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Biology Of Dads Essay

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Introduction

After watching the BBC documentary "Biology of Dads,” I could identify three different types of psychologists which were health, evolutionary, and developmental/child psychologist.

First, health psychologists research the influence that psychology has on why people get sick, how they maintain good health, and how these individuals respond when they do eventually get sick (Bernstein et al, 2008). This sub-field of psychology aims to promote and maintain health while preventing illness by improving the overall health care system (APA, 2017). In the documentary, we were introduced to health psychologist Dr. Arthur Brennan. Mr. Brennan's research is about the physical changes that occur to father's body when their spouse or partner is pregnant by examining male hormonal changes. According to the results, around 55% or men reported symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and increased appetite which are normally associated with pregnant women. Furthermore, the researchers discovered "high levels of prolactin" (a 25% increase) after exposing the male subject to his baby. Thus, the final results demonstrate that males can experience "pregnancy symptoms" due to the elevated levels of prolactin (BBC, 2013).

Second, evolutionary psychologists strive to understand human behavior using Darwin's theory of evolution. These individuals believe that current behavior is a byproduct of natural selection (Roberts, 2017, para. 1). Dr. Nick Neave …show more content…

Developmental psychologist Professor Jay Belsky studies the differing interactions that teenagers/adolescents have with their mothers and fathers. The results of the study were that the mothers emphasized more with their children while the father took a more "business-like" approach by challenging their children more often (BBC,

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