Biological Approach

Question 1

What does the biological approach view humans as?

Answer 1

Biological organisms, it suggests that everything that is psychological is at first biological, so to understand human behaviour we need to look at biological structures and processes

Question 2

What are genes?

Answer 2

A part of the chromosomes of an organism that carry information in the form of DNA

Question 3

What do genes determine?

Answer 3

Physical characteristics like hair colour and height, as well as psychological characteristics such as mental health and intelligence

Question 4

What is a genotype?

Answer 4

A persons actual genetic makeup

Question 5

What is a phenotype?

Answer 5

The way the genes are expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics

Question 6

What can be not determine?

Answer 6

The genotype from just observing the phenotype

Question 7

What do behavioural genetics study?

Answer 7

Whether behavioural characteristics such as intelligence are inherited in the same way as physical characteristics

Question 8

What do twins studies determine?

Answer 8

The degree to which certain traits have a genetic basic

Question 9

How are twin studies used?

Answer 9

Compare the concordance rates between monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins

Question 10

What can we estimate by using twins?

Answer 10

The heritability of trait, the amount of variability in a trait fat can be attributed to genetic difference in people in the population

Question 11

What are responsible for our behaviours?

Answer 11

Biological structures such as the brain and the nervous system

Question 12

What does the nervous system do?

Answer 12

Carries messages through the body using nerve cells called neurons, neurons send nerve impulses in the form of electrical signals

Question 13

What is the cerebrum?

Answer 13

The biggest part of the brain, it makes up about 85% of the brains mass, it is split into two halves which are further divided into four different parts

Question 14

What is neurochemistry?

Answer 14

The chemical and neural processes that are associated with the nervous system

Question 15

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 15

Chemical messengers which travel between neurons, a nerve impulse is sent through a neuron and neurotransmitters are released to travel across the synapse to activate the receiving cells

Question 16

What are some types of neurotransmitters?

Answer 16

• Serotonin
• Dopamine
• GABA
• Noradrenaline

Question 17

What are excitatory neurotransmitters?

Answer 17

Those that trigger the neuron to send on an impulse

Question 18

What are inhibitory neurotransmitters?

Answer 18

Those that inhibit the nerve impulses, they work to calm the brain and balance mood

Question 19

What can affect our behaviour?

Answer 19

The levels of neurotransmitters and the effect that they have on the brain

Question 20

What did Charles Darwin propose?

Answer 20

Overtime organisms adapt to their environment through biological evolution

Question 21

How do traits become prevalent in the population?

Answer 21

Any trait which increases survival of one generation is more likely to be passed on

Question 22

What was Darwin’s key phrase?

Answer 22

Survival of the fittest, this refers to the ability to survive in the environment through competition for resources such as food and mates

Question 23

What is natural selection?

Answer 23

The process by which traits that increases an individuals reproductive success are passed into the next generation

Question 24

What are 3 evaluation points?

Answer 24

• Reductionist
• Deterministic
• Scientific