the biological approach Flashcards
what is the biological approach?
a perspective that emphasises the importance of physical processes in the body such as genetic inheritance and neural function
what does the biological approach suggest?
that everything psychological is first physiological/biological so to fully understand behaviour we have to study biological structures first
what is neurochemistry?
refers to the action of chemicals in the brain that regulate biological and psychological functioning
why can it be argued that neurochemical’s can influence behaviour?
an imbalance of neurochemicals in the brain has been implicated as a possible cause of mental disorders such as OCD or schizophrenia
explain twin studies
used to investigate whether certain characteristics have a genetic basis. Achieved by analysing concordance rates- the extent to which twins share the same characteristics. If a characteristic was genetic, monozygotic twins would be expected to both have it (100% same genes). Whereas dizygotic (share 50%) twins would be less likely to
what is a persons genotype?
the particular set of genes that a person possesses, their actual genetic make up
what is a persons phenotype?
the characteristics of an individual determined by both genes and the environment. The way the genes are expressed
explain one strength of the biological approach (real world)
it has real world application. Increased understanding of neurochemical processes in the brain is associated with the use of psychoactive drugs to treat serious mental disorders. Eg the bio approach has promoted the treatment of clinical depression using antidepressant drugs that increase the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin at synapses in the brain. the drugs have been associated with the reduction of depressive symptoms. This means people with depression can better manage their condition and live their life instead of remaining in hospital
explain one limitation of the biological approach (not everyone)
although antidepressant drugs may work for some patients they may not work for everyone. This means they may not be effective when treating certain symptoms of depression so won’t allow certain patients to live a “normal” life. This challenges the value of the approach as it suggests that brain chemistry alone may not count for all cases of mental disorders
explain one strength of the biological approach (scientific)
it uses scientific methods of investigation. The approach makes use of a range of precise and highly objective methods. these include scanning techniques such as fMRIs. With advances in technology, it is possible to accurately measure physiological and neural processes in ways not open to bias. This means the biological approach is based on objective and reliable data.
explain one limitation of the biological approach (determinist)
it is determinist. It sees behaviour as being governed by internal genetic causes over which we have control. However we have seen how a persons genotype is influenced by the environment and even identical twins genotypes can be influenced by this. Also the approach is problematic when discussing things like crime because for example a violent criminal could blame their actions purely on genes, not their decisions. This suggests the view is too simplistic and ignores the mediating effects of the environment
Give 3 assumptions of the biological approach
-everything psychological is first physiological
-to understand behaviour we need to look at biological structures
-the mind lives in the brain
