Biological approach

• What is the biological approach?

  A way of explaining behaviour based on biological processes
• What is evolution?

  Changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over successive generations
• What is a genotype?

  Particular set of genes someone possesses
• What is a phenotype?

  The physical characteristics of an individual determined by genes and the environment
• What is neurochemistry?

  Relates to chemicals in the brain regulating biological and psychological functioning
• What is a biological structure?

  An arrangement of parts to form an organ, organ system or living thing
• What does the biological approach suggest?

  Everything psychological is at first biological
• From a biological perspective, the mind lives in the brain - meaning all thoughts, feelings and behaviour have a physical basis
• Neurochemistry refers to the action of chemicals in the brain
• What does much of our thought rely on?

  Chemical transmission in the brain
• How does chemical transmission in the brain occur?

  Neurotransmitters
• What has an imbalance of neurochemicals in the brain been implicated to cause?

  Mental disorder (Serotonin - OCD / Dopamine - Schizophrenia)
• What are used to investigate whether psychological characteristics have a genetic basis?

  Twin studies
• What are concordance rates?

  The extent to which twins share the same characteristic
• What is a monozygotic twin?

  Identical
• What is a dizygotic twin?

  Non-identical
• If a characteristic is genetic we would expect all monozygotic twins to be concordant - the same wouldn't be true to dizygotic twins
• What is a person's genotype?

  A person's genetic makeup
• What is a person's phenotype?

  The way their genes are expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics
• The way monozygotic twins genes are expressed is different
• Biological psychologists believe behaviour depends mostly on nature rather than nurture
• Who proposed the theory of natural selection?

  Darwin
• What is the main principle of Darwin's theory of natural selection?

  Any genetically determined behaviour that enhances an individual's survival will continue in later generations
• What does PKU illustrate?

  Children may be born with a particular genotype but the phenotype can be influenced by nature and nurture