Biological Flashcards
What can this approach be criticised for?
Biological determinism
Why is it criticised for being deterministic?
Because the approach states that an individual is controlled by internal factors such as genes and neurochemicals that inevitably cause behaviour.
What does determinism neglect?
It neglects the role of free will and the choice that the individuals have leaving them feel like they have non control over their behaviour limiting the explanation
What else can this approach be criticised for?
Biological reductionism
Why is it biologically reductionist?
The approach reduces complex human behaviour down to simple basic units such as genes and neurochemicals (OCD - maladaptive)
What does reductionism neglect?
It neglects a holistic approach which would take into account how a person’s culture and social context would influence and explain human behaviour - meaning this approach may lack validity as it does not allow us to understand behaviour in context
What is a strength?
It has practical applications
What practical applications does it have?
The principles, that behaviour is caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters, has been used to create treatments such as SSRI’s
What are SSRI’S effective at?
They are effective in treating individuals with disorders such as OCD and depression by increasing serotonin activity levels
What is the bio approach an important part of?
It is an important part of applied psychology as it helps to treat people in the real world - link to economy
What methods does this approach use?
Scientific methods
What scientific methods are used?
It is based on objective and empirical techniques such as brain scans and gene mapping which allow for high control over extraneous variables and allow a cause and effect to be established between biological structures and behaviour
What do scientific methods increase?
It increases the overall internal validity of the behaviourist explanation, raising Psychology’s scientific status
