Biological Approach Flashcards
Key Ideas?
- everything psychological is at first biological
- genes, neurochemistry, hormones = responsible for behaviour
- as all behaviour has a physiological cause, it can be genetically or environmentally altered
The Influence of Genes + Biological Structures
- genes carry instructions for a particular characteristic e.g. IQ
- twin studies are often used to investigate the genetic basis of behaviour, using concordance rates
- if a behaviour is genetic there’d be a higher concordance rate for monozygotic (MZ) twins than dizygotic (DZ) twins as they share more genes
Genotypes?
refers to genetic code in the DNA
determines the potential for a particular characteristic or behaviour to be shown
Phenotypes?
how that genetic code (genotype) is expressed in the environment
the actual observable characteristics of a person incl. their behaviour + physical appearance
The Influence of Neurochemistry + Hormones?
different types of neurotransmitter can affect our mood + behaviour
excitatory neurotransmitters like dopamine can make us feel driven + motivated
- whereas inhibitory neurotransmitters like serotonin can have more of a calming effect
hormones secreted into the bloodstream can have a direct physiological effect on their target cells
- like adrenaline readying the body for fight-or-flight
Key Debates?
nature - born with our genetics
deterministic - we do not choose our genetics
reductionist - behaviour is reduced to our genetics
nomothetic - there is generalised laws about how genes affect our behaviour
Evolution + Behaviour?
darwin’s theory of natural selection - how living things adapt to their environment + survival of the fittest
if a genetically-determined characteristic or behaviour is more likely to help an individual survive, that individual has more chance to reproduce + pass on the genes
e.g. attachment behaviours in newborn animals have an adaptive advantage for survival + so the genes coding for this behaviour get passed on
