Biological Approach Flashcards
What is the key assumption of the biological approach?
We can explain behaviours in terms of biological factors
What are the two biological factors that effect behaviour?
- Genetic inheritance
- Evolution
Genotype
A description of the persons genes and alleles
Phenotype
A persons physical traits, decided by genotype + environment
What studies are used for research in the biological approach
Twin studies
Concordance
When two twins share the same phenotype
Concordance rate
Percentage of twins who share a characteristic
Who conducted a twin study into depression
McGuffin et al.
Outline McGuffin’s study
- Studied presence of depression in twins
- Found that monozygotic twins had a 46% concordance rate
- Dizygotic twins had only a 20% concordance rate
- Therefore he concluded that depression is likely to be Influenced by genetics
What is a limitation of twin studies?
- Monozygotic twins are more likely to share a more similar environment than dizygotic twins
How does natural selection affect genotypes?
If a new allele makes a person more likely to survive then it is more likely to be passed down to the next generation
What is cognitive neuroscience?
The study of which parts of the brain are involved in different mental processes
What are two different methods used in cognitive neuroscience?
- FMRI scan
- EEG
What is an FMRI scan?
A scan that gives an image of what parts of the brain are active
EEG
- Provides a graph that measures activity in the brain
