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AQA A-Level Psychology
5. Approaches in Psychology
5.4 The Biological Approach
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What is the main focus of the Biological Approach in psychology?
Physiological and biological underpinnings
Genes play a role in predisposing individuals to certain behaviours or
disorders
Neurotransmitters such as dopamine and
serotonin
regulate mood and cognitive function.
What type of studies are used to investigate the heritability of traits?
Twin studies
Match each psychological approach with its key focus:
Biological ↔️ Physiological mechanisms
Cognitive ↔️ Thought processes
Behavioral ↔️ Learning through conditioning
Who are two key scientists in the Biological Approach?
Charles Darwin and Roger Sperry
Arrange the key principles of the Biological Approach in a logical order:
1️⃣ Genes: Genetic inheritance can predispose individuals to certain behaviours.
2️⃣ Neurotransmitters: Chemicals like dopamine and serotonin influence mood and cognitive functions.
3️⃣ Brain Structures: Specific regions control different behaviours.
Heritability refers to the proportion of variation in a trait attributable to environmental differences.
False
Genetic inheritance can predispose individuals to certain behaviours or
disorders
Match each psychological approach with its key focus:
Biological ↔️ Physiological mechanisms
Cognitive ↔️ Thought processes
Behavioral ↔️ Learning through conditioning
What are neurotransmitters primarily responsible for?
Transmitting signals between neurons
Dopamine is associated with pleasure, motivation, and motor
control
An excess of dopamine is linked to schizophrenia, while a deficiency in
serotonin
is linked to depression.
What are hormones produced by?
Endocrine glands
Which neurotransmitter is associated with excess in schizophrenia?
Dopamine
Hormones have longer-lasting effects than
neurotransmitters
.
The cerebrum controls higher-level cognitive functions such as thinking, memory, and voluntary
movement
Match the brain structure with its primary function:
Amygdala ↔️ Processes fear and aggression
Hippocampus ↔️ Facilitates memory formation
Cerebellum ↔️ Coordinates movement and balance
Brain Stem ↔️ Regulates basic life functions
What is a key focus of the biological approach in psychology?
Physiological mechanisms
Genetic predisposition is a key principle of the biological
approach
Identical twins raised separately often exhibit similar
behavioural
traits.
Match the neurotransmitter with its behavioral effect:
Dopamine ↔️ Enhances pleasure, coordination
Serotonin ↔️ Stabilizes mood, promotes sleep
GABA ↔️ Reduces anxiety, promotes relaxation
Acetylcholine ↔️ Facilitates muscle contractions, aids memory
Arrange the following neurotransmitters in order from most excitatory to most inhibitory:
1️⃣ Norepinephrine
2️⃣ Dopamine
3️⃣ Acetylcholine
4️⃣ Serotonin
5️⃣ GABA
Which glands produce hormones?
Endocrine glands
Match the hormone with its primary function:
Testosterone ↔️ Develops male sexual characteristics
Estrogen ↔️ Develops female sexual characteristics
Insulin ↔️ Regulates blood glucose levels
Cortisol ↔️ Manages stress response
The cerebellum coordinates movement and
balance
What is a strength of neuroimaging techniques like MRI and PET?
High resolution, real-time observation
Lesion studies can identify specific
brain functions
by observing the effects of damage.
What are three neuroimaging techniques used to study the brain?
MRI, PET, EEG
Lesion studies identify specific brain
functions
What is a limitation of post-mortem studies?
Cannot observe brain activity
Genetic studies can establish direct causation between genes and behavior.
False
What is a strength of the biological approach in psychology?
Objective and scientific
The biological approach is reductionist because it focuses solely on biological
factors
The biological approach overlooks
individual agency
and learning.
What are two ethical concerns associated with genetic research?
Privacy, discrimination
Match the drug with its primary function:
SSRIs ↔️ Enhance serotonin levels
TMS ↔️ Stimulate brain regions
ECT ↔️ Induce controlled seizures
The biological approach considers the role of genes, neurotransmitters, and brain
structures
Which neurotransmitters regulate mood and cognitive function?
Dopamine, serotonin
Different regions of the
brain
control specific behaviors and mental processes.
See all 92 cards
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