The biological approach

Question 1

how does the biological approach attempt to explain how we think, feel, and behave

Answer 1

as a result of physical factors within the body, such as the nervous system and genetics

Question 2

3 key assumptions of the biological approach

Answer 2

• human behaviour is explained by physiological processes and structures like hormones, genetics, evolution, and the nervous system
• the brain is the main focus/reason for behaviour: the mind is a result of biological structures and processes
• behaviour can be modified and improved with drugs because it is down to biological processes

Question 3

why do scientists experiment on animals to explain the biological approach

Answer 3

we share lots of biological similarities

Question 4

what are genes

Answer 4

sections of strands of dna found in our cells

Question 5

how do children receive their genes

Answer 5

half from their mother and half from their father

Question 6

what do genes control

Answer 6

physical processes in the body

Question 7

true or false, all characteristics come from a single gene

Answer 7

false - some can come from gene combinations

Question 8

what is the difference between a dominant gene and a recessive gene

Answer 8

dominant genes show their effect even if there is only one copy of that gene in the pair whereas if a person was to display a recessive gene, the person much have the gene on both chromosomes in the pair

Question 9

what is genotype

Answer 9

the actual set of genes a person has (their DNA)

Question 10

what is a phenotype

Answer 10

the observable behaviour and physical characteristics of an individuals

Question 11

do identical twins have the same genotype or phenotype

Answer 11

same genotype, different phenotypes

Question 12

why are twin studies the most commonly used method of investigating genetics within psychology

Answer 12

if a characteristic or behaviour is genetic, we would expect all identical twins to be 100% concordant, whereas we would only expect non-identical twins to be 50% concordant because they share fewer genes

Question 13

what is the scientific name for identical twins

Answer 13

monozygotic (MZ)

Question 14

what is the scientific name for non-identical twins

Answer 14

dizygotic (DZ)

Question 15

give an example of a twin study used to see is schizophrenia is genetic, and what this suggests/shows

Answer 15

Gottesman and Shields (1966) compared MZ and DZ twins for schizophrenia.
After going through scientific testing, they found a concordance rate for MZ=42% and DZ=9%.

This suggests that there is a genetic component to SZ because concordance rates were much higher from MZ twins compared to DZ twins as they share more genetics.
However, the fact that the concordance rate was not 100% suggests that there may also by an environmental element to the disorder

Question 16

what is the best way to isolate the influence of genes and the environment in an experiment

Answer 16

adoption studies (child would have the genes of biological parents but environment of adopted parents)

Question 17

what do adoption studies show

Answer 17

if the adoptee has similarities with their biological parents, genes have an influence on behaviour

if the adoptee has similarities with their adopted parents, the environment has an influence on behaviour

Question 18

who carried out an adoption experiment to study the role of nature and nurture in Sz (1% chance of getting)

Answer 18

Heston (1966)

Question 19

What was Heston’s procedure for his adoption study

Answer 19

the study was carried out on children born between 1915-1945 who had been separated from their Sz mothers in their first 2 weeks

it was a matching pairs study, with the control group being children whose mothers did not have Sz - they were matched for their initial time in child-care, sex, and type of eventual placement

in 1964, Heston psychiatrically reviewed all ppts to see if they had Sz

Question 20

what were the results of Heston’s study and what does this show

Answer 20

10.6% of the experimental group had Sz, whereas 0% of the control group did

this supports a genetic cause of Sz, but it is clear that environmental factors should not be ignored

Question 21

break down the peripheral nervous system

Answer 21

somatic and autonomic
autonomic -> sympathetic or parasympathetic

Question 22

break down the CNS

Answer 22

brain or spinal cord (all reactions pass through the CNS before being processed by the brain

Question 23

what are the 6 parts of the brain

Answer 23

frontal lobe
parietal
occipital
cerebellum
brain stem
temporal

Question 24

what is the role of the frontal lobe in the brain

Answer 24

used for higher cognitive functions such as memory, emotions, and problem solving (also for speech)

Question 25

what is the role of the parietal in the brain

Answer 25

sensory perception (mainly touch and pain) - this is home to the brain's primary somatic sensory cortex

Question 26

what is the role of the occipital in the brain

Answer 26

decodes messages from the eyes into information that the brain can register

Question 27

what is the role of the cerebellum in the brain

Answer 27

coordinates movement and balance

Question 28

what is the role of the brain stem in the brain

Answer 28

used for unconscious actions like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure etc.

Question 29

what is the role of the temporal in the brain

Answer 29

used for auditory processing and recognising language

Question 30

how do PET scans work

Answer 30

uses a radioactive chemical which shows which part of the brain is most active when thinking about different things

Question 31

how to CAT scans work

Answer 31

shows the outside structure of the brain so can be used to tell which part is damaged

Question 32

how to MRI scans work

Answer 32

provides detailed information about brain structure

Question 33

how do fMRI scans work

Answer 33

provides detailed information about the brain function and activity

Question 34

what does neurochemistry refer to

Answer 34

the action of chemicals in the brain and how these lead to thoughts and behaviour

Question 35

what are neurotransmitters

Answer 35

chemical messages that travel from one neuron to another across a synapse

Question 36

what are excitatory neurotransmitters

Answer 36

NT's that trigger nerve impulses in the post-synaptic neuron, and stimulate the brain into action

Question 37

what are inhibitory neurotransmitters

Answer 37

NT's that limit nerve impulses in the post-synaptic neuron and have a calming effect on the brain

Question 38

what does evolution refer to

Answer 38

the gradual changes/developments in inherited characteristics in a population over many successful generations

Question 39

what did Charles Darwin suggest evolution happens by

Answer 39

natural selection and survival of the fittest - organisms which are better adapted to their environment live healthier, longer lives, and reproduce these desirable characteristics to their offspring

Question 40

what is sexual selection

Answer 40

a specific type of selection which relies on a organism's ability to obtain or successfully copulate with a mate

Question 41

strengths of the biological approach

Answer 41

- Good applicability because scanning research techniques are useful for investigating the functions of the brain: an extremely important organ in understanding our behaviour that would otherwise be unobservable. - Good internal validity and scientific credibility because the experimental methods used (gathering empirical [i.e. observable] evidence) make this approach very scientific and replicable

Question 42

weaknesses of the biological approach

Answer 42

- The approach is considered reductionist; complex behaviour, thoughts and emotions are all equally explained by low-level biological mechanisms such as biochemicals and nerve impulses. - An extreme biological approach does not account for the wide base of evidence that points to the influence of our environment (e.g. culture and society).