The Biological Approach

Question 1

What are the 4 parts of the biological approach?

Answer 1

1. Evolution and behaviour
2. Genes and behaviour
3. Biological structures (neuroanatomy)
4. Neurochemistry and behaviour

Question 2

What is evolution?

(Evolution and behaviour)

Answer 2

The gradual change within a species over several generations in response to environmental pressures

Question 3

What is natural selection?

(Evolution and behaviour)

Answer 3

The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring

Question 4

What is adaptive?

(Evolution and behaviour)

Answer 4

Behaviour that enables a person to cope in their environment with greatest success and least conflict with others.

Question 5

What is a genotype?

(Genes and behaviour)

Answer 5

• The genetic constitution of an individual (each and every cell contains this copy)
• The variation in human genotypes is 0.1% and can account for enormous variation across the species

Question 6

What is a phenotype?

(Genes and behaviour)

Answer 6

The result of genetic material mixing with the environment to establish a behaviour

Question 7

What is the PKU example of the phenotype?

(Genes and behaviour)

Answer 7

People with PKU can’t break down the amino acid phenylalanine, which then builds up in the blood and brain and can lead to brain damage or genetic disorders

Question 8

What is the link between genetic inheritance and OCD?

(Genes and behaviour)

Answer 8

1. 1st degree relatives- 12% concordance rate of OCD
2. Monozygotic twins- 67% concordance rate of OCD
3. Dizygotic twins- 31% concordance rate of OCD

Question 9

What did Raine find?

(Biological structures/ neuroanatomy)

Answer 9

Criminals who were pleading not guilty for reasons of insanity (NGRI) had less activity in their amygdala and the hippocampus compared to the control group

Question 10

What is the role of Broca’s area in the brain and where is it?

(Biological structures/neuroanatomy)

Answer 10

• Left hemisphere, frontal lobe
• Controls speech production

Question 11

What is the role of Wernicke’s area in the brain and where is it?

(Biological structures/ neuroanatomy)

Answer 11

• Left hemisphere, temporal lobe
• Processes speech

Question 12

What is an example of brain plasticity and how can biological structures change in response to environmental influence?

(Biological structures/ neuroanatomy)

Answer 12

• Maguire study

Scanned taxi driver brains and found that they had a denser posterior hippocampus compared to non taxi drivers

Question 13

What are neurotransmitters?

(Neurochemistry and behaviour)

Answer 13

• Chemical messengers released by a presynaptic neurone and passed to a postsynaptic neurone when they connect at a synapse
• If the receiving neurone contains the correct receptors then the neurotransmitters will dock via a lock and key system
• If the neurotransmitter is inhibitory, it will make the receiving neurone less likely to fire (decreasing brain activity), whereas if it has an excitatory function it will make the neurone more likely to fire (increasing brain activity)

Question 14

What are the 3 biochemicals?

(Neurochemistry and behaviour)

Answer 14

1. GABA
2. Adrenaline
3. Serotonin

Question 15

What is the role and effect of GABA on behaviour?

(Neurochemistry and behaviour)

Answer 15

• GABA is an amino acid that functions as the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter for the central nervous system
• It blocks or inhibits certain brain signals and decreases activity in the nervous system

Question 16

If the point is:

A strength of the biological approach is that it has made significant contributions to help society, including accessible ways to treat mental health problems.

What is the explanation, evidence and link?

Answer 16

Explanation- Insights from genetics and neurochemistry have given us lots of insight into the causes of mental disorders, as such effective drug treatments have been developed that are quick acting for more disorders.

Evidence- For example, antipsychotics given to patients suffering from schizophrenia can quickly stabilise behaviour in up to 85% of patients.

Link- This means that the biological approach has ultimately benefitted society and can be seen as extremely useful.

Question 17

If the point is:

A weakness of the biological approach is that a lot of research and knowledge gained from it has taken place on non-human animals.

What is the explanation, evidence and link?

Answer 17

Explanation- Animal research is often criticised by ‘evolutionary discontinuity’. This means humans have qualitative differences to all other species which means animal research cannot generalise to humans effectively.

Evidence- For example, humans have a language acquisition device in their brains that no other animal possesses.

Link- This means that the biological approach may lack validity and questions the moral and ethical implications involved in its research.

Question 18

If the point is:

A strength of the biological approach is that it is praised for being extremely scientific.

What is the evidence and link?

Answer 18

Evidence- The approach uses both objective and falsifiable methods to help identify biological roots of behaviours. For instance, neurotransmitter levels can be objectively measured through cerebral spinal fluid as well as carefully examining urine.

Link- This means the biochemical actions suggested are likely to be trustworthy and reliable, deserving lots of respect.

Question 19

If the point is:

A strength of the biological approach is that there’s lots of credible evidence to support it.

What is the evidence and link?

Answer 19

Evidence- HM had psychosurgery to remove the damaged area of his brain (epilepsy) within the temporal lobe. A large part of the hippocampus was removed, curing the epilepsy, but causing severe amnesia. He couldn’t remember anything encountered after the operation to when he died, but could recognise family and friends from before it. His long term memory wasn’t functioning as he failed to learn any new material.

Link- This means the approach has evidence to validate its claims and can be seen as falsifiable.

Question 20

What are the evaluation points for the biological approach?

Answer 20

+ It has made significant contributions to help society, including accessible ways to treat mental health problems

– A lot of research and knowledge gained from the approach has taken place on animals

+ Praised for being extremely scientific

+ Lots of credible evidence to support it