Biological approach

• The biological approach is concerned with the influence of biology on behaviour.
• Biologists believe that human beings are animals, therefore they have evolved to behave in certain ways.
• Human behaviour can be explained by looking at how genes affect our brains and bodies.
• Biologists believe that human behaviour can be explained by studying animal behaviour, as humans are animals too.
• Hormones such as testosterone affect aggression levels.
• Human beings share many characteristics with other primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas.
• Evolutionary psychologists argue that humans have inherited behaviours from their ancestors which still exist today.
• Ethologist Konrad Lorenz argued that some animal instincts were innate (inborn) rather than learned through experience.
• Genes also play an important role in determining personality traits like intelligence, aggression and shyness.
• Genes determine physical characteristics such as height, eye colour and hair colour.
• Brain scans show differences between men's and women's brains, which may explain why there are gender differences in some types of crime.
• Researchers have found evidence suggesting that there may be specific genes linked to criminality.