biological approach

Question 1

what are the assumptions of the biological approach

Answer 1

the core assumptions of biopsychologists are that behaviour Is affected by genetics, evolution, the CNS and biochemistry

Question 2

what is heredity

Answer 2

the process where characteristics are passed from one generation to the next through genes. genes carry all the instructions for a particular trait and biopsychologists believe that behavioural characteristics are inherited in the same way as physical characteristics

Question 3

discuss twin studies in biological approach

Answer 3

Twin studies in the biological approach to psychology compare monozygotic (MZ) twins, who share 100% of their genes, with dizygotic (DZ) twins, who share 50%, to examine the influence of genetics versus environment on behavior. Higher concordance rates in MZ twins suggest a genetic influence on traits like intelligence and mental disorders, while differences between twins highlight the role of environmental factors. These studies help illustrate the balance between nature and nurture in shaping human behavior

Question 4

what is a genotype

Answer 4

an individuals genetic makeup

Question 5

what is a phenotype

Answer 5

an individuals genetic makeup which can be influenced by the environment

Question 6

what behaviours may have resulted from the process of evolution (biological approach)

Answer 6

maternal love, mate preferences, aggression

Question 7

discuss the influence of neurochemistry on behaviour in the biological approach

Answer 7

when a nerve impulse reaches the end of a neuron, a neurotransmitter is released. it travels from one neuron to the next across a synapse. some neurotransmitters trigger the neuron to send an impulse which stimulates the brain into action (excitatory) and some inhibit impulses in order to calm a persons mood (inhibitory)

Question 8

what is a strength of the biological approach (treatment)

Answer 8

successfully created drugs such as anti depressants and anti anxiety drugs. such treatment has been found to be effective for treating a range of psychological abnormalities- soomro et al found that SSRI’S showed significantly better results than a placebo for reducing depressive symptoms. this is a strength as it demonstrates the contribution that the biological approach has made to psychology, and as the treatment is based on the assumptions of the approach it must have some validity

Question 9

what is a strength of the biological approach (scientific)

Answer 9

uses the scientific method when investigating human behaviour and the assumptions are based on strong empirical evidence. the approach uses experiments as its main method and adopts objective techniques like brain scans. this is a strength as the assumptions are based off research that establishes cause and effect so is likely to be objective and reliable

Question 10

what is a limitation of the biological approach (animals)

Answer 10

partially based on experiments that use animals- biological psychologists regularly use animals such as mice and rats in their research as they are easy to control and manipulate so their experiments can establish cause and effect

Question 11

what is a limitation of the biological approach (nature)

Answer 11

takes the nature side- biological psychologists believe that behaviour is caused solely by biological factors, like genes, and ignore the evidence suggesting environmental factors also contribute. limitation as it takes a very one sided view and ignores evidence. so many psychologists disagree with this approach

Question 12

evaluate overall biological approach

Answer 12

(+) successful treatment, scientific method,(-) uses animals, supports nature side