Biological

• Assumptions

  • everything psychological is at first biological
  • contrasts the cognitive approach
  • to understand behaviour, we must look at biological structures
• The neurochemical basis of behaviour

  • refers to the action of chemicals in the brain
  • synaptic transmission - neurotransmitters
  • imbalance of neurochemicals have been implicated as a possible cause for mental disorders e.g. OCD
• Genetic basis of behaviour

  • psychological characteristics are inherited
  • twin studies - analyse concordance results - the extent to which twins share the same characteristics
  • if a characteristic is genetic, monozygotic (identical) twins should be concordant
• Genotype and Phenotype

  • genotype - actual genetic make up
  • phenotype - how the genes are expressed physically
• Evolution and behaviour

  • Charles Darwin - natural selection theory
• Strengths of the biological approach

  • real world application - promoted treatment of clinical depression through antidepressants that increase levels of serotonin in synaptic transmission
  • scientific method - e.g. scanning machines
• Limitations of the Biological approach

  • anti-depressant drugs do not work for all people
  • biological determinism - ignores mediating effects of the environment