Biological approach assumptions

• What is dopamine associated with?

  Neurotransmitter associated with feelings of rewards, motivation and being productive. Plays role in increasing positive moods and emotions and regulating digestion.
• What is serotonin associated with?

  Neurotransmitter associated with feelings of happiness, focus and calm. Plays role in our mood, sleep and appetite.
• What are neurons?

  Electrically excitable cells that form basis of nervous system. Flexibility of nervous system enhanced by having many dendrites at each end of neuron, so each neuron connects with many others.
• How do some antidepressants work?

  Too little serotonin found in depressed. Meds increase availability of serotonin at postsynaptic receptor sites, by blocking reuptake of serotonin at presynaptic membrane.
• What does the frontal lobe do?

  Thinking and creativity- linked to personality. Functions: executive processes, emotions, memory, impulse & control & organisation.
• Parietal lobe?

  Receive sensory info such as temperature, touch and pain.
• Temporal lobe?

  Memory and auditory info processing.
• Occipital lobe?

  Visual processing- receive info directly from eyes.
• Cerebral cortex?

  Responsible for higher order cognitive functions. Covers brain. Divided into 4 lobes.
• What did Broca discover?

  In middle of 19th century, he studied 8 patients with language problems. Found they all had damage to a specific area of left hemisphere (Broca's area). This area associated with speech production- located in posterior portion of frontal lobe.
• What did Wernicke discover?

  Area of brain associated with language comprehension (Wernicke's area). Patients could speak but couldn't understand language. Located in posterior portion of left temporal lobe.
• What is EEA?

  Environment of evolutionary adaptiveness. Environment species adapted to and selective pressures existing at that time. Only behaviours ensuring survival are adaptive.
• What does evolutionary influences suggest?

  Human mind and behaviour evolved so it's adapted to demands of our individual environments.
• What is the medical model?

  Treatment of psychological disorders based on same principles used to treat physical diseases. Psychological problems have physical cause and so can be treated with physical (medical) methods.
• What is the nativist approach?

  Behaviour inherited and passed down through genes.
• What is the physiological approach?

  All behaviour due to functioning of internal body parts, e.g, brain, nervous system, hormones and chemicals.
• What are the 3 assumptions of the biological approach?

  Evolutionary influences, localisation of brain function & neurotransmitters.
• Example of EEA:


  Humans have large brains relative to body size as brain has evolved in response to the complex social organisation of our species. Those better at forming alliances & good relationships more likely to survive in a complex social world. Genes for such behaviours passed on.
• What is natural selection?

  Darwin's theory- process where organisms better adapted to environment more likely to survive & produce offspring. Pass on genes that enhance chance of survival. E.g, parents risk their lives to save offspring (altruistic behaviour). Altruism inherited, adaptive trait, as saving offspring enhances survival of that gene pool.
• Localisation of brain function:


  Certain areas of brain responsible for different functions.
• Who was Phineas Gage?

  1848- railway worker. Iron rod driven through his skull. He survived & was able to speak despite bleeding & loss of brain tissue. Before: hardworking, responsible & popular. After: restless, indecisive & swore lots. Damage to frontal lobe-personality change.
• What is a neurotransmitter?

  Chemical messenger released from presynaptic vesicle into synapse by neurones. Travels from neuron across synapse to next neuron. Will either stimulate or inhibit receptors in other neuron.