Biological Approach Flashcards
What does the biological approach (BA) assume about psychological behaviors/functions?
All psychological behaviours/functions have a biological root at their core
What are the key areas to examine to understand human behavior according to the BA?
Biological structures, functions, processes
Give an example of a biological structure relevant to behavior.
Hippocampus
What role does serotonin play in behavior?
It is a neurotransmitter involved in regulating behavior
Fill in the blank: The BA assumes that depression is the result of _______.
irregular neurotransmission
What does the genetic basis of behavior investigate?
The extent to which behaviors are inherited
True or False: People inherit psychological traits such as competitiveness from their parents.
True
How many pairs of chromosomes does an individual typically have?
23 pairs
What do twin studies compare to investigate genetic influence on traits?
Monozygotic (MZ) twins and dizygotic (DZ) twins
What is the significance of concordance rates in twin studies?
They measure the rates of agreement for a specific trait/behavior
What did McGuffin et al. (1996) find regarding concordance rates for major depression?
46% for MZ twins; 20% for DZ twins
Define genotype.
A person’s particular set of genes that make up their DNA
What does phenotype refer to?
The expression of the genotype determined by external influences
List some examples of observable traits that comprise phenotype.
- Height
- Eye color
- Hair texture
- Blood type
How can environmental factors influence a person’s phenotype?
They can affect the expression of genetic potential
Fill in the blank: An individual’s genotype will determine how tall they could potentially grow, however, their _______ will determine whether or not they reach their maximum height.
diet in childhood
How can a secure home environment affect someone with a genotype predisposed to criminality?
It is less likely that they will turn to crime
Even MZ twins can present different phenotypes due to what factors?
Upbringing, friendship groups, hobbies, careers
What is a real-world application of the biological approach?
The success of drug therapies such as SSRIs for the treatment of psychological disorders such as depression and OCD
What does family history predict in the context of the biological approach?
An individual’s disease risk due to an understanding of genotype combined with environmental factors
What is a significant finding from Bouchard et al. (1990) regarding MZ twins?
MZ twins reared together showed a correlation of +0.9
What sample size did Bouchard et al. (1990) study?
Over 1,500 pairs of twins, as well as over 350 adopted and biological siblings
What aspect of the Bouchard et al. (1990) study contributes to its reliability?
The large sample size and quantitative data
What is biological determinism?
The argument that complex human behavior is a product of genetics alone
What limitation does biological determinism have?
It ignores the effect of environmental factors on behavior
What cognitive aspect is overlooked by the biological approach?
Sophisticated cognitive processing
How does the biological approach’s limitation affect its validity?
It limits the external validity of the approach
What issue arises from twin studies conducted before DNA testing?
Pairs of twins may have been incorrectly labeled MZ when they were actually DZ
What could damage the validity of twin study findings?
Any question regarding the veracity of a twin’s MZ/DZ status
