biological approach

Question 1

biological approach definition

Answer 1

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

Question 2

biological structure definition

Answer 2

an arrangement or organisation of parts to form an organ, system or living thing

Question 3

neurochemistry definition

Answer 3

relating to chemicals in the brain that regulate psychological functioning

Question 4

genotype definition

Answer 4

the particular set of genes that a person pssesses

Question 5

phenotype definition

Answer 5

the characteristics of an individual determined by both genes and the environment

Question 6

evolution

Answer 6

the changes inherited characteristics in a biological population over successive generations.

Question 7

assumptions

Answer 7

everything psychological is at first biological, so to fully understand human behaviour, we must look to biological structures and processes within the body. from a biological perspective the mind lives in the brain meaning that all thoughts, feelings and behaviour ultimately have a physical basis.

Question 8

neurochemical basis of behaviour

Answer 8

the action of chemicals in the brain. an imbalance of neurochemicals in the brain has been implicated as a possible cause of mental disorder, e.g. low levels of neurotransmitter serotonin in OCD and overproduction of dopamine in schizophrenia

Question 9

genetic basis of behaviour

Answer 9

psychological characteristics, e.g. intelligence, are inherited in the same way as height or eye colour. twin studies are used to investigate whether certain psychological characteristics have a genetic basis. by analysing concordance rates - the extent to which twins share the same characteristic. if a characteristic is genetic we would expect all mz twins to be concordant the same would differ for dz twins

Question 10

genotype and pehnotype

Answer 10

a genotype is their actual genetic make-up, whereas phenotype is the way that genes are expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics. despite having same genes mz twins genes are expressed differently (phenotype). this illustrates how biological psychologists accept that human behaviour is based off of nature and nurture

Question 11

evolution and behaviour

Answer 11

charles darwins theory of natural selection. genes that help in survival are more likely to be inherited to aid survival