biological approach

• similarity between biological approach and behaviourist

  • reductionist approach - complexity of behaviour broken down
  • behaviourist - stimulus response, association w CS and CR
  • biological - genes and neurotransmitters e.g schizophrenia (high levels of dopamine)
  • reductionist has been criticised - doesn't explain complexity of human behaviour
• difference between biological approach and behaviourist

  • nature-nuture
  • behaviourists - tabula rasa (nurture)
  • biological - biological factors - hereditary, biochemistry, genes (nature), OCD result of COMT candidate gene
  • now it is understood that both approaches are the result of human behaviour
• humans are biological organisms made up of physiological processes

  therefore all thoughts, ideas and cognitive processes must be biological in origin. this means that the mind 'lives' within the brain and is not separate (as viewed by the cognitive approach)