Biological approach

• Assumptions

  • Everything psychological is due to biological structures and processes
  • The mind lives in the brain - all thoughts and feelings have a physical basis
  • Uses very scientific and objective measures 
• Genetic basis of behaviour

  • psychological characteristics such as intelligence are inherited the same way as physical characteristics such as eye colour
  • twin studies- used to determine if a certain characteristics are inherited
  • dizygotic -50% shared DNA
  • monozygotic - 100% shared DNA
• What is genotype?

  • genotype - genetic makeup
• What is phenotype?

  • Phenotype - how genes are expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics
  • identical twins have the same, genotype a different phenotype
  • Argument of nature versus nurture- environment is likely to have an influence on phenotype
• Evolution Charles Darwin - Natural selection

  • The gradual changes in an inherited characteristic of a species over many generations
  • Any genetically determined ability that aids survival will be passed on
• Neurochemistry

  • explains behaviour
  • Neurotransmitters- imbalance seen to cause mental disorders
  • low levels of serotonin = OCD
• A03 - real world application

  • increased understanding of neuro chemical processes
  • improves the use of psychoactive drugs used to treat mental disorders eg ssris to treat ocd
  • however, these drugs don’t work for everyone.
  • Many people get given the wrong prescription or misuse the drugs
• A03 - Limitation Biological determinism

  • Human behaviour is seen as governed by internal genetic causes that we have no control over
  • It is problematic when we consider things like crime
  • can a criminal excuse their actions because of a crime gene
  • This suggests that the biological view is often too simplistic and ignores the mediating affects of the environment
• A03 - Scientific method

  • scientific methods of investigation are used things like brain scans, and MRIs
  • With advances in technology, it is possible to accurately measure psychological and neural processes in a way that are not open to bias
  • this means that the data produced is reliable and valid