The Biological Approach Flashcards
(33 cards)
What does the biological approach combine?
Psychology and biology to provide physiological explanations for human behaviour.
Define physiology.
The study of the body and its parts and how they function.
What is the basic assumption of the biological approach?
Everything psychological is at first biological.
What does the biological approach investigate?
How biological structures and processes within the body impact behaviour.
What are monozygotic (MZ) twins?
Twins formed when a fertilised cell splits into two and forms two separate embryos.
What are dizygotic (DZ) twins?
Twins formed when two separate eggs both become fertilised by different sperm cells.
What do concordance rates refer to?
The extent to which a pair of twins share similar traits or characteristics.
True or False: MZ twins should show 100% concordance rates for a genetic trait.
True.
What is a family study in the context of biological psychology?
A study that examines the resemblance between family relatives regarding traits or characteristics.
Who proposed that all natural abilities are inherited?
Francis Galton.
What do adoption studies involve?
Comparing a trait or characteristic between adopted children and their biological or adoptive parents.
What is selective breeding?
A method involving artificially selected male and female animals for a particular trait to produce offspring.
What are the basic units of heredity called?
Genes.
What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?
Genotype is the genetic potential, while phenotype is the observable characteristics influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
What is a recessive gene?
A gene that only shows if the individual has two copies of it.
What is a dominant gene?
A gene that always shows even if the individual has only one copy.
Define heterozygous.
The genotype consists of two different genes (e.g., Bb).
Define homozygous.
The genotype consists of two identical genes (e.g., BB).
What does evolution refer to?
The changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over successive generations.
List the two main concepts in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
- Natural selection
- Sexual selection
What is natural selection?
The process where animals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.
What is sexual selection?
The process where females are choosier in selecting mates due to their greater investment in offspring.
What types of research methods are common in the biological approach?
- Laboratory experiments
- Observations
- Objective brain techniques
What does a PET scan show?
Which patterns of the brain are active during a task.
