Biological Approach - EVALUATIONS Flashcards
Name one strength of the biological approach
Use of scientific methods
Give evidence and explanation to support this (EE)
Experimental methods - main method of investigation
They take place in highly controlled environments - uses sophisticated imaging and recording techniques inc. PET & fMRI
To support your overall point give a conclusion
Therefore they’re easy to replicate - adding validity to original findings if they can be reproduced
Name another strength of the biological approach
Application to treatment of psychological disorders
Give evidence and explanation to support this (EE)
Research in neurochemical imbalances in depression - led to the development of drug treatments
E.g SSRI - stops the reuptake of serotonin in synapse & increase level of serotonin being absorbed by pos-synaptic neurons - alleviating symptoms of depression
To support your overall point give a conclusion
Therefore improved many who suffer from depression - providing suitable drug treatments
Name one criticism of the biological approach
Problem with evolutionary explanations of behaviour
Give evidence and explanation to support this (EE)
Many human behaviours can be transmitted by both genetic and cultural routes
Many patterns of human behaviour - have cultural origins - with no survival benefit e.g musical appreciation
To support your overall point give a conclusion
Evolutionary explanations - unable to explain behaviours with no survival benefit so they don’t provide complete theory of human behaviour
Give another criticism of the biological approach
Danger of genetic explanations
Give evidence and explanation to support this (EE)
Recent research - genetic basis for criminal behaviour - concerns about info being used
E.g critics claim - leads to genetic screening to identify people at risk of criminality - discriminates those people
To support your overall point give a conclusion
Therefore individual may be labelled as criminals because of genes - but it’s more complex than that
Why is the biological approach a reductionist?
Views that human behaviour can be experienced by breaking it into its smallest components - genes, neurotransmitters, and hormones
Give evidence to support this
E.g biological explanation - depression caused by low level of serotonin - ignoring cognitive, emotional, and cultural factors
So the conclusion is…
There are other factors which contribute to depression - therefore the biological approach ignores all these other factors
