Biological Approach Flashcards
What are the key assumptions of the biological approach?
- everything psychological is at first biological
- behaviour has genetics and neuronchemical basis
- Twin studies are used to investigate the genetic basis of behaviour
- The difference between Phenotype and Genotype
- the theory of evolution is based upon the biological approach to explain many aspects of behaviour
What does it mean when the key assumptions is ‘everything psychological is at first biological’?
That if we want to fully understand behaviour we must look at biological structures and processes within the body, such as genes neurochemistry and the nervous system
What does it mean when the key assumptions say that ‘behaviour has a genetic and neurochemical basis?
Behaviours inherited in the same way as physical characteristics such as height or eye colour.For example, the 5HT1-D beta gene implicated in OCD
Neurochemistry also explains behaviour, for example the low levels of serotonin in OCD
What does it mean when the key assumptions say that the mind and body are one?
From a biological perspective, the mind lives in the brain- meaning that all thoughts, feelings and behaviour ultimately have a physical basis
This is in contrast to the cognitive approach which sees the mind as separate from the brain
Who conducted the Twin Studies?
Slater and Shields
What were the findings of the Twin Studies?
Higher concordance rates among identical twins that non identical twins is evidence of a genetic basis.For example, 68% of MZ twins both have OCD compared to 31% of DZ twins
What is a Genotype?
A persons genotype is their actual genetic makeup
What is a phenotype?
Is the way that genes are expressed through physical behavioural and psychological characteristics
Who proposed the theory of natural selection?
Charles Darwin (1859)
What is the theory of natural selection?
Any genetically determined behaviour that enhances survival and reproduction will be passed on to future generations. Such as genes are described as adaptive and give the possessor and their offspring advantages
What are people the strengths of The biological approach?
Use of scientific methods of investigation
Has real life applications
What are the weaknesses of the biological approach?
Causal conclusions about neurotransmitters are difficult to establish
Approach based on deterministic view of behaviour
A methodological problem is the difficulty of separating nature and nurture
