Biological Approach

• What does the biological approach argue?


  That human behaviour should be explained as a result of biological structures and processes
• What are the assumptions of the biological approach?


  -Evolutionary theory

  -Neurochemistry

  -Genes

  -Biological structures
• Evolutionary theory?


  Behaviour can be explained by evolutionary influences
• what is evolution?


  The gradual change of a species over time and over many generations
• What do evolutionary psychologists argue?

  That humans are adapted to the environment that our ancestors would have faced through natural selection where animals with particular traits that give them an advantage are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their adaptive traits to offspring
• Neurochemistry?


  Relates to chemicals in the nervous system which are believed to regulate our behaviours and psychological functioning
• neurochemistry is affected by hormones and neurotransmitters
• Genes?


  Whether behavioural characteristics such as intelligence and personality, are inherited in the same way as physical characteristics
• Genotype?

  refers to the genetic makeup of an organism
• Phenotype?


  The observable expression of an organisms genotype
• biological structures?


  The body has a collection of integrated systems to help us live such as the endocrine system which transfers and secretes hormones

  and neurons which are nerve cells that transfer information
• Strengths of the biological approach?


  -Applicable to real world scenarios since understanding chemical processes allows treatments for psychological disorders to be created

  -Replicable and objective fMRI machine methods make the approach scientific
• Limitation of the biological approach?


  Biologically deterministic since it argues that all behaviour is predetermined by biolological factors