psychology - biological approach AO1

• assumptions:

  all behaviours stem from our -------

  its in the name

  biology
• what does the assumptions talk about behaviour in relation with genetics

  behaviour influenced by genes and that certain behaviours are inherited
• assumption: the cns and biological structures, what is the brain in terms of behaviour

  centre of all conscious awareness
• in short whats a summary of neurochemistry(hint:levels in body )

  hormones and neurotransmitters are found in varying levels in body and brain and thought to influence behaviour
• how are behavioural characteristics passed down

  parents in our genetic makeup
• whats the definition of genotype

  genetic makeup of a person and its written in dna of nucleus of individual cells ----> dictates behavioural characteristics such as personality and intelligence
• definition of phenotype (g + e = b)

  product of genotype and environment interacting with eachother ---> expressions of particular behaviours

  an environmental thing could be something like trauma, drugs alcohol
• evolutionary explanations and behaviours:

  how does gene get passed on and how would it be seen as adaptive#

  basically just evolution story

  mutation ---> certain behaviour in genotype ---> if behaviours help survival, seen as adaptive and genetic material passed on through each generation of offspring ---->passing on certain behaviours
• name and explain an example of adaptive behaviour(why something adaptive)

  fight or flight response -----> adaptive response ----> aid survival as it signals to us when to flee to safety or fight to survive,( basically when in danger )---->genetics from ancestors fighting animals and learning when to give up or go all in
• whats one way to test for genetic basis of behaviour

  twin studies and analyse concordance rates
• whats the core process of twin studies

  researchers compare similarity between sets of monozygotic and dizygotic twins
• whats the theoretical basis of this experiment

  as MZ twins share 100% of genes, should also share exact same behaviour(have concordant in behaviour)

  DZ twins share 50% of genes, should only share 50% of behaviour--->less concordance between DZ and MZ
• name an example of twin studies irl( it was in 1981 and by corey and ---------)

  corey and gottesman 1981 ----> tested for ocd having a genetic basis, found that MZ has 87% concordance rate, DZ has 47%
• what can we summarise from the twins studies irl

  since DZ never 100%, behaviour influenced by nurture (all environmental factors that affect human development) aswell as nature (genetics)
• whats another ways of studying genetic basis of behaviour

  family studies
• what is family studies in short

  test and analyse family based on a common trend of behaviour within them
• describe the family study of Brunner et al 1993 of some family in netherlands

  most of family involved in antisocial behaviour ----> found male genetic condition known as brunner syndrome, which resulted in a lower IQ --->can inherit genetic condition which makes them prone to offending behaviour
• whats the main role of the cns (communication)

  communication between environment and brain or body by passing messages throughout body ----> causing person to behave as a response to message
• whats the cns comprised of

  brian and spinal cord
• what does the pns (peripheral) have

  other things such as motor neurone or relay
• name an example of a case where damage to brain caused behavioural change(phinga)

  phineas gage - iron rod went through cheek, eye, brain and damaged frontal lobe(responsible for speech and learning) ------>after rod removed, went from nice to being aggressive

  suggests how biological structures responsible for certain behaviours
• neurochemistry will also have an --------- on an individuals ---------

  neurochemistry will also have an influence on an individuals behaviour
• what is a neurotransmitter - chemical , synapses and name an example s

  chemical in brian, communicate messages across synapses

  e.g; seratonin - mood regulating transmitters
• what is a hormone - gland, bloodstream

  chemical messenger - produced + secreted by glands and circulated in bloodstream - instructs the body to carry out behavioral and psychological responses
• whats an example of a hormone

  testosterone -----> aggressive behaviours