Approaches In Psychology : The Biological Approach Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is the biological approach
A perspective that emphasises the importance of physical processes in the body such as genetic inheritance and neural function.
The influence of genes, biological structures and neurochemistry on behaviour
What is an assumption of the biological approach
Suggests that everything psychological is at first biological, so to fully understand human behaviour, we must look into biological structures and processes within the body
From a biological perspective, the mind lives in the brain meaning all thoughts feelings and behaviour ultimately have a physical basis
IN CONTRAST the cognitive approach sees mental processes of the mind as being separate from the physical brain
What is neurochemistry
Refers to the action of chemicals in the brain
Much of our thought and behaviour relies on chemical transmission in the brain
This occurs using neurotransmitters
What does an imbalance of neurochemicals in the brain implicate
Implicated as a possible cause of mental disorder
For example low leveks of the neurotransmitter serotonin in ocd and overproduction of dopamine in schizophrenia
What are twin studies used to investigate
Whether certain psychological characteristics have a genetic basis
This is achieved by analysing CONCORDANCE RATES
What are concordance rates
The extent to which twins share the same characteristic
Monozygotic
Identical twins
If a characteristic is genetic what do we expect
All identical twins to be concordant
Share 100% of the same genes
What is the concordance rate for non identical twins
Share about 50% of the same genes
What must remain constant in order for concordance rates in identical and non identical twins to be true
The environment
What is genotype
A persons actual genetic make up
What is phenotype
The way the genes are expressed through physical behavioural and psychological characteristics
What do most biological psychologists say
That much of human behaviour depends upon an interaction between inherited factors and the environment
What is nature
Inherited factors
What is nurture
Environment
What is evolution
The changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over successive generations
What is nurture
Environment
One STRENGTH of the biological approach
Real world application
Increased understanding of neurochemical processes in the brain is associated with the use of psychoactive drugs to treat serious mental disorders
For example, the biological approach has promoted the treatment of clinical depression using antidepressant drugs that increase the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin at synapses in the brain
Such drugs have been associated with the reduction of depressive symptoms
This means that people with depression may be better able to manage their condition and live their lives in the community, rather than in a hospital
Counterpoint to real world applications strength
Although antidepressant drugs are successful for many patients they do not work for everyone.
For instance, a recent study by Andrea Cipriana (2018) compared 21 antidepressant drugs and found wide variations in their effectiveness.
Although most of the drugs were more effective than placebos in comparative trials the researcher concluded that the effects of antidepressants in general were ‘mainly modest’
This challenges the value of the biological approach because it suggests that brain chemistry alone may not account for all cases, for example depression
Strength of the biological approach
Uses scientific methods of investigation
In order to investigate the genetic and biological basis of behaviour the biological approach makes use of a range of precise and highly objective methods
These include scanning techniques, fMRIs and ECGs
With advances in technology, it is possible to accurately measure physiological and neural processes in ways that are not open to bias
This means that much of the biological approach is based on objective and reliable data
LIMITATION of the biological approach
One limitation of the biological approach is that it is determinist
The biological approach is determinist in that it sees human behaviour as governed by internal genetic causes over which we have no control
However we have already seen that the way in which individuals genotype is expressed is heavily influenced by the environment
Not even identical twins who share the same genes look the same and think the same
Also a purely genetic argument becomes problematic when we consider things such as crime
Could a violent criminal, for instance, really excuse their actions by claiming, for instance, really excuse their actions by claiming their behaviour was controlled by a ‘crime gene’
This suggests that the biological view is often too simplistic and ignores the mediating effects of the environment
