Individual Differences - Biological Approach to Abnormality

Question 1

What does the Biological Approach suggest?

Answer 1

Abnormal behaviour is caused by biological factors affecting the structure and functioning of the brain.

Question 2

What does the approach assume?

Answer 2

All psychological problems have a physical cause. Therefore behaviours like addition and depression are seen as diseases.

Question 3

What are the four possible biological causes of mental illness?

Answer 3

Infection, Biochemistry, Brain Damage and Genetics.

Question 4

What does Infection mean?

Answer 4

Bacteria and viruses can cause psychological problems.

Question 5

What is general paresis?

Answer 5

Rare neuro-psychiatric disorder affecting brain and CNS, caused by syphilis infection.

Question 6

What is the link between Schizophrenia and the flu virus?

Answer 6

Studies discovered children born to mothers who suffered from flue, viruses and other infections during pregnancy have a 14% increased risk of Schizophrenia.

Question 7

What does Biochemistry mean?

Answer 7

Millions of cells in brain communicate to each other with neurotransmitters. If too many or too little of them, may lead to abnormal behaviour.

Question 8

Schizophrenia is linked to an excess of which neurotransmitter?

Answer 8

Dopamine.

Question 9

How do drugs used to treat Schizophrenia work?

Answer 9

Antipsychotic medications = block dopamine transmission, improves symptoms of schizophrenia.

Question 10

Lack of which neurotransmitter has been linked to depression?

Answer 10

Serotonin.

Question 11

How do antidepressant reduce the symptoms of depression?

Answer 11

Antidepressants = increase levels of serotonin, which improve mood and emotion.

Question 12

What does Brain Damage mean?

Answer 12

Some psychological problems result directly from damage to brain, caused by injury, tumours and strokes.

Question 13

What happened to Phineas Gage?

Answer 13

Had accident, caused iron rod to penetrate left frontal lobe, and resulted in massive personality change. Went from model worker to unreliable and swore a lot.

Question 14

What happened to Clive Wearing?

Answer 14

Contracted herpes, attacked hippocampus and part of frontal lobe. Resulted in short term amnesia.

Question 15

What does Genetics mean?

Answer 15

Genes play a part in psychological characteristics as well as physical ones, some mental disorders may be inherited.

Question 16

What does genetic research attempt to establish?

Answer 16

Whether there’s a relationship between genetics and mental health.

Question 17

What types of siblings do psychologists like to study?

Answer 17

Identical (Monozygotic) twins – same genetic material.

Question 18

What did Carey and Gottesman (1981) discover?

Answer 18

87% concordance in OCD for MZ twins, 47% concordance for DZ (Dizygotic) twins.

Question 19

Evaluate the Biological Approach to Abnormality.

Answer 19

1. Lots of evidence that abnormal behaviour is associated with biological problems.
2. Not clear whether biological problems are CAUSE or EFFECT of psychological disorder.
3. Approach is REDUCTIONIST, cannot be full explanation of abnormal behaviour.
4. Approach led to development of drugs, effective at reducing symptoms of disorders.
5. When drugs are discontinued, symptoms often return, do not CURE illness.
6. Approach doesn’t blame people for psychological problems.
7. Society stigmatises and isolates the mentally ill.