Biological Approach - Evaluating The Biological Approach

Question 1

Is the biological approach deterministic or free will, what is the strengths/weakness of it

Answer 1

• determinism
  BECAUSE
• neurotransmitters, brain function, evolution, genetics, hormones —> controls how you behave, e.g. low serotonin = depression
  STRENGTHS
• develop laws of behaviours due to cause and effect, e.g. testosterone causes aggression
  WEAKNESS
• if behaviour is inescapeable = Removes personal responsibility

Question 2

Is the biological approach reductionist or Holism, what is the strengths/weakness of it

Answer 2

• Reductionism
  BECAUSE
• Humans are complex. Biological psychology explains we are who we are as the product of our biology.
• e.g. developed complex brain: survival of the fittest EEA —> biologically superior
• e.g. Criminality can be explained through brain function
  STRENGTHS
• We can isolate factors to investigate cause (IV) and effect (DV) —> more scientific
  WEAKNESS
• Too simplistic, e.g. there are many different theories of crime, Raine said —> environmental causes

Question 3

Is the biological approach Useful or not useful, what is the strengths/weakness of it

Answer 3

• useful
  BECAUSE
• Before drug therapy people with schizophrenia would’ve been institutionalised. Now we can combat depression, anxiety and schizophrenia
  STRENGTH
• schizophrenics can have a normal life, we can develop cures for mental diseases using organoids, decide how to treat criminals in court
  WEAKNESS
• brain organoids being taken too far, e.g. mice with highly developed brains
• Raine said that environmental factors also might’ve cause crime + his expirement was quasi and not cause + effect
• drug therapy isn’t always effective/ethical: doesn’t treat symptoms (revolving door syndrome) + placebo - moral?

Question 4

Is the biological approach idiographic or nomothetic, what is the strengths/weakness of it

Answer 4

• Nomothetic
  BECUASE
• we are all products of our genes/evolution, e.g. EEA
• all our brains control our behaviour (e.g. amygdala = emotions)
• All boys have testosterone = aggressive = males are aggressive
• biology is the same for all, everyone’s depression = low serotonin, schizophrenia = high dopamine
  STRENGTHS
• laws can be generalised = treatments
• easy to come up with treatments
  WEAKNESS
• Doesn’t account for other social/environmental factors that cause individual differences (individuality)

Question 5

Is the biological approach Nature or nurture , what is the strengths/weakness of it

Answer 5

• Nature
  BECAUSE
• we all innately have a developed complex brain, EEA
• we can’t change what we’ve inherited, all behaviour is a result of biology, not nurture (conditioning)
• you can’t condition low dopamine
  STRENGTH
• you can isolate and experiment on 1 factor
  WEAKNESS
• Diathesis stress might be a better explanation as it takes into account both bio (diathesis) and social factors (stress)
  —> the stress part being environmental triggers, e.g. maltreatment

Question 6

Is the biological approach scientific or unscientific, what is the strengths/weakness of it

Answer 6

• partially scientific
  BECAUSE
• we can measure hormones and use PET, MRI, CT scan. This makes it objective and replicative
• HOWEVER its only correlational: it doesn’t test causal relationships —> can’t assume cause + effect
  STRENGTH
• people are more likely to believe the principles of the approach if its scientific
  WEAKNESS
• Due to ethical restrictions, some research cannot be carried out in a scientific way