Biological approach Flashcards
Assumption: Behaviour can be explained by neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are chemical messangers that send signals from the presynaptic neuron to the post synaptic neuron.
- behaviour can be explained by the fact that chemicals in our brain play a crucial role in influencing our actions
e.g the neurotransmitter serotonin is associated with feelings of happiness and wellbeing so an imbalance of this is shown to have caused depression and excess levels of dopamine have been seen to cause schizophrenia
- shows that they have a significant impact on our actions and emotions
Assumption: Behaviour can be explained by the localisation of brain function
Organisation of the brain is called localisation
Brain has 2 hemispheres
Has 4 lobes (frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital)
- behaviour can be explained by this as it suggests that specific areas of the brain are responsible for controlling different behaviours
What does the frontal lobe control?
language centre - personality, goals and decisions
What does the parietal lobe control?
motor area and links between body and senses
What does the temporal lobe control?
language centre also but for producing speech which makes sense etc
What does the occipital lobe control?
Processing visual info
Assumption: Behaviour can be explained by evolutionary influence
Human beings came to be the people we are today due to evolution. Inherit things from previous generations that allow us to be able to survive
-focuses on how human beings came to be the apparantly special animal we are today
- suggests that certain traits and behaviours have been naturally selected over time because they enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors
e.g Buss found that mate selection was universal and therefore a result of evolutionary influence - they may have provided advantages in terms of survival and reproduction in our environments
