approaches-the biological apporach

Question 1

what is all behaviour affected by

Answer 1

all behaviour is affected by genetics. The genes an individual possess influence behaviour

Question 2

how does behaviour come about and evolve

Answer 2

There is a belief in evolution; it is believed that behaviour evolves in the same way as physical characteristics through the process of evolutionary adaptation

Question 3

what structures in the body influence out behaviour

Answer 3

Behaviour is influenced by the central nervous system, which comprises the brain and the spinal cord. The brain is seen as the focus when explaining behaviour, as it is seen to be the origin of how the world is seen and acted upon by an individual

Question 4

what chemicals influence out behaviour

Answer 4

There is an emphasis on the chemistry of the body; varying levels of the chemicals found both in the brain (neurotransmitters) and in the body (hormones) are thought by biological psychologists to be related to an individual’s behaviour. They are believed to influence reactions to the environment.

Question 5

what do genes carry

Answer 5

Genes are passed on from one generation to the next. Genes carry information in the form of DNA

Question 6

how do genes affect behaviour

Answer 6

The impact of genes on behaviour is a matter of ongoing debate (nature-nurture debate), but there is substantial evidence that genes play a role in many aspects of psychology including intelligence, personality, and susceptibility to psychological disorders

Question 7

what are twins that share 100% of DNA called

Answer 7

monozygotic twins

Question 8

what are twins that share 50% of DNA called

Answer 8

dizygotic twins

Question 9

how are twin studies measured

Answer 9

using concordance rate

Question 10

what is concordance

Answer 10

Concordance is the degree of similarity or agreement between two individuals

Question 11

what probability is concordance rates used to describe

Answer 11

rate of probability that two people with shared genes will develop the same disease

Question 12

if both twins show a behaviour what is this called

Answer 12

concordance

Question 13

if one twin shows a behaviour and the other one doesn’t what is this called

Answer 13

discordance

Question 14

who found that OCD is genetic

Answer 14

Lewis found that 37% of patients with OCD also had parents with OCD and 21% had siblings with OCD suggesting OCD runs if families however it is just a genetic vulnerability that’s passed on.

Question 15

who carried out a family history study to find out the influence of genes

Answer 15

Nestadt found the concordance rate for OCD for MZ twins was 68% compared to DZ twins which was 31%

Question 16

who carried out the schizophrenia twins study and what did they find

Answer 16

Joseph calculated that the pooled data for all schizophrenia twin studies carried out prior to 2001 showed a concordance rate of 40.4% for MZ twins compared to 7.4% for DZ twins.

Question 17

who carried out the twin depression study

Answer 17

McGuffin concordance for depression was
MZ 46% whereas DZ 20%

Question 18

what do the studies about suggest an explanation of behaviour is

Answer 18

behaviours are genetic

Question 19

what is the genotype

Answer 19

is their genetic makeup which is fixed from birth eg-hair coloir, eye colour, height
everyone has a unique genotype except monzygotic twins

Question 20

what is phenotype

Answer 20

observable traits/ characteristics
it is influenced by genes and interaction with the environment

Question 21

what do biological psychologist believe determine our behaviour

Answer 21

structure of organs eg-brain and CNS PNS and endocrine system determine our behavior

Question 22

how does the nervous system transmit messages

Answer 22

through neurons

Question 23

what else do biological psychologist believe determine out behaviour

Answer 23

they recognise that chemicals determine out behaviour

Question 24

what occurs at the synapse

Answer 24

At the synapse, signals are sent between neurones by chemicals called neurotransmitters.

Question 25

what is the process of synaptic transmission

Answer 25

· Nerve impulse travels down an axon. ·
Nerve impulse reaches synaptic terminal. ·
This triggers the release of neurotransmitters. ·
The neurotransmitters are fired into the synaptic gap. · Neurotransmitter binds with receptors on the dendrite of the adjacent neuron.
If successfully transmitted the neurotransmitter is taken up by the post-synaptic neuron.
The message will continue to be passed in this way via electrical impulses.

Question 26

what have imbalances in the number of neurotransmitters been associated with

Answer 26

Imbalances in the number of neurotransmitters are associated with atypical behaviour, for example, too little serotonin has been associated with depression and too much dopamine has been associated with schizophrenia.

Question 27

who found that neurotransmitters were important

Answer 27

Crockett found that neurotransmitters are important in regulating behaviour and impulse control

Question 28

what is the other chemical called that influences behaviour

Answer 28

Other types of chemicals found in the body which can also influence behaviour are called hormones. They are released into the bloodstream where they travel to the target cells which are activated by them specifically.

Question 29

who found supporting evidence for hormones affecting behaviour

Answer 29

Carre found that high levels of testosterone are associated with defensiveness and territoriality in a study
investigating the behaviour of ice hockey players.

Question 30

how are genes and evolution linked

Answer 30

The process of natural selection, proposed by Darwin, ensures that characteristics which provide an evolutionary advantage, such as survival and enhanced reproductive chances, are passed from one generation to the next, whilst others which do not, die out.

Question 31

who found an evolutionary explanation for partner preference

Answer 31

Buss surveyed heterosexual mate selection. Across 37 countries studies he found men preffered women with good looks and youth whereas women preferred men with good financial prospects

They promote prospects for passing on favourable genes

Question 32

what is some supporting evidence of the biological approach

Answer 32

any of the OCD/ depression/ twins studies

Question 33

what is some criticisms of supporting evidence

Answer 33

research only tells us that there is an association between brain structure and behaviour it cannot tell us that the reduce activity causes that behaviour

Question 34

is it nature or nurture

Answer 34

nature-innate due to biological structure
HOWEVER
some environmental influeces with the phenotype
brain damage can also be caused by the environment

Question 35

is it free will or deterministic

Answer 35

biologically deterministic-claims all thought and behaviours are caused by factors outside our control
eg-human behaviours are as a result of evolution
it implies that humans have little control over their behaviour and doesn’t take into regard experience or free will. Its also unfalsifiable so incapable of scientific validation

Question 36

is it reductionist or hollistic

Answer 36

biologically reductionist
attempts to reduce complex human behaviour down to one level of explanation
eg-OCD is just explained interms of seratonin fails to take into account environment

Question 37

is it idiographic or nomothetic

Answer 37

nomothetic as it tries to establish general laws of human behaviour

Question 38

is is scientific or non-scientific

Answer 38

scientific- methods like MRI, fMRI, PET scans provide the researcher with objective empirical evidence

Question 39

how does it have practical applications

Answer 39

we can now use drigs to treat diseases
eg-depression is caused by low seratonin so antidepresssant like SSRs can be used to relieve depression
this means more people can go back to work and boost the economy

Question 40

what else are modern brains scanning techniques helpful with

Answer 40

brain scanning techniques can help map the brain and help identify the function of various structures