AO3 - Biological Approach

• The biological approach uses the scientific method as its main method of investigation, which are objective and reliable.
• Experiments take place in highly controlled environments so that other researchers can replicate the research, increasing the internal validity.
• There are significant applications of biological research in the real world such as drug therapy.
• Understanding the biology of an individual can help predict their future behaviour.
• Studying the brain is useful, so comparisons can be made to help brain-damaged individuals.
• Scanning techniques are used to study the brain which are very objective.
• The biological approach uses scientific methods to explain behaviour.
• Having an understanding of neurotransmitters means drugs such as SSRIs for depression can be used successfully.
• The biological approach is very reductionist as it aims to find one underlying cause for behaviour.
• The biological approach is very deterministic as it assumes behaviour is pre-determined by biological processes.
• Reductionism is the belief that complex human behaviour can be explained by breaking it down into its smallest parts, such as the action of genes, neurochemicals and hormones.
• We cannot fully understand a behaviour without taking account of the other factors that influence it, such as cognitive, emotional and cultural factors.