THE BIOLOGICAL APPROACH Flashcards
what does the biological approach suggest?
it suggests that everything in psychology is at first biological so to fully understand human behaviour, we must look into our biological structures and processes within the body, such as a gene. understandings of this could explain some of our behaviour.
discuss the influence of genes on behaviour
Hereditary is the passing of characteristics from one generation to the next. through genes for example. this is the reason why offspring take after their parents in similar psychological characteristics. EG- having a biological genetic vulnerability to depression. so the gene can carry instructions to characteristics but how it develops depends partly on the interaction of the gene with other genes. and partly environmental influence, Nature vs nurture
what are twin studies and why are they used
twin studies are used to know how likely it is that characteristics are inherited by comparing concordance rates between the twin pairs to see how much they share the same characteristics.
what is a genotype and a phenotype
the genotype is the genetic written code within our DNA of individual cells while the phenotype is the actual physical appearance that results from the inherited information. for example you could have a genetic vulnerability to depression but it may not be expressed in the phenotype
what is Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection and apply it to psychology
his principle was that any behavioral characteristic that benefits a species in help to survive will be reproduced in future generations through natural selection. this can be applied to psychology as a certain personality attribute will help an individual thrive in life.
why is the biological approach seen as strong due to its reliability
to investigate these ideas, a number of precise and highly scientific methods are used. such as scanning techniques, twin studies, and drug trials. with advanced tech it is possible to accurately measure biological and neural processes in ways that are not open to bias, meaning that the approach is based on reliable data.
give a real-life application of the biological approach that can be used within an essay
increased understanding of biochemical processes in the brain has led to the development of psychoactive drugs that treat serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia. these have revolutionized treatment however they don’t work on all patients. This approach helps sufferers live a more normal lifestyle.
discuss the biological approach’s determinist view of behaviour
the biological approach is seen to be determinist in the belief that all our behavior is deterimined by internal processes that we have no control over. this has implications for the legal system and wider society. one of the rules of the law is that offenders are seen to be legally and morally responsible for their actions. the discovery of a criminal gene may complicate this principle
