A01

• assumptions

  • suggests everything is innate and governed by internal biological processes
  • the mind lives in the brain so all thoughts, feelings and behaviour have a physical basis
• twin studies

  • these are used to investigate if charactersitics have a genetic basis by evaluating concordance rates
  • for example monozygotic twins should have the same charactersitics as they share 100% of DNA
• phenotypes

  • observable charactersitics-consequences of interactions between genotype and the environment
• genotypes

  • particular set of genes a persons posses or genetic makeup
• Darwin

  • proposed the theory of natural selection
  • advantageous alleles in an individual allow survival so can therefore reproduce and pass this advantageous allele onto their offspring leading to evolution
• neurochemistry of behaviour

  • imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain lead to mental disorders
  • for example high levels of dopamine leading to the development of schizophrenia