paper 2 - A - approaches Flashcards
What’s the biological approach?
is the influence of genes, biological structures and neurochemistry on human behaviour.
What are the key assumptions of the biological approach?
- Everything psychological is first biological
2.To understand the human behaviour psychologists should look at the biological structures ( genes and the nervous system)
3.Damage to a part of the brain can cause a behaviour/characteristic change
4.The mind lives in the brain so all thoughts and feelings so they have a physical basis
Why are twin studies used to prove the biological approach?
1.They are used to see the likelihood of certain traits being genetic by comparing concordance rates.
2.If identical twins (monogynous) have a higher concordance rate than non identical twins (dizygotic) that would suggest the topic they are studying is genetic
What are concordance rates?
The extent of both twins sharing the same characteristics
What type of twins are identical?
monozygotic
What type of twins are unidentical?
dizygotic
What’s a genotype?
A persons genes ( genetic makeup)
What’s a phenotype?
The way genes are expressed physically and behaviourally.
As twins have the same genotype will they look alike?
Not always as of environmental factors .
EG. if they exercise, dyed hair
What’s natural selection?
Any genetical determined behaviours that enhances a species survival will be passed on when an organism reproduces.
Scientific methods of investigating the Biological approach?
fMRI’S and EEG’S and family/twin studies
meaning this approach is based on reliable data.
Strengths of the Biological Approach?
1.it led to the development of psychoactive drugs that treat mental illnesses like depression
Thus means that people can live relatively normal lives and not be hospitalised.
What’s a limitation of the Biological Approach? (mental illnesses)
- This approach explains mental illnesses in terms of the actions of neurotransmitters in the brain
2.This is though as a certain drug reduces symptoms of mental illnesses so they predicted the neurochemical in the drug causes the mental illness - Discovering a link between two factors doesnt mean its the cause
What’s a limitation of the Biological Approach? (legal system)
- This approach sees human behaviour as controlled by genetics, which we cannot control
2.A part of the law is that criminals are responsible for their actions
3.The Biological Approach complicates this as it suggests there is a “criminal gene”.
Assumptions of evolution in the Biological Approach?
-The brain has evolved to solve problems encountered by our ancestors
Weaknesses of the biological approach (evolution) ?
-isn’t empirical as we weren’t there at the start of time
Strengths of the biological approach? (evolution)
-field of medicine
-understanding relationships and mate selection between men and women
Whats classical conditioning?
learning through association
What are the assumption of the behaviourist approach?
- its only interested in studying behaviour that can be measured
2.They reject introspection
what is the behaviourist approach?
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning.
Pavlov classical conditioning?
- classical conditioning is learning through association
2.He discovered dogs can salivate for food if you ring a bell each time they are given food
3.Soon they associate the sound with the food so salivate when hearing the sound
What’s operant conditioning?
A form of learning where behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. EG. positive reinforcement and negative punishments.
What did Skinner think (operant conditioning)?
- He suggested that learning is an active process where humans and animals operate on their environment
- There are three types of consequences of behaviour:
- POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT = receiving a reward when displaying a certain behaviour
- NEGATIVE REINFIRCEMENT= when and animal or human learns to avoid something unpleasant
5.PUNISHMENT= unpleasant consequence of a behaviour
Real life application of the behaviourist approach?
- operant conditioning is the basis of prisons and psychiatric wards. If they behave they get rewarded (token economy)
2.Classixal conditioning has been used for phobias