info

• the biological approach focusses on-

  • the influence of genes and biological structures
  • genotype and phenotype
  • the genetic basis of behaviour
  • neurochemistry
  • evolution and behaviour
• biological psychologists focus on the role of the structures in the brain and how they affect behaviour.
• the largest area of the brain is the cerebrum.

  • cerebral cortex (outer surface of cerebrum) is split into 2 hemisphere (sides).
  • each hemisphere has 4 lobes. Frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
• the frontal lobe controls personality and language
• the parietal lobe controls muscle movement
• the occipital lobe controls vision.
• the temporal lobe controls hearing (auditory cortex)
• genes carry a code which determine physical and psychological traits.
• whether a parents characteristic is manifest in the child depends on-

  • how that gene interacts with the other genes that the child has inherited
  • influence of environmental factors.
• genotype - inherited genetic makeup of an individual

  phenotype - physical characteristics, result of interaction between gene and the environment.
• Monozygotic (identical) twins share the same genotype
• possessing the MAOA gene puts an individual at greater risk of becoming a violent killer.

  • if the person has loving parents, the outcomes of the gene can be prevented.
• heritability is the extent to which a behaviour can be attributed to genetics.
• identical twins are monozygotic
• non identical twins are dizygotic
• the brain produces neurotransmitters which are chemical which transmit electrical messages from one nerve cell to another.
• the over/under activity of these chemicals create an imbalance in behaviour.
• under activity of the neurotransmitter, serotonin, leads to depression.

  • symptoms of depression include low mood
• over activity of the neurotransmitter, dopamine, leads to schizophrenia

  • symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations
• evolution is the process of organisms changing to adapt to their environment.

  • a new genotype emerges which usually increases an organisms fitness and capability to survive, this therefore increases their selection, allowing the gene to be passed on via reproduction.
  • the genotype spreads throughout the population, this is known as reproductive success.
  • however if there is a change in the environment, the gene may become maladaptive, causing species with that characteristic to go extinct.