Biological Approach Flashcards
The central nervous system, especially the brain is essential for what?
thought and behaviour.
what is human behaviour strongly influenced by?
Genetic inheritance
chemical processes in the brain are responsible for?
psychological functioning, can affect the bipolar mood disorder
are the brain and mind the same?
Yes
What do philosophers and psychologists argue that the difference between the brain and mind is?
The brain is physical & the mind is mental.
what do humans have much in common with?
animals
what sort of method is the biological approach?
scientific & technological
The function of different structures in the brain are investigated using?
EEG & MRI scanners
what do they use to investigate brain function?
Animals
What are the case studies about?
people who have had brain damage to understand the role of a specific area of the brain for personality, behaviour and perception.
Selective breeding of animals determines what?
what the behaviours and characteristics may have a genetic basis
why do these use experimentations with chemicals to effect the brain?
to investigate human behaviour
what is the study of identical and non identical twins about?
genetic inheritance or human characteristics.
what is genetics?
make up of organisms, how genes influence physical and behavioural characteristics.
What is heredity?
the traits, characteristics and behavioural tendencies inherited from their parents
what is a genotype?
a personals actual genetic make up represented in the normal 23 pairs of chromosomes.
What is a phenotype?
the actual expression of the persons genetic make up: physical appearance, behavioural and psychological characteristics.
What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?
The visibility of them.
What is a dominant gene?
when either both gene pairs are dominant or one is dominant and one is recessive
What is a recessive gene?
Does not influence the expression of a physical characteristic
What is the disease PKU?
Where genotype can be influenced by environmental factors and thus influenced the phenotype. The recessive gene can produce sever learning difficulties: unable to metabolise.
(A01) -In twin studies what does monozygotic (MZ) mean?
exactly the same - share the same genetic make up.
(A01) -In twin studies what does Dizygotic (DZ) mean?
aka fraternal twins. Not alike.
(A01)- in twin studies what does it mean when they are concordant?
if both or neither of the twins exhibits the trait.
(A01) - what does it mean if the twins are said to be discordant?
When one twin shows the trait and the other does not.
(A02)- why is it argued that you would expect higher levels of concordance between MZ and DZ twins for psychological characteristics?
Because identical twins are treated the same.
(A02)- are environmental experiences more alike for MZ or DZ twins?
MZ
(A02)- what have psychologists studied about MZ Twins?
That they were separated at bring in early life and brought up separately and in different environments.
(A01) Adoption studies - investigating heritability - what does it involve?
Comparing a trait or characteristics between adopted children and the children of their biological parents.
(A01) adoption studies - if a trait/psychological characteristic is heritable what does this mean?
the biological children show greater similarity for that characteristics with their biological parents compared to children of adoptive parents.
(A01) adoption studies: - an example of role of heritability?
heritability coefficient is higher with their natural parents than their adoptive parents
(A02) adoption studies: - what’s this got an advantage of?
Children sharing a similar environment
(A02) adoption studies: - what did Cloniger (1987) report?
that sons of alcoholic biological parents were more likely to become alcoholics themselves compared to children reared by adoptive parents
2 strengths?
- it is very scientific
- provides strong counter arguments to the nurture side of nature nurture debate.
2 weaknesses?
- doesn’t adequately explain how mind and body interact
- it explains thoughts and behaviour in terms of actions of neurons or biochemicals, ignoring other suitable explanations.
