5.4 The Biological Approach

• 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.