Biological approach Flashcards
What is the biological approach?
Humans are biological beings.
Behaviour is a result of biological structures and processes.
What are biological structures?
Hormones and nervous systems.
What is the endocrine system?
Body-wide system of glands, each gland releases chemical messengers called hormones.
Explain the fight or flight response.
Brain signals the adrenal gland to release adrenaline. Hormone travels through the bloodstream. Increases blood flow and reflexes digestion.
How does information travel through neuron’s?
Electrically
What is a synaptic cleft?
The gap between neurone where signals are passed over.
What is the synapse?
Electrical signal must be converted into a chemical signal to continue journey to next neutron.
What is the influence of genes on behaviour?
Act as the instructions for making components of the organism, influences how cells are formed and their function.
What are genotypes?
Genetic codes in the DNA for the characteristics of an organism.
What are phenotypes?
The psychical expression of the genotype.
What do psychologists say about genetic inheritance?
Using concordance rates, the probability that a person will have a disorder if a relative does. Higher concordance rates among genetically closer relatives suggest a genetic influence.
What does Darwin talk about?
Natural selection
Organisms with traits that enhance survival and reproduction are more likely to pass these advantageous characteristics to their offspring.
These traits then become more common in the population.
What are strengths of the biological approach?
Lots of research studies.
Has practical applications.
Seen as scientific.
How is evolution applied to behaviour?
Inherited, innate behaviours providing survival advantages are selected for and become more common in future generations of a species.
What are criticisms of the biological approach?
Biological determinism.
Not complete explanation for behaviour.
