biological approach to explaining ocd ao3

Question 1

how does nestadt’s twin studies show support for ocd being caused by genetics

Answer 1

nestadt et al reviewed previous twin studies and found a concordance rate of ocd to be 68% in twins

Question 2

how does cromer et al show that environmental risk factors can trigger ocd (weakness)

Answer 2

cromer et al found that over half of their samples ocd patients had a traumatic event in their past and that it was more severe in those with more than one trauma. this suggests that ocd cannot be entirely genetic in origin, may be more productive to focus on environment because we are more able to do something about these

Question 3

how are antidepressants a strength of the biological explanation of ocd

Answer 3

evidence to support neural mechanisms in ocd, antidepressants focused on serotonin are effective in reducing symptoms which suggests that the serotonin system is involved in ocd

Question 4

how is uncertainty of neural mechanisms a weakness of the biological explanation of ocd

Answer 4

studies of decision making have shown that these neural systems are the same that function abnormally in ocd. however research has also identified other brain systems that may be involved sometimes but no system always plays a role in ocd. we cannot therefore really claim to understand the neural mechanisms involved in ocd

Question 5

how is causation and assumptions a weakness of the biological explanation of ocd

Answer 5

evidence to suggest that various neurotransmitters and structures of the brain do not function normally in ocd patients. however this abnormal function may not cause the ocd, it could be a result of ocd instead