Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Psychopharmacology is a branch of psychology that studies how drugs affect mood, sensation, thinking or behavior. These substances may be natural or artificial.
These are chemical substances that alter perception, mood or consciousness. They include stimulants like caffeine and depressants like alcohol.
Pharmacokinetics: The study of what happens to a drug from when it enters until it leaves your body - absorption into bloodstream; distribution around body; metabolism into different substances; excretion out of body.
Pharmacodynamics: This is the study of how drugs affect our bodies. It looks at the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action.