Steven is well-known for his work related to online learning technologies, neuroscience education, student mental health and well-being, and bipolar disorder (BD). Steven is deputy lead of the Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial issues in BD, a BD research and knowledge exchange network, which received the 2018 CIHR Gold Leaf Prize for Patient Engagement, Canada’s most prestigious recognition for patient engagement in research across all health disciplines. Steven was also the inaugural Director of the UBC Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, and the recipient of multiple awards for his teaching, including the UBC Killam Teaching Prize, and the 3M National Teaching Fellowship. He is also an accomplished author, having published in the fields of epileptology, neurophysiology, student mental health, digital mental health, bipolar disorder, and behavioral neuroscience.

When he isn’t teaching, writing, or doing research, he produces mixed-media paintings and interactive electronic artworks, some of which have been exhibited at prominent international venues. He sees this book, Biopsychology, as a complement to everything he loves: teaching, writing, visual and interactive art, and research. Steven is currently building an online introductory neuroscience course meant to be taken by anyone.

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