Biological Approach

Question 1

What does the biological approach combine?

Answer 1

Biology and psychology to provide physiological explanations for human behaviour

Question 2

What does the biological approach explain?

Answer 2

How we think, feel and behaviour in terms of physical factors within the body

Question 3

What is heritability?

Answer 3

How much of an influence we are sure our behaviour has been determined by genetic factors:
Measured out of 1 e.g 0.84 heritability means 0.16 other factors

Question 4

Who are genes inherited from?

Answer 4

50/50 from parents

Question 5

What do genes carry information for?

Answer 5

Characteristics such as personality and IQ (these genes must be fulfilled to work)

Question 6

How are genes related to neural links?

Answer 6

Genes have an influence on neurotransmitters (COMPT and SERT gene)

Question 7

What does the twins study suggest about IQ variance?

Answer 7

It is 60-80% determined by your genes

Question 8

Does this approach claim genes are the only explanation of behaviour?

Answer 8

No, but they play a strong part (e.g genes can play a role in the development of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia)

Question 9

What are Mz twins?

Answer 9

Monozygotic twins (identical twins) - share 100% genetic makeup as both twins came from the same egg and sperm

Question 10

What are Dz twins?

Answer 10

Dizygotic twins (non-identical twins) - 50% shared genetic makeup (same as siblings) as two eggs have been fertilised by two different sperm but embryo happens to grow at same time

Question 11

What is concordance rate?

Answer 11

Expected traits that the other individual will have the same heritability

Question 12

Why do Mz twins never really have 100% concordance?

Answer 12

Our genes predispose us to our characteristics but they are not the only influence

Question 13

How are non-identical twins different from siblings?

Answer 13

Non-identical twins share a womb environment

Question 14

What did Bouchard’s twin research show?

Answer 14

Identical twins who were reared together had an 86% concordance rate for intelligence
Identical twins who were reared apart had a 72% concordance rate for intelligence

Shows how environment influences concordance rate as well as genes

Question 15

What do the 6 biological structures of the brain control?

Answer 15

. Frontal lobe - thinking, memory, behaviour and movement
. Parietal lobe - Language and touch
. Occipital lobe - sight
. Cerebellum - balance and coordination
. Temporal lobe - hearing, learning and feelings
. Brain stem - breathing, heart rate and temperature

Question 16

What did Phineas Cage’s incident show?

Answer 16

. Personality changed after blast - it is brain-determined
- brain is localised
. Originally well-mannered and became aggressive after blast
. Frontal lobe affected - parts of speech, reasoning and controlling emotions changed
. Rod blew through his brain

Question 17

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 17

Chemical messengers that balance behaviour via synaptic transmission

Question 18

What are the two mood regulating hormones and what do their levels show?

Answer 18

. Serotonin (calming) - low levels = depression
. Dopamine (stimulating) - high levels = OCD

Question 19

How are hormones affected?

Answer 19

Via biological rhythms

Question 20

What is melatonin and what do high levels show?

Answer 20

Sleep HORMONE: good sleep at high levels

Question 21

What chemical state is needed for optimal behaviour?

Answer 21

Homeostasis

Question 22

How do your genes relate to neurochemsitry?

Answer 22

Your neurotransmitters can be affected by your genes
SERT gene =serotonin gene
COMPT gene =dopamine gene

Question 23

How does gene variation relate to neurochemistry?

Answer 23

Gene variants can predispose you to illnesses related to each neurotransmitter e.g OCD and depression

Question 24

What are the basic units of heredity?

Answer 24

Genes

Question 25

What is your genotype?

Answer 25

Your genetic makeup that gives potential for particular characteristics

Question 26

What is your phenotype?

Answer 26

Observable characteristics of an individual, depending on the interactions of genetic and environmental factors

Question 27

Give an example of how your phenotype includes genetic and environmental factors?

Answer 27

IQ has genetic potential but your environment can/cannot nurture it

Question 28

Describe the phenotype and genotype of identical twins?

Answer 28

Same genotype but phenotype can differ

Question 29

How is the biological approach used to investigate behaviour in modern day?

Answer 29

. Draws on concepts from the hard sciences and research is often highly scientific
. Under scientific conditions
. Objective brain recording and scanning techniques used to give objective results, making the results valid

Question 30

What is needed to survive as a species?

Answer 30

Evolution

Question 31

What is evolution?

Answer 31

The changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over successive generations

Question 32

How does evolution leave us predisposed to things?

Answer 32

We are predisposed to react to things in a certain way to survive (recognising a threat)

Question 33

What are Darwin’s two theories on evolution?

Answer 33

. Natural selection
. Sexual selection

Question 34

How has our brain evolution physically changed us?

Answer 34

As our brains evolved, we became more cognitively able, meaning we made more complex decisions that affect our life and in turn evolved our physical structure e.g evolution of the jaw as we used it more