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Flashcards in Biological Approach Deck (7)
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1
Q

What are the assumptions for the biological approach?

A

Everything psychological is first biological.
To fully understand human behaviour we must look to biological structures and processes like genes and the nervous system.
All thoughts behaviours and feelings have a physical basis.

2
Q

What do behaviour geneticists study?

A

Whether behavioural characteristics are inherited in the same way as physical ones.

3
Q

How are twin studies used to investigate the genetic basis of behaviour?

A

Twin studies are used to determine if something has a genetic basis by looking at the concordance rates.

4
Q

What are monozygotic and dizygotic twins and how is the different significant?

A

Monozygotic twins share 100% of their genetic material whereas dizygotic twins share only 50%. This is significant as it means that if concordance rates are higher for monozygotic twins it is likely to be because of a genetic factor.

5
Q

What are genotype and phenotype and how are they influenced?

A

Genotype is the actual genetic make up of a person and this can be influenced by the environment also.
The phenotype is the way genes are expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics.

6
Q

What is the famous explanation of how genes are passed on?

A

Charles Darwin’s evolution and natural selection theory of the 19th century.

7
Q

What are the evaluation points for the biological approach?

A

It uses highly scientific methods of investigation, this means that the results are likely to be reliable and precise.
It has real life applications including understanding processes in the brain - allows development of psychoactive drugs.
Deterministic view of behaviour which suggests that internal biological processes cause behaviour so in reality we have no control over what we do – could be problematic.