comparing approaches

• Outline the biological approach

  • emerged in the 1980's
  • in order to fully understand human behaviour you must look at biological structures and processes rather than environmental factors
• Basic assumptions of the biological approach

  • behaviour is affected by our neurochemistry (hormones and neurotransmitters)
  • behaviour is affected by genes and biological structures (CNS)
  • behavioural characteristics are developed in the same way as our physiological characteristics (via genome)
  • evolutionary theory can be used to help explain adaptive behaviour
  • results are gathered through twin studies etc