biological approach Flashcards
(21 cards)
what are the 3 key assumptions
behaviour can be influenced by 1) genes 2) biological structures 3)neurochemistry
which side of nature v nurture
nature
innate
born with
behaviour develops through…
evolution same as physical characteristics
genotype
genetic makeup of an individual
phenotype
how behaviours and traits become expressed when they interact with the environment
monozygotic twins (MZ)
identical who share 100% genes
dizygotic twins (DZ)
non-identical who share approx 50% of genes
concordance rates
examines the % of a group of pairs of people that share a given trait. used to examine the heritability in behaviours
evolution
the change in heritable traits over generations due to genetic mutations.
natural selection
if the mutation increases chances of survival (adaptive) it’s passed down to the next generation
the brain has…
2 hemispheres (lateralisation) left and right which are asymmetrical + specialise in certain functions
what joins the 2 hemispheres together
corpus collosum
the right hemisphere…
processes creative tasks and controls the left side of the body
the left hemisphere…
processes maths languages (logic) and controls the right side of the body
name the lobes and their functions
frontal lobe- planning, decision making and impulsive control
parietal lobe- processes info from skin
occipital lobe- vision
temporal lobe- memory
explain the endocrine system
controls the release of hormones (chemical messengers) from glands which travel in the blood and target specific organs
strength- scientific methods
P- the approach uses scientific methods to investigate how internal bodily processes determine human behaviour
E- for example they use brain scans and lab experiments to investigate the physical causes of behaviour
E- this is a strength as the data is seen to be reliable and has good accuracy because they are highly controlled and objective, giving good insight into physical causes of behaviour
L- however the methods may lack ecological validity because they can’t be applied to real life behaviour due to artificial nature of lab experiment environments
strength- practical applications
P- effective practical applications
E- the theories of the approach e.g. how behaviour is caused by neurotransmitters have led to development of successful drug treatments for mental illness
E- strength as doesn’t only theorise on behaviour but also develops treatments for benefitting people and allowing them to be free of distressing symptoms
L-however drug treatments are not successful for all people so some people may benefit from treatments developed by other approaches
limitation- deterministic
P- deterministic in its view on behaviour
E- for example it sees behaviour as being controlled by physical causes like genes/hormones implying humans have no free will over their behaviour
E- this can be seen as a weakness as this could assume we have no responsibility for our behaviour, which is a pessimistic and unrealistic view on behaviour as people feel they have free will
L- for example criminal behaviour could then be blamed on a persons biology and genetic makeup which could question the basis of the criminal justice system
limitation- focuses too much on nature
P- focuses too much on nature side of nature vs nurture
E- for example it only sees behaviour as affected by biology and ignores other important influences on our behaviour like our environment or nurture
E- this is a weakness because the approach is described as reductionist as it is a simplistic view on behaviour, when in reality research shows behaviour is affected by many factors
L- eg the bio approach would see aggression caused by internal chems like testo but in reality it is also affected by role models in our enviro
