biological approach Flashcards
what is the main assumption of the biological approach?
thinking and behaviour determines by biological factors, structure and functioning on the nervous system
what does hereditary mean?
the passing of characteristics from one genertion to next via genes.
what do genes code for? /2
- characteristics such as eye colour
- structure and functioning of the nervous system
what is concordance rate?
the presence of the same traits in both members of a pair of twins
what are the two types of twins?
Monozygotic (identical)
Dizygotic (non identical)
how do you determine the involvement of genetic factors?
compare the concordance rate of MZ twins to rate of DZ twins
what is meant by genotype? +eg
genetic code written in the DNA
eg, genetic makeup
what is meant by phenotype?
eg. genetic characteristics
what did charles darwin argue in his theory if natural selection?
phenotypes enchance our chances of survival allowng for repreoduction, natural selection
what is the role of neurochemistry in this approach?
Much of our behaviour relies on transmission of chemicals in the brain – neurotransmitters (e.g. overproduction of dopamine is involved in schizophrenia).
ao3 real world application?
strength, understanding role of neurotransmitters led to dev of drugs for mental disorders
cp- not always effecive and bad side effects
ao3 scientific credibility?
strength, scientific methods of investigation, objective techniques with fmri, twin studies. highly replicable
cp- twin studies contain extraneous variables of the environment
ao3 biological determinism?
behaviour governed by genetic factors, no environmental effects considered such as traumatic experiences that affect behaviour. too simplistic.
