C1

• Biological Approach Assumptions: 1) Localisation of brain functioning 2) Neurotransmitters 3) Evolutionary Influences
• Cerebral Cortex


  • Outer area, covers surface of brain, divided into 4 lobes: 1. Parietal: sensory info 2. Frontal: personality 3. Occipital: vision 4. Temporal: hearing & language
• Damage to an area of the brain

  Change in behaviour
• Limbic system


  • Deeper structure of brain - Includes: corpus collosum, amygdala, thalamus - Linked to Violent Behaviour
• Low activity in limbic system structures

  Lack of inhibition, fearless, failure to learn negative effects of violence
• Raine's research


  • 41 murderers compared with non-murderers using PET scans - Murderers showed low activity in brain structures
• Neurotransmitters


  Chemical messengers that communicate between neurons at the synapse
• Neurotransmitters


  • Dopamine (rewards & schizophrenia), serotonin (arousal & depression), adrenaline (arousal)
• Low serotonin levels


  Depression
• High dopamine levels


  Schizophrenia symptoms
• Evolutionary Influences


  How human behaviour changed over millions of years to adapt to the demands of individuals
• Biological Preparedness


  • Inherited predisposition to fear certain animals (snakes) that helped ancestors survive
• Antidepressant drugs


  Work by reducing the rate of reabsorption or blocking the enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters, increasing the amount available to excite the postsynaptic neuron
• Anti-anxiety drugs


  1. Benzodiazepines (valium): Slow down activity of CNS - Increase GABA neurotransmitter activity that reduces anxiety 2. Beta-blockers: Reduce activity of adrenaline & noradrenaline (response to stress)
• Antipsychotic drugs


  1. Conventional: Treat positive symptoms (delusions & hallucinations) by blocking dopamine neurotransmitters 2. Atypical: Combat both positive & negative symptoms (emotion & motivation) with fewer side effects
• Randomised Control Trials show drug treatments are effective compared to placebos
• Drug therapy is cheap, efficient and easy to administer, but may not address underlying causes
• There are ethical issues with drug therapy including physical/psychological harm and valid consent
• Drug therapy should be used alongside non-physical treatments to address both physical and underlying causes
• The biological approach conducts scientific, objective research and has successful therapeutic applications, but can ignore individual differences and take a reductionist approach
• Predicting violence using neuroscience


  The costs may outweigh the benefits and it could be considered unethical, as it suggests potential murderers could be identified through brain dysfunctions
• Using neuroscience to treat and prevent recidivism

  The benefits may outweigh the costs and it could be considered ethical, as it allows for early diagnosis and treatment to change/control behaviour and improve public safety
• Using neuroscience to detect predisposition to psychological disorders


  This could be considered ethical as it reduces stigma, but the reliability of scans is limited and the benefits need to be weighed against the harm/burden of knowledge and potential discrimination
• Biological explanations of psychological disorders can be reductionist, removing personal responsibility, and may not be ethical or align with a holistic understanding of human behaviour
• Neuroscanning


  Certain stimuli used on brain -> used to detect predisposition to mental illness
• Neuroscanning


  • MRI scans on adolescents considered high risk of schizophrenia -> shown structural & functional abnormalities -> certain areas of brain
• Use drugs


  Prevent/delay psychosis
• Emphasis on physiological & deterministic nature of disorders -> reduce mortal stigma
• Mental disorders merely -> brain diseases -> remove personal responsibility
• Reductionist -> claim disorders -> caused: chemical imbalances (simplify human behaviour/emotion)
• Simplification -> inadequate on complexity of mental disorders
• Neuroscience research on drugs like Adderall -> could lead: development of more effective cognitive enhancers, benefit: individuals & society
• Ilieva (2015) -> found: Adderall improved memory, attention, task saliency in healthy adults, suggesting potential cognitive benefits
• If proven safe and effective -> could help: perform better in exams/work, lead: better opportunities & more skilled population
• Advances in neuroscience -> may allow for targeted use of cognitive enhancers, minimise side effects & optimise benefits
• Use of cognitive enhancers could be seen as an extension of human progress and our ability to shape our brains and mental capabilities through neuroscience
• Fargason, Uni of Alabama: Used: Adderall (10mg), Testing: placebo effect, did a cognitive test, Found: pp's w/o ADHD, drug didn't help them 2/31 showed improvement -> when told was a placebo they didn't do as well -> expectations had more of an effect than medication
• Suggests: expectations & placebo effects play significant role in perceived benefits of cognitive enhancers, complicating scientific evaluation
• Researchers' responsibility -> ensure pursuit of cognitive enhancement doesn't overshadow moral considerations or lead to unintended negative consequences
• Policymakers, educators, and neuroscientists -> must work together to address social and ethical implications, developing guidelines for responsible use and regulation while considering broader implications of their work