bio

• biological approach - makes use of experimental data.

  Takes advantage of recent advancements in technology to investigate the psychological process as they happen – Using brain scanning fMRI and EEG
• One weakness of the biological approach is that much of the evidence is from animal studies. For example, some biological psychologists will conduct work on animals  that would be unethical to conduct on humans, such as studies of brain damage, and then attempt to extrapolate the findings to humans, This is a weakness because it may mean that research evidence from this approach is not valid due to the subjects used meaning that the biological approach may struggle to explain human behaviour.
• One strength of the biological approach is that there are real life applications. For example, research on neurotransmitters have been used to create medication to reduce symptoms of mental health conditions. This is a strength because it suggests that the research is valid meaning the biological approach is useful to society and explains real life phenomena
• One strength of the biological approach is that it is considered highly scientific. This is because it focuses on the use of objective measurements - such as hormone levels, neurotransmitters and genetics - to explain behaviour. This is a strength because it strengthens Psychology’s reputation as a discipline meaning the behaviourist approach supports the idea that Psychology is a science.
• Everything psychological is at first biological
• Genotype - genetic makeup of an individual, inherited from parents, determined at conception, unique to them ( except identical twins)
• Phenotype - characteristics shown by someone due to the interaction between genes and environment, genetics may give you a predisposition risk for a particular psychological trait but the environment may cause it to be shown/not shown in behaviour 
• Psychologists use twin studies to look at the influence of genes/the environment on behaviour

  Monozygotic twins share 100% of the DNA

  Dizygotic twins share 50% of their DNA

  Psychologists look at concordance rates between twins - the % of twins who share a particular characteristic 
• If a behaviour was caused by genetics, Mz twins should show a higher concordance rate than Dz twins because they share more of their genetics, in Mz twins the other twin should also have it because their genetics are the same.
• Though twin studies can help us to identify whether a behaviour has a genetic basis.

  Concordance raters are rarely 100% between Mz twins son though it can tell us where genetics might cause a predisposition, genetics are not the only influence on behaviour
• Identical twins are also treated very similarly and share very similar environments. Therefore, any similarities between Mz twins may be caused by their similar environments rather than by the genetics they share.
• Evolution - process by which different kinds of living organisms are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth
• 1. Variation means that some individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce
  2. Genes for these adaptive characteristics are then passed on to next generation
  3. Gradually, adaptive characteristics become more common in population leading to change over time
• Evolution - process by which different kinds of living organisms are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth
• 1. Variation means that some individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce
  2. Genes for these adaptive characteristics are then passed on to next generation
  3. Gradually, adaptive characteristics become more common in population leading to change over time
•  Your fitness as an organism is determined by how well your characteristics avoid threats in the environment, exploit the opportunities available in the environment

  The characteristics that help you to survive are known as adaptive characteristics
• If the environment changes, so does your fitness. A characteristic might then become maladaptive
• One weakness of the biological approach is that it primarily focuses on the role of nature on our behaviour. For example, the biological approach would want to investigate the role of nature only on human behaviour putting less emphasis on environmental experiences. This is a weakness because there is evidence that the environment can affect our behaviour, shown through evidence from the learning approaches. This is a weakness because the biological approach oversimplifies human behaviour.
• One weakness of the behaviourist approach is that it can be considered biologically reductionist. This is because it focuses on small constituent parts of our make-up, such as our genetics and neurotransmitters and does not acknowledge other more complex causes for behaviour. This presents the approach as reductionist which is a weakness, leaving out important aspects of human behaviour which is a weakness.
• A strength of the bio approach is that it can explain behaviour. It's accepted that schizophrenia is a mental disorder w a bio origin - abnormal levels of dopamine. However, this approach cannot explain all behaviour. The bio approach ignores the role of learning, assumes all behaviour is a result of biology (neurochemistry, hormones and genetics). This is a limitation as there is research that highlights the role of learning in behaviour. For example, phobias are better explained using the behaviourist approach, which proposes that phobias are acquired and maintained through conditioning.
• Another strength of the biological approach is its use of scientific methods, for example, brain scanning techniques and experiments. These take place in controlled settings, which allows us to isolate variables of interest and reduce extraneous/confounding variables. This means that research has greater internal validity, and studies are more easily replicable. Technologies such as fMRI also improve precision and so increase objectivity of research. This is an advantage of the biological approach as we can increase our understanding of human behaviour in an objective, scientific way.
• An advantage is that it has led to the development of medications and other biological treatments to help individuals suffering from mental health disorders. For example, drug treatments have been developed to alter the neurochemistry of ppl with OCD, depression, schizophrenia etc. SSRIs are commonly prescribed for OCD, which increase serotonin levels and reduce symptoms. This is a strength as it improves quality of life. However, biological based treatments are not always effective. For example, research has shown that cognitive and behavioural therapies may be more effective.