physiological approach Flashcards
what are the assumptions of the physiological approach
our behaviour and experience is determined by our biology
our behaviour is largely controlled by the brain or the nervous system e.g through hormones or neurotransmitters
people are biological machines
inheritence of genes is important for understanding behaviour
how are the two studies similar
both are similar in reliability as they use standardised procedures
both use quasi experiments
both are fairly ethical
both use opportunity sampling with an independent measures design
both have restricted samples- ethnocentric
both are useful as they encourage neuro plasticity
both use specialised equipment
both are high in experimental validity but lack ecological validity
how do the two studies differ
sperry uses a snapshot study where casey uses a longitudinal study
sperry only used opportunity sampling where casey used self selected as well as opportunity
sperrys sample all had a medical condition
sperrys sample had a decent age range, caseys sample were at a standardised age (4)
sperrys sample lacks reliability but casey lacks reliability in the procedure
sperry collects both quantitative and qualitative data, casey only collects quantitative data
what’s good about the physiological approach
the physiological approach favours the use of experiments which allows for the comparison of conditions, so cause and effect can be established
it is also useful as it helps us to understand human behaviour. we can therefore apply it to society to bring about positive change.
what’s bad about the physiological approach
reductionist as it only acknowledges biology when explaining human behaviour and neglects to consider the impact that life experiences have on individuals
the physiological theory also has some negative ethical implications. it can lead to the labelling of individuals which in turn can cause self fulfilling prophecy.
