Biological Approach

Question 1

What does it do?

Answer 1

Combines biology with psychology to provide explanations for human behaviour

Question 2

What does it try to explain?

Answer 2

Human behaviour in relation to the human body

Question 3

What are the assumptions of the approach?

Answer 3

• It says we have no free will
• States that genes affect behaviour
• Infections of the brain cause mental illness
• Human behaviour can be genetically and environmentally altered

Question 4

What do genes carry?

Answer 4

Instructions for characteristics like personality

Question 5

What are MZ twins?

Answer 5

Identical twins who share 100% of their genes

Question 6

What are DZ twins?

Answer 6

Non-identical twins who share 50% of their genes

Question 7

How does heritability increase?

Answer 7

The more a trait is influenced by a genetic factor

Question 8

The Jim Twins in relation to the biological approach

What does it show?

Answer 8

• They lived very similar lives despite being separated at birth and raised by different families
• Their IQ and personality was very similar
• They were just as alike as other identical twins who were brought up together
• Shows that genes play just as an important part in personality and behaviour than environment does

Question 9

How do biological structures have an effect on behaviour?

Answer 9

The destruction of brain cells are caused by injury, tumours or strokes which can result in behavioural changes

Question 10

Give an example of a biological structure affecting behaviour:

Answer 10

Phineas Gage

Question 11

What happened to Phineas Gage?

Answer 11

• He survived an iron rod going through his brain
• His personality changed from sociable to hostile
• He didn’t need treatment as he recovered

Question 12

What can happen in serious cases of brain injuries?

Answer 12

Neurosurgeons can perform a lobotomy

Question 13

What plays an important role in consciousness?

Answer 13

The Cerebral cortex of folded grey matter

Question 14

What is the cerebral cortex responsible for?

Answer 14

Language and thinking

Question 15

What enables the Nervous system to function?

Answer 15

Neurotransmitters

Question 16

What can abnormal levels of neurotransmitters lead to?

Answer 16

Mental illness

Question 17

What does low serotonin lead to?

Answer 17

Depression or OCD

Question 18

What does high dopamine lead to?

Answer 18

Schizophrenia or OCD

Question 19

What are hormones part of?

What are they and what do they do?

Answer 19

• The Endocrine system
• They are chemical messengers which help the body regulate processes and control how organs work

Question 20

What is a genotype?

Answer 20

• Your genetic make-up
• Set of genes you’re born with

Question 21

What is a phenotype?

Answer 21

Your physical appearance

Question 22

What makes a phenotype?

Answer 22

Genotype + environment

Question 23

What is the evolution?

Answer 23

• The changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over generations
• The development of living organisms over time

Question 24

What did Charles Darwin emphasise?

Answer 24

2 main concepts: natural selection and sexual selection

Question 25

What is natural selection?

Answer 25

Any behaviour that benefits a species, helping it to survive and reproduce, will continue in future generations

Question 26

What dies the evolutionary theory try and explain?

Answer 26

Human behaviour as the result of psychological adaptation and natural selection

Question 27

What is an example of evolutionary behaviour? Explain it:

Answer 27

- Attachment - Bowlby says we have a drive to attach

Question 28

Why do babies attach?

Answer 28

- To survive - They are born being able to cry so they can survive

Question 29

What are strengths of the approach?

Answer 29

- Its the most useful approach in psychology today - Its scientific so we can find the cause and effect of biology on behaviour - Findings are reliable and valid as scientific methods are highly controlled - Learning the impact of biology on behaviour can lead to treatments to counterattack neurotransmitter imbalances

Question 30

What are the weaknesses of the approach?

Answer 30

- Its too DETERMINISTIC + believes we are determined by our genetic or evolutionary make-up, stating we have NO FREE WILL - Lab experiments can lack ecological validity - Looking for biological causes of behaviour can lead to problems like looking for a 'criminal gene' - Its dehumanising and says we aren't unique