The Biological Approach Flashcards
How does the biological approach differ from the cognitive approach?
It sees mental processes as having a physical basis in the brain, unlike the cognitive approach which views them as separate from the brain.
What is neurochemistry?
The study of chemical processes in the brain, especially neurotransmitter activity.
How are neurotransmitters linked to mental disorders?
Imbalances can cause disorders; e.g., low serotonin in OCD, high dopamine in schizophrenia.
What is the genetic basis of behaviour?
Traits like intelligence or mental disorders are inherited like physical traits through genes.
What are concordance rates in twin studies?
The likelihood that both twins share the same trait; higher in identical (MZ) twins than non-identical (DZ) twins.
What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?
Genotype is a person’s genetic makeup; phenotype is how these genes are expressed in traits and behaviours.
Why can identical twins look and behave differently?
Because their phenotype is influenced by both genes (nature) and the environment (nurture).
What is the theory of natural selection?
Genetically determined behaviours that aid survival and reproduction are passed on to future generations.
Who proposed the theory of natural selection?
Charles Darwin.
How does natural selection occur in nature?
Traits that offer survival or reproductive advantages are naturally selected without human intervention.
What happens to traits that don’t aid reproduction?
They are less likely to be passed on and may disappear from the gene pool.
strength (1) of biological approach
One strength of the biological approach is that 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. For example, the biological approach has promoted the treatment of clinical depression using antidepressant drugs that increase levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin at synapses in the brain. Such drugs have been associated with the reduction of depressive symptoms.
This means that people with depression may be better able to manage their condition and live their lives in the community, rather than remain in hospital.
strength (2) of biological approach
Another strength of the approach is that it uses scientific methods of investigation.
In order to investigate the genetic and biological basis of behaviour, the biological approach makes use of a range of precise and highly objective methods. These include scanning techniques, such as fMRIs and EEGs. With advances in technology, it is possible to accurately measure physiological and neural processes in ways that are not open to bias.
This means that much of the biological approach is based on objective and reliable data.
limitation of biological approach
One limitation of the biological approach is that it is determinist.
The biological approach is determinist in that it sees human behaviour as governed by internal, genetic causes over which we have no control.
However, we have already seen that the way in which an individual’s genotype is expressed is heavily influenced by the environment. Not even identical twins who share the same genes look the same and think the same. Also, a purely genetic argument becomes problematic when we consider things such as crime. Could a violent criminal, for instance, really excuse their actions by claiming their behaviour was controlled by a ‘crime gene’?
This suggests that the biological view is often too simplistic and ignores the mediating effects of the environment.
