Biological approach Flashcards
What are the assumptions of the biological approach?
It suggests that to fully understand human behaviour we must look to biological structures and processes within the body, such as gene, neurochemistry and the nervous system.
How do they research the genetic basis of behaviour?
Twins studies are used to determine the likelihood that certain traits have a genetic basis by comparing the concordance rates between twins.
If MZ twins show higher concordance rates the DZ twins this would suggest a genetic basis.
What are the roles of genotypes and phenotypes?
A genotype is the particular set of genes that a person possesses whilst a phenotype is the way genes are expressed, determined by genes and environment. This illustrates that much of human behaviour is dependent upon inherited factors and the environment.
What is the evaluation for the biological approach?
Scientific methods of investigation
Real life application
Causal conclusions
Determinist view of behaviour
Evaluation point for the biological approach: Scientific methods of investigation
The biological approach uses a range of precise and highly scientific methods e.g. scans like fMRIs and EEGs, family and twins studies and drug trials.
Advances in technology makes measuring biological and neural processes can be accurate and unbiased.
Evaluation point for the biological approach: Real life application
Increased understanding of biochemical processes has led to the development of psychoactive drugs that treat serious mental illnesses, such as depression.
Evaluation point for the biological approach: Causal conclusions
The biological approach offers explanation of metal illnesses using evidence that comes from studies that show a particular drug reduces symptoms of a mental disorder. They therefore assume the neurochemical in the drug causes the disorder.
This is a limitation because it claims to have discovered causes where only an association exists.
Evaluation point for the biological approach: Determinist view of behaviour
It is determinist in that it sees human behaviour as governed by biological causes, over which we have no control. This has wider implications for the legal system as one of the rules of law is that offenders are seen as legally and morally responsible for their actions. This view of no free will complicates this.
