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AS Psychology - Ella > Ap - The biological approach > Flashcards

Ap - The biological approach Flashcards

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1
Q

What does the biological approach describe human beings as and what does this mean?

A

Biological organisms

So provides biological evidence of all aspects of functioning.

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2
Q

What are biological psychologists particularly interested in?

A

The genetic basis of behaviour, showing how some characteristics can be passed from generation to generation through genes.

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3
Q

As well as the genetic basis of behaviour, what else have biological researchers also studied?

A

The important role of chemical changes in the nervous system (neurochemistry) and hormonal changes play.

Recently, they’ve become interested in how Charles Darwin’s idea about how evolution might apply to human behaviour, allowing us to understand the original adaptive significance of behaviours such as mate selection or aggression.

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4
Q

What is heredity and what does it cause to happen?

A

The passing of characteristics from one generation to the next through the genes.

It is the reason that offspring ‘take after’ their parents in terms of psychological characteristics.

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5
Q

What is the reason that offspring ‘take after’ their parents in terms of psychological characteristics?

A

Heredity.

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6
Q

What do genes do?

A

Carry the instructions for a particular characteristic (e.g. intelligence or temperament).

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7
Q

How a characteristic develops is dependent on what in terms of genes and other factors?

A

The interaction of the gene with other genes and partly the influence of the environment.

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8
Q

The extent to which a psychological characteristic is determined by genes or the environment is called the what?

A

The nature-nurture debate.

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9
Q

What is the nature-nurture debate?

A

The extent to which a psychological characteristic is determined by genes or the environment.

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10
Q

What is the relationship between genotype and phenotype?

A

Most commonly a direct relationship however, sometimes we cannot determine the genotype from just observing the phenotype.

(Someone might inherit a recessive gene for blue eyes but this will not be expressed if they have also inherited a dominant gene for brown eyes from the other parent).

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11
Q

What is heritability?

A

The amount of variability in a trait within a population that can be attributed to genetic differences between individuals within that population.

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12
Q

What does a greater heritability depend on?

A

The more that trait is influenced by genetic factors.

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13
Q

What does each individual possess in terms of genes?

A

A unique combination of genetic instructions so we differ from each other in terms of personality, intelligence, abilities etc.

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14
Q

What have studies of identical twins suggested?

A

That the variation in individual intelligence - what makes one person more intelligent than another - could be 60-80% due to genes.

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15
Q

What is the nervous system comprised of?

A

Several connected systems.

Central nervous system (CNS) - brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS) - somatic and autonomic nervous systems.

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16
Q

What is the CNS?

A

Brain and spinal cord

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17
Q

What is the PNS?

A

The somatic and autonomic nervous systems (brain, spinal cord and nerves).

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18
Q

What does the nervous system do?

A

Carries messages from one part of the body to another using individual nerve cells known as neurons.

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19
Q

What do neurons do?

A

Transmit nerve impulses in the form of electrical signals.

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20
Q

What things are under neural control?

A

Many aspects of behaviour, such as, breathing, eating and sexual behaviour.

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21
Q

What are many aspects of behaviour, such as, breathing, eating and sexual behaviour under?

A

Neural control.

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22
Q

What is the largest part of the brain?

A

Cerebrum.

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23
Q

What is the cerebrum?

A

The largest part of the brain, making up about 85% of the total mass of the brain.

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24
Q

What is the outer surface of the cerebrum called?

A

The cerebral cortex.

25
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A

The outer surface of the cerebrum.

26
Q

What is the function of the cerebral cortex?

A

It is responsible for many of the ‘higher-order’ functions such as thought and language.

27
Q

What is the cerebrum divided into?

A

2 halves (hemispheres), with each hemisphere further divided into four different parts (lobes).

28
Q

What are neurotransmitters and what do they do?

A

A chemical.

Carries a nerve impulse across a synapse from one neuron to the next.

29
Q

What happens when a nerve impulse reaches the end of one neuron?

A

A chemical called a neurotransmitter is released. It travels from one neuron to the next across a junction called the synapse.

30
Q

What are the different types of neurotransmitters?

