Biological approach Flashcards
What are 2 assumptions of the biological approach?
- everything psychological is at first biological
- mind lives in the brain
How can behaviour have a neurochemical basis?
an imbalance of neurochemicals has been suggested as a possible cause of mental disorders
What is neurochemistry?
action of chemicals in the brain
What is meant by the genetic basis of behaviour?
whether psychological chracteristics are inherited
What type of study are used to investigate whether certian psychological characteristics have a genetic basis?
twin studies
What is measured in twin studies?
concordance rates - the extent to which twins share the same characteristic
If a characteristic is genetic, what does this mean for monozygotic twins?
they would be concordant - share 100% of the same genes
If a charcteristic is genetic, what does this mean for dizygotic twins?
they would not be concordant as they only share 50% of the same genes
What is a person’s genotype?
the set of genes a person possesses
What is a person’s phenotype?
the way the genes are expressed through physical, behavioural & psychological characteristics
do monozygotic twins have the same phenotype?
no
What do many biological psychologists accept that much of human behaviour depends on?
an interaction between inherited factors & the environment
define evolution.
change in allele frequency in a population over time
How is evolution a cause of behaviour?
natural selection tells us that any genetically dermined behaviour that enhances and individual’s survival & reproduction continues to future generations
What are 2 strengths of the biological approach?
- real-world application - OCD
-> found to potentially have a genetic & neurochemical basis, so SSRIs can be used as a treatment - very scientific - very objective & falsifiable, uses scanning techniques eg. fMRIS
