Biological approach

Question 1

What is the biological approach?

Answer 1

• A perspective that emphasises the importance of physical processes in the body such as genetic inheritance and neural function.

Question 2

What are the features of the biological approach?

Answer 2

• This approach emphasises that everything psychological is at first biological and to fully understand human behaviour, we must look at the biological processes within the body (genes and neurochemistry)

Question 3

What do behaviourist geneticists study?

Answer 3

• Whether behavioural characteristics (intelligence, personality etc) are inherited in the same way as physical characteristics.
• Twin studies are commonly used to determine the likelihood that certain traits have a genetic basis by comparing the concordant rates between pairs of twins.
• Identical twins (monozygotic) are found to have higher concordant rates than non-identical twins (dizygotic) as they share 100% of each other’s genes.

Question 4

What are genes?

Answer 4

• They make up chromosomes and consist of DNA which codes the physical features of an organism and psychological features. They are transmitted from parents to offspring.

Question 5

1. What is a genotype?
2. What is a Phenotype?
3. What is the effect?

Answer 5

1. The particular set of genes that a person possesses
2. The characteristics of an individual determined by both genes and the environment.
3. To show how much of human behaviour depends upon an interaction between inherited factors (nature) and the environment (nurture).

Question 6

What is the effect of evolution and behaviour?

Answer 6

Natural selection:

• Any genetically determined behaviour which increases a species’ survival will be passed down to future generations.
• Natural selection ensures characteristics which will provide an evolutionary advantage are passed down and those that do not die out.

Question 7

Describe a twin study that supports the biological approach.
(1)

Answer 7

• McGuffin et al (1996) - Found that there was a 46% chance that if one twin had depression, the other twin would also have it. This suggests there is a genetic component to illnesses such as depression.

Question 8

Describe a twin study that supports the biological approach.
(2)

Answer 8

• In a study of depression a researcher investigated the genetic basis of the disorder by comparing concordance rates for identical twins, non-identical twins and ordinary siblings.
• They found that the mean concordance rate for identical twins was 49%, for non-identical twins was 17% and for ordinary siblings was 9%

Question 9

(AO3) What is a strength of the biological approach?
(1)

Answer 9

Scientific methods of investigation:

• To investigate the genetic and biological basis of behaviour, the biological approach makes use of a range of precise and highly objective methods. These include scanning techniques, such as fMRIs and EEGs. Advances in technology make it possible to accurately measure physiological and neural processes in ways that are not open to bias.

This means that much of the biological approach is based on objective and reliable data.

Question 10

(AO3) What is a strength of the biological approach?
(2)

Answer 10

Real-life application:

• Increased understanding of biochemical processes in the brain has led to the development of psychoactive drugs that treat serious mental illnesses (depression).
• Although not effective for all patients, they have revolutionised treatment for many.
• This is a strength of the biological approach because it means that sufferers can manage their condition and live a relatively normal life, rather than remain in hospital.

Question 11

(AO3) What is a weakness of the biological approach?

Answer 11

Biological determinism:

• It is determinist in that it sees human behaviour as governed by internal, genetic causes over which we have no control. However, the expression of a person’s genotype is heavily influenced by the environment. Not even all identical twins who have the same genes look or think the same.
• This argument is also problematic when considering criminal actions. Is a person’s violent actions excusable by blaming it on a ‘crime gene’?
• This suggests that the biological view is often too simplistic and ignores the mediating effects of the environment.