biological approach

• what is meant by the biological approach?

  humans are biological organisms so must be provided with biological explanations for all aspects of psychological functioning
• what is heredity? how is this linked to genes and the development of characteristics?

  • heredity= passing of characteristics of one generation to the next through genes
  • genes carry the instructions for a particular characteristic
  • how the gene develops depends partly on the interaction of a gene with other genes and partly on the interaction of a gene with its environment
• what is the term given to the extent to which a characteristic is determined by genes or environment?

  nature-nurture debate
• what is a genotype?

  genetic make-up of an individual
• what is a phenotype?

  physical appearance expressed resulting from inherited genotype
• what is meant by heritability?

  • amount of variability in a trait that can be attributed to genetic differences between individuals in a population
  • the more a trait is influenced by genetic factors, the greater the heritability
• what two main systems are the human nervous system comprised of?

  • CNS (brain and spial cord)
  • PNS (somatic and autonomic NS)
• what are the functions of each lobe in the brain? where are they located?

  • frontal- speech, thought, learning
  • temporal- hearing and memory
  • parietal- touch, temperature and pain
  • occipital- visual info

  A) frontal lobe

  B) parietal lobe

  C) temporal lobe

  D) occipital lobe

  
• describe the action of neurotransmitters on behaviour

  • travels from one neurone to the next across a synapse
  • some trigger receiving neurone to send impulse and some stop it from doing so (excitatory/inhibitory) this affects behaviour
  • dopamine is an example of excitatory neurotransmitter- associated with drive/motivation
  • serotonin is an inhibitory one- responsible for stable mood
• describe the action of hormones on behaviour

  • hormones are chemicals produced by endocrine glands
  • secreted directly into bloodstream
  • travel to target cells and exert influence by stimulating receptors on the inside/surface of cells
  • presence of hormone causes physiological reaction in a cell, altering its activity
• evaluation of the biological approach?

  • 😊 uses scientific/experimental method as main method of investigation- objective, reliable, high control, highly replicable, more validity. Development of sophisticated imaging and recording techniques have increased precision
  • 😊 applications in explaining depression and OCD- neurochemical imbalance (dopamine), development of drug treatments, research into circadian rhythms
  • ☹️ reductionist- implies complex behaviour must be broken down to genes neurotransmitters, etc- other factors can influence behaviour like social ones- larger scale explanations
  • ☹️ dangers of using genetic explanations- for example concerning criminality, it can justify criminal behaviour, despite the connection between genes and criminality being too complex. Can influence genetic screening of populations to identify susceptibilities which may not be ethical
• describe evolutionary explanations for behaviour

  • Charles Darwin- people become adapted to their environment through biological evolution
  • mechanism behind this is natural selection
  • selection pressures cause mutations within genes that provide an organism with a survival advantage
  • therefore they are more likely to survive and pass on these genes and characteristics to offspring, also aiding them with reproductive success (survival of the fittest)
  • Buss' study- universal similarities in gender differences for partner preferences- women prefer providers, men prefer physical attractiveness