the biological approach Flashcards
assumptions of the biological approach
-much of human behaviour has a physiological cause
-biological factors such as genes affect behaviour and influence individual psychological differences between people
darwins theory of natural selection
-genetics of successful species are inherited towards the next generation and enhance survival chances
-individuals that have poor genetics are gradually removed from the gene pool
-seligmans preparedness theory= we are more likely to develop phobias/ fears of objects events and situations that would have harmed us in the past
what is the genotype
the actual genetic makeup
what is the phenotype
how genes are expressed through physical behavioural and psychological characteristics
what is monozygotic
identical twins 100% genetic information is shared
what is dizygotic
fraternal twins 50% genetic information is shared
what is concordance rate in twin studies
the extent to which a pair of twins share similar traits or characteristics- should be 100% between mz twins if a characteristic in genetic
what are family studies
looking at similarities/ traits between biological parents and offspring
simplistic viewpoint of family studies
any resemblance between family relatives could be a result of both genes and shared environment
what are adoption studies
used to compare the childs behaviour away from the environmental influences of the parents
strengths of the biological approach
-impact of biology on behaviour can lead to treatment of those suffering
-establishes psychology as a respectable science
-we can find cause and effect of both physiology and behaviour
limitations of the biological approach
-ignores the role of the environment
-research may focus on rare conditions that have little impact on most people
-lacks ecological validity
-small or restricted samples make findings difficult to generalise
