The Biological Approach

Question 1

What are the three basic assumptions of the biological approach

Answer 1

• Human behaviour can be explained by looking at biological stuff such as hormones genetics evolution and the nervous system
• In theory if we can explain all behaviour using biological causes, unwanted behaviours could be modified or removed using biological treatments
• experimental research using animals can inform us about human behaviour and biological influences

Question 2

What to biological psychologists believe about genetics

Answer 2

They believe that genetics can explain psychological traits. These are things like gender, behaviour, intelligence, personality and sexual orientation

Question 3

What was the method used by gottesman

Answer 3

A meta analysis of approximately 40 twin studies

Question 4

What where the results of gottesman

Answer 4

It was found that having an identical twin with schizophrenia gave you 48% higher change of the condition. This reduced to 17% in non identical

Question 5

What was the conclusion of gottesman

Answer 5

Schizophrenia has a strong genetic basis

Question 6

What is some positive evaluation of gottesman

Answer 6

Meta analysis was carried out on field studies. Giving research high ecological validity.

Question 7

What was some negtive evaluations of gottesman’s study

Answer 7

• Twins share 100% genetics but don’t always both suffer from the condition suggesting there is another factor
• identical twins tend to be treated more similarly than non identical twins and so the family environment may play a large role

Question 8

What was the method used in Heston

Answer 8

47 adopted children who’s biological mothers had schizophrenia were studied.
There was a control of 50 adopted children whose biological mothers did not have schizophrenia
The children where interviewed as adults and given intelligence and personality tests

Question 9

What results of Heston’s study into schizophrenia

Answer 9

Experimental groups: 5 schizophrenic, 4 borderline schizophrenic

Control group: none

Question 10

What is the conclusion of Heston’s study

Answer 10

The study supports the view that schizophrenia has a genetic basis

Question 11

What is some negative Evolutions of Heston’s study

Answer 11

• Interview data can be unreliable and affected by social desirability bias
• the adopted children who’s mothers didn’t suffer from schizophrenia might just have not shown symptoms

Question 12

What is a positive evaluation of Heston

Answer 12

Interviews are effective in getting naturalistic data

Question 13

What did I psychologists rely on before brain scanning

Answer 13

Case studies of people who had suffered brain injures. If the person had brain damage in a certain area and had a change in behaviour as a result of this it was assumed the two where related.

Question 14

What is an example of a case study where a certain area of the brain received damage resulting in a change in behaviour

Answer 14

Phineas Gage,
Damaged frontal lobe from result of explosion where iron rod went in head
After he became less organised, more aggressive and impulsive
Led to belief this area of the brain related to these characteristics

Question 15

What are the five types of brain scans

Answer 15

• PET scans
• CAT scans
• MRI scans
• Functional MRI scans
• Squid magnetometry

Question 16

What are PET scans

Answer 16

Shows which part of the brain are active while performing different tasks

Question 17

What are CAT scans

Answer 17

These are scans which detect damaged part of the brain. Structure not function is shown

Question 18

What are MRI scans

Answer 18

Provides detailed information about brain structure

Question 19

What are functional MRI scans

Answer 19

Provides structural and functional information about the brain

Question 20

SQUID magnetometry

Answer 20

This produces accurate images for the brains activity

Question 21

What was the method of Maguire et Al

Answer 21

MRI scans of 16 London Taxi drivers where compared with a control group who had never driven taxis.

All the taxi drivers had been working for at least 18 months with an average of 44.

Question 22

What where the results from Maguire et al’s study

Answer 22

The average size of the right posterior hippocampus was significantly larger in the taxi driver group than the control

The increased size was also relative to the time the taxi driver has been working.

Question 23

What was the conclusion of Maguire et al’s study

Answer 23

The hippocampus is responsible for storing a spacial representation of an environment. Specific demands placed on the brain can result in a structural change

Question 24

What is some positive emulation of Maguire et al’s study

Answer 24

The findings in the study to could be used to help those with brain injures.

The study has a good level of control allowing for it to be replicated easily

Question 25

What is some negative evaluation of Maguire et al’s study

Answer 25

The sample size is too small so the results should not be generalised to the whole of London taxi drivers.

The results cannot be generalised to other areas of the brain

Question 26

What was found about aggression as part of the brain structure

Answer 26

Damaging areas of the brain of cats led to changes in aggression. Their research suggest that the hypothalamus and amygdala are involved in aggression.

Question 27

What was found about memory as part of the brain structure

Answer 27

Damage to hippocampus caused struggle in use of longer term memory

Question 28

What as found about psychopathology as part of the brain structure

Answer 28

There was difference in the prefrontal cortex when comparing people with schizophrenia

Question 29

What are some strenghts of biological approach

Answer 29

The approach is backed up with evidence making its theory very scientific

If a biological cause can be found for conditions such a mental health then biological treatments can be developed to help them

Question 30

What are the weaknesses of the biological approach

Answer 30

The approach doesn’t take into account the influence of people environment, their family, childhood experiences of situations.

Finding biological causes for negative behaviour can lead to people not taking any personal responsibility for their behaviour