Biological approach

• Supporting Research

  Twin studies- found the concordance rate for Schizophrenia is 48% for MZ twins and 17% for DZ twins. Supports that genetics are involved in behaviour and having more genetic traits similar leads to the development of both twins having the same disorder.
• Practical applications

  Increased understanding of biochemical processes has meant that there are now many effective biological treatments that work by altering neurotransmitter levels. Drug therapies for disorders such as OCD are effective.
• Twin studies

  Concordance rates in twin studies are never 100%. So behaviours can never be 100% genetic.
• Ethical issues

  For example, trying to discover a ‘criminal gene’ is problematic because it is hard to attribute responsibility if criminality is found to be genetic.
• Free will V Determinism

  The biological approach sees human behaviour as governed by internal, biological causes which we have no control over. This means that the approach assumes that individuals do not have a choice/ free will over their behaviour.