A03

• RWA

  • increased understanding of neurochemical processes leads to drug development as treatment of mental disorders
  • eg antidepressents such as SSRIs increase serotonin in brain synapses which treat depression
  • increase QOL, return to work, benefit economy
• HOWEVER to rwa(antidepressants)

  • cipriani et al found varied effectiveness in 21 antidepressants, not effective for everyone
  • challenges approach as suggest brain chemistry alone doesnt account for mental disorders eg past trauma= not comprehensive
• A03- scientific methods of investigation

  • highlight controlled lab studies, high control over evs and cvs allows for standardisation...
  • uses range of objective and precise methods such as brain scans eg PET, not vulnerable to bias
  • thus can be falsified and allows development of cause and effect relationship- establishes psychology as a science
  • however high control environment lacks mundane realism- lacks ecological val
• biological determinism

  • belief all behaviour caused by biological influences eg genes we have no control over
  • however twin studies on sz dont show 100% concordance rate for MZ twins despite sharing 100% DNA
  • thus way individuals genotype is expressed is influenced by environment- more interactionist approach needs to be taken, diathesis stress model
• limitation of twin studies

  • uses concordance rates from twin studies as support however twins often share the same environmnet
  • hard to seperate cause of nature and nurture
  • determining cause is hard- adoption studies needed