biological approach Flashcards
Everything psychological is at first biological
If we want to fully understand human behaviour we must look at biological structures and processes within the body , such as genes , neurochemistry and the nervous system
Behaviour has a genetic and neurochemical basis
behaviours are inherited in the same way as physical characteristics such as height or eye colour etc the 5HT1-D beta gene implicated in ocd
neurochemistry also explains behaviour etc low levels of serotonin in ocd
The mind are body are one and the same
From a biological persepective ,the mind live sin the brain meaning that all thoughts , feelings an behaviour ultimately have a physical basis
twin studies are used to investigate the genetic basis of behaviour
concordance rates between twins are calculated- the extent to which twins share the same characteristics
higher concordance rates among identical (monozygotic `mz)twins than non-identical (dizygotic,DZ)twins is evidence of a gentetic basis
difference between genortype and phenotype
= a persons genotype is a persons actual gentic makeup
- phenotype is the way that genes are xepressesd through physical ,behavioural and pychological characteristic
- The expression of genotype(phenotype )is influenced by environmental factors
- etc phenylketonuria (pku) is a genetic disorder that cn be prevented by arestriced disorder
this suggests that much of human behaviour depends on the interatcion of nature and nuture
-
The theory of evolution is used by biological approach to explain many aspects of behaviour
Charles darwin (1859) proposed the theory of natural selection any gentcally determined behaviour that enhances surivival and reproduction will be passed on to futire generations
The biological has real -life applications
increased understanding of biochemical processes in the brain has led to the development of psychoactive drugs that treat serious mental disorders such as depression
although these drugs aren’t effective for all patients , it has revolutionised treatment for many
= This is the strength of the approach because it means that sufferers are able to live normal life , rather than in hospital
A limitation the approach is based on determinist view of behaviour
The biological approach is determinist in that is sees human behaviour as governed by internal biological causes over which we have no control
However this is at odds with the legal system which often sees offenders as responsible for their actions.Th e discovery of a ‘criminal gene ‘ may complicate this principle
such research may have negative implications for wider society as criminals may be able to excuse their behaviour
strength:use of of scientific methods of investigation
The biological approach makes use of precise and highly scientific methods
these include scanning techniques eg(fmri’s) and drug trials .it is possible to accurately measure biological and neural processes in ways that aren’t bias
This means the biological approach is based on reliable data
