Biological Approach

• What is the biological approach?

  The perspective that emphasises importance of physical processes in the body e.g. genetic inheritance/neural function
• What are the assumptions of the biological approach?

  • Everything psychological is at first biological
  • Look at biological structures and processes to understand human behaviour
  • The mind lives in the brain: thoughts, feelings and behaviour have a physical basis
• What does the 'neurochemical basis of behaviour' state?

  • Much of our thought and behaviour relies on a chemical transmission in the brain (using neurotransmitters)
  • An imbalance of neurochemicals in the brain has been is a possible cause of mental disorders e.g low levels of the neurotransmitter Serotonin in OCD & overproduction of dopamine in Schizophrenia
• What does the 'genetic basis of behaviour' state?

  • Psychological characteristics (intelligence) are inherited in the same way as eye colour
  • Twin studies: used to investigate if certain psychological characteristics have a genetic basis
  • Achieved by analysing concordance rates
  • If a characteristic (musical ability, Schizophrenia) is genetic, we would expect Monozygotic twins to be concordant (share 100% of genes) - Not apply to Dizygotic twins (share 50% of genes)
  • The environment is assumed to be constant
• What is a genotype?

  The particular set of genes that a person possesses
• What is a phenotype?

  The characteristics of an individual determined by both genes and the environment
• How can a genotype and a phenotype be used to explain behaviour?

  • Expression of genotype influenced by environment
  • Illustrates much of human behaviour depends on interaction between inherited factors and the environment
• How does evolution affect behaviour (Darwin)?

  • Natural selection=any genetically determined behaviour aids survival is passed on
  • Natural Selection = traits give possessor certain advantages – likely to pass on genes
  • If individual survives but doesn't reproduce=traits don't remain in gene pool
• One strength of the Biological approach:

  • Real World Application
  • Increased understanding of neurochemical processes in the brain = use of psychoactive drugs to treat mental disorders
  • E.g antidepressants that increase levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin at synapses in the brain
  • Reduction of depressive symptoms
• Another strength of the Biological approach:

  • Scientific Methods: increased validity
  • (MRIs and EEGs) reliable/accurate way to measure physiological and neural processes objectively
  • Lacks bias
• One weakness of the Biological approach:

  • Biological Determinism
  • Sees human behaviour as governed by internal, genetic causes over which we have no control
  • Too simplistic and ignores the mediating effects of the environment