Biological Approach Flashcards
Biological approach assumptions
Everything psychological is first biological. All behaviour is strongly influenced by genetic makeup and inheritance. Thoughts and feelings all have a physical basis in the brain.
Evolution (Biological approach)
Gradual development of a species over time to adapt to their environment through natural selection for survival benefit.
Genotype (Biological approach)
actual genetic makeup, eye colour, hair colour, height
Phenotype (Biological approach)
expression of your genotype through environmental influences
100% same genetics
So if genetic, both should show behaviour
But, same environment and same experiences
Cannot separate (genetics) NATURE and environment NURTURE
So use adoption studies
2 monozygotic twins who are in different environments and look at behaviour
If same behaviour- genetic
If different behaviour- environmental
This is very rare and considered unethical
Real world applications of the Biological Approach
- Understanding biochemical processes has led to development of psychoactive drugs
- Treat people with mental illnesses, help them to live a more normal life
- Bad as they are a short term solution, takes people away from talk therapies and can cause addiction
Biological Debates
Nature- behaviour is innate and influenced by genetics
Deterministic - no free will
Reductionistic
Positive element of the Biological Approach
Uses Lab research and brain scans- very reliable, high control, experiments can be repeated and findings replicated
Discuss reductionism in biological psychology
Reductionist explanation is the belief that human behaviour is best understood by breaking it down into constituent parts. It explains human behaviour and psychological states at the level of the gene or neurone. This is good as it fine tunes the studies to be more detailed and focussed on each part of the brain. However, it is poor as it does not take into account the brain and person as a large complete picture, to be analysed.
