BIOLOGICAL: overall evaluation

Question 1

Strength: determinism

Answer 1

• if all behaviour is caused by preceding factors and is predictable, then treatment can be developed easier as cause and effect can be established
• people with abnormalities can be treated. Theory is highly applicable to helping people with abnormalities and researching for potential causes.
• for example, if we can understand how NTs work in the brain and how they impact human behaviour then drug therapy can be developed. Antidepressant drugs have been developed based on the research that too little seretonin causes depression and so the behaviour can be corrected through drug therapy to correct seretonin levels
• therefore biological approach is determinist as it proposes that all behaviour has a cause and so it can therefore be changed and treated

Question 2

Strength: nomothetic

Answer 2

• psychologists are concerned with what similarities we share and how it can create ‘laws’ or generalisation through scientific and replicable studies
• if the research and findings are able to be generalised then treatment can be widely used and therefore externally valid, meaning they’d be more effective too
• for example, Raines 1997 study that aimed to find generalisations of brain abnormalities within murderers. Didn’t find generalisations due to small sample and lack of variety but did identify potential predispositions - could be replicated
• therefore biological approach is nomothetic as it attempts to find similarities between groups of people to establish generalisations

Question 3

Weakness: not interactionist

Answer 3

• it is nature>nurture - biopsych emphasise importance of innate factors not social
• therefore may ignore significant behavioural developments that would be important when considering treatments
• for example treat behaviour abnormalities via drug therapy which alters the NT in brain dependant in illness ie seretonin for depression but does not address reasoning for depression
• lead to partially ineffective treatment because the root cause may not be treated or issue may continue
• therefore bio approach is not interactionist as it doesn’t explain behaviour with both biology and experience, leaving a partial explanation

Question 4

Strength: scientific

Answer 4

• research has been carried out in an objective manner where a hypothesis is tested and data is produced
• more likely to believe if proven scientifically and therefore effective treatments more likely to develop from it
• research into how NT impact behaviour lead to development of DT & Raines study used a PET scan
• therefore bio approach is scientific as it used clear and measurable variables with an objective data collection method to prove research behaviour

Question 5

Strength: applicable

Answer 5

• research been made into a real life purpose and is used in current therapies and to develop/improve more
• benefits those who receive therapy and the principles of approach are strengthened, making more likely to be used in practise
• ie NT research lead to DT so a safer society - Kahn’s study
• therefore bio approach applicable to society

Question 6

Weakness: reductionist

Answer 6

• bio approach explains complex behaviour by reducing it down to its constituent parts (simple explanations)
• offers an explanation that is potentially too simplistic and therefore there is a loss of real understanding about why the behaviour occurs
• ignores the situational factors so is an incomplete explanation which could lead to incomplete treatment
• ie. NT explain behaviour so only DT used, not any psychological therapy
• therefore bio approach reductionist as reduces behaviour to simple factor and Hines in, ignoring others