The biological approach

Question 1

What is the main assumption of the biological approach?

Answer 1

Human behaviour can be explained by recognising that the psychological, is at first biological.

Question 2

What is the genetic basis of behaviour of genes?

Answer 2

• Psychological characteristics such as personality etc are inherited in the same way as physical characteristics such as height.
• Twin studies are used to see if concordance rates are higher in MZ than DZ twins, if it is true that psychological characteristics are inherited.

Question 3

What is a genotype?

Answer 3

A person’s actual genetic make up.

Question 4

What is a phenotype?

Answer 4

A person’s genetic make up being expressed through their environment.

Question 5

How do biological structures and neurochemistry affect behaviour?

Answer 5

Investigation into the actual physiology of the brain and how neurotransmitters work has been accelerated by the development of technology, acculturately demonstrating the relationship between brain functioning and behaviour.

Question 6

Outline evolution and its effect on behaviour.

Answer 6

Darwin proposed that stronger characteristics were more likely to be reproduced, through his theory of natural selection. Jealousy is a form of evolved reproduction, used for mate guarding.

Question 7

Evaluate the biological approach.

Answer 7

+Uses scientific method which increases reliability and validity.
+Applications into the treatment of OCD, SSRI drug therapy.
-Biological explanations are reductionist, cannot take into account of complexity of behaviour.
-Problems with evolutionary explanations, may have cultural origins.