Biological approach

• What is the main assumption of biological psychologists regarding behavior, cognitions, and emotions?

  They can be explained in terms of the workings of the brain and the effect of hormones, genetics, and evolution.
• How do biological psychologists view the similarities and differences between people?

  They can be understood in terms of biological factors and their interaction with other factors.
• What do biological psychologists acknowledge about other influences on behavior, cognitions, and emotions?

  They do not ignore other influences but focus primarily on biological factors.
• What were the aims of Holzel et al.'s study on mindfulness and brain scans?

  1. To investigate changes in GMC following an eight-week MBSR programme.
  2. To identify specific brain structures that undergo change following the eight-week MBSR programme.
• What were the aims of Hassett et al.'s study on monkey toy preferences?

  1. To investigate sex differences in monkey toy preferences with stereotypically feminine and masculine toys.
  2. To provide support for the role of nature (not nurture) in shaping sex differences in human toy preferences.
• What were the aims of Dement and Kleitman's study on sleep and dreams?

  1. To investigate whether dream recall is more common in REM than in NREM sleep.
  2. To investigate whether participants can accurately estimate the duration of their dreams.
  3. To investigate whether eye movements correspond with dream content.
  4. To investigate the correlation between the duration of a REM sleep episode and the number of words used to describe dreams.