A

Excitatory

Inhibitory

31
Q

What are excitatory neurotransmitters?

A

Neurotransmitters that trigger nerve impulses in the receiving neuron and stimulate the brain into action.

32
Q

Which type of neurotransmitter trigger nerve impulses in the receiving neuron and stimulate the brain into action?

A

Excitatory

33
Q

What are inhibitory neurotransmitters?

A

Inhibit nerve impulses in order to calm the brain and balance mood.

34
Q

Which type of neurotransmitter inhibit nerve impulses in order to calm the brain and balance mood?

A

Inhibitory

35
Q

What is an example of an excitatory neurotransmitter and what does it do/cause?

A

Dopamine - associated with our ‘drive’ or motivation.

36
Q

What is an example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter and what does it do/cause?

A

Serotonin - adequate amounts of which are necessary to maintain a stable mood.

37
Q

Who made a discovery about serotonin and what was it?

A

Crockett et al. (2008) found that when serotonin levels are too low people tend to display increased aggression.

38
Q

What are the four lobes of the brain that we have to remember?

A

Frontal
Temporal
Parietal
Occipital

39
Q

What are the frontal lobes involved in?

A

Functions such as speech, thought and learning.

40
Q

What are the temporal lobes involved in?

A

Hearing and memory.

41
Q

What are the parietal lobes involved in?

A

Process sensory information such as touch, temperature and pain.

42
Q

What are the occipital lobes involved in?

A

Process visual information.

43
Q

What are hormones?

A

Chemicals that are produced by endocrine glands such as the pituitary gland which together make up the endocrine system.

44
Q

What happens in response to a signal from the brain? (biological approach)

A

Hormones secreted directly into the bloodstream by the endocrine glands.

45
Q

When are hormones secreted directly into the bloodstream by the endocrine glands?

A

In response to a signal from the brain.

46
Q

What happens after hormones are secreted directly into the bloodstream by the endocrine glands?

A

They travel to their ‘target cells’ and exert their influence by stimulating receptors on the surface of or inside cells.

47
Q

What does the presence of a hormone cause?

A

A physiological reaction in the cell, altering its activity.

48
Q

What did Charles Darwin argue?

A

That over time, organisms become adapted to their environment through biological evolution.

This refers to the changes that take place in characteristics of a population over time.

49
Q

What is the mechanism behind biological evolution?

A

Natural selection.

50
Q

What were some desired characteristics in evolution?

A

Women desired mates with resources (to provide for offspring) and men desired young, physically attractive women (an indication of their fertility and reproductive value).

51
Q

Define biological approach

A

Views humans as biological organisms and so provides biological explanations for all aspects of psychological functioning.

52
Q

What is evolution?

A

Refers to the change over successive generations of the genetic make-up of a particular population. The central proposition of an evolutionary perspective is that the genotype of a population is changeable rather than fixed, and that this change is likely to be caused by the process of natural selection.

53
Q

What is a gene?

A

A part of the chromosome of an organism that carries information in the form of DNA.

54
Q

What is a genotype?

A

The genetic make-up of an individual. The genotype is a collection of inherited genetic material that is passed from generation to generation.

55
Q

What is natural selection?

A

The process by which inherited characteristics that enhance an individual’s reproductive success (or ‘fitness’) are passed on to the next generation, and so become more widespread in the population over time.

56
Q

What is neurochemistry?

A

The study of chemical and neural processes associated with the nervous system.

57
Q

What is a phenotype?

A

The observable characteristics of an individual. This is a consequence of the interaction of the genotype with the environment.

58
Q

What are the positives/strengths of the biological approach?

A
  • Importance of the scientific method (experimental method used).
  • Many applications (provides clear predictions e.g. about effects of neurotransmitters on behaviour).
59
Q

What are the negatives/limitations of the biological approach?

A
  • Reductionist (doesn’t take into account other factors e.g. cognitive, cultural and emotional factors.
  • Problems for evolutionary explanations (basic human behaviour can evolve through either genetic or cultural routes not just genetics).
  • Dangers of genetic explanations (discrimination and ethics - genetic screening in criminals).

AS Psychology - Ella (69 decks)

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