Approaches: Biological Flashcards
Biological approach assumptions
Everything psychological is at first biological
All thoughts and feelings have a physical basis
to understand behaviour must look at biological structures
How do the biological perspective and cognitive approach differ
Biological: thoughts feelings and behaviour have a physical basis Cognitive: mental processes of the mind are separate from physical brain
How are behaviours inherited
In the same way as physical characteristics such as height and eye colour
Example of how behaviours are inherited
5 HT1-D beta gene implicated in OCD
Example of how neurochemistry explains behaviour
Low levels of serotonin in OCD
Twin Studies
Used to investigate the genetic basis of behaviour
What do twin studies do
Determine the likelihood is that certain traits have a genetic basis by comparing concordance rates between pairs of twins
Which type of twin has a higher concordance rate
Monozygotic twins have higher concordance rates than dizygotic twins, suggests genetic basis
E.g. nestadt 61% MZ twins have OCD, 31% DZ twins
Genotype
Persons genetic make up
Phenotype
The way genes are expressed through physical behavioural and psychological characteristics
influenced by environment
Example of how a phenotype is inevitably influenced by environmental factors
What does this suggest?
PKU is a genetic disorder that can be prevented by restricted diet
Suggest human behaviour depends on the interaction between nature (inherited factors) and nurture (environment)
Theory of evolution
Darwin - natural selection
changes in inherited characteristics in a population over generations
enhances ability of survival
such genes are adaptive, advantages to offspring
A03:deterministic views of behaviour
D, G, A, 0, D, S, R, N Deterministic views Governed by internal biological causes At odds with legal system which sees Offenders as personally responsible for their actions Discovery of ‘criminal gene’ Suggests people don’t have free will Research into genetic causes of behaviour Negative impacts on society
A03: drug treatments
ULTRASH Understanding of biochemical process Lead to development of drugs Treat mental illness like OCD Revolutionary for some Although not effective for everyone Suffered able to live relatively normal life Hospitals aren’t needed.
A03:correlation doesn’t mean causation
Correlation between mental illness(OCD) and action of NT’s (low lvls of serotonin) doesn’t necessarily mean NT’s are the cause
Although studies show drugs reduce symptoms by increasing lvls of NT’s
Assumptions shouldn’t be made that NT’s are the cause
