Approaches:Biological Approach Flashcards
What are the basic assumptions of the biological approach?
3
-everything psychological is firstly biological
-behaviour originates from biological structures(genes , the NS etc)
-all behaviour has a physical basis
What is the role of genetics in behaviour?
-make 3 points
-genes influence behaviour
-behaviour is similarto any other physical characteristic and has evolved through natural selection
-genes that have been adaptive have been passed on
What is meant by adaptive?
a biological characteristic with a heritable basis that improves reproduction and survival and results from evolution by natural selection
What is meant by genotype?
When does it occur?
the genetic make up that occurs at conception
it provides a genetic code that predisposes us as to how we will behave
What is meant by phenotype?
the characteristics shown by an individual either as an expression of their genotype or as a result of an interaction between their genotype and an environmental factor
What is the nervous system made up of and what does the CNS consist of?
What is the role of the nervous system in behaviour?
-make 3 points
made up of neurons
the brain and the spinal chord
-billions of neurons make up the brain and the structures within it
-neurons are responsible for our behaviour
-any physical damage to the brain may result in a behavioural change
What are neurotransmitters?
What is the role of neurochemistry in behaviour?
-make 1 point
neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that transmit impulses between neurons
-its believed that neurotransmitter levels influence our behaviour
What does a concordance rate do?
it expresses the probability that a trait present in 1 person will be present in another
What are the 2 strengths of this approach?
+theres lots of supporting research from twin studies
a review of schizophrenia showed that the CR is 48% for MZ twins and 17% for DZ twins which supports the idea that genetics are involved in behaviour as a trait is more likely when a higher prop of genes are shared
+it has real life applications
an increased understanding of biochemical processes has led to effective treatments for things like OCD that alter NT levels
this provides evidence that chemicals affect behaviour
What are two weaknesses of this approach?
-the C rates are never 100%
this suggests behaviour isnt purely genetic making the approach incomplete as it doesnt consider the role of the environment
-there are ethical issues trying to find a genetic basis for some behaviours
trying to discover a criminal gene is problematic as its hard to attribute responsibility if criminality is purely genetic
means the approach cant be applied to all scenarios which limits its validity
