Biological approach

Subdecks (2)

Cards (31)

  • 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