Biological Approach

• :( biological determinism

  > an individual is controlled by internal factors, such as genes and neurochemicals, that inevitably cause behaviour, such as a mutated SERT gene causing OCD

  > neglects the role of free will, which could leave individuals feeling like they have no control over their behaviour

  > limits the biological approach
• :( biological reductionism

  > reduces complex human behaviour down to simple basic units, such as genes and neurochemicals

  > neglects a holistic approach, which would take into account how a person's social and cultural context would influence and explain human behaviour

  > may lack validity, as it does not allow us to understand behaviour in context
• :) practical applications

  > the principle of the theory, that behaviour is caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters, has been used to create drug treatments such as SSRI's

  > effective in treating disorders, such as OCD and depression, by increasing serotonin activity

  > important part of applied psychology
• :) scientific methods

  > based on objective and empirical techniques, such as brain scans and gene mapping, to investigate human behaviour

  > increases internal validity and raises psychology's scientific status