The biological approach

Question 1

What does this approach see behaviour being rooted in?

Answer 1

The physiology and biology of the body, including the processes that occur

Question 2

What are the three core assumptions of the biological approach?

Answer 2

Behaviour is affected by:

• Genetics
• The central nervous system
• The chemistry of the body

Question 3

What is a genotype?

Answer 3

The genetic make-up of an individual, which occurs at conception

Question 4

How many genes is each individual thought to have?

Answer 4

Around 10,000

Question 5

Give an example of a characteristic that a genotype affects

Answer 5

Hair and eye colour

Question 6

What is a phenotype?

Answer 6

The characteristics that are shown by an individual that occur through genes interacting with environment

Question 7

Give an example of a phenotype

Answer 7

Height: The genotype relates to genetic instructions, such as having the potential to be tall, but if the environment does not provide the optimum conditions then the individual will not fulfil this potential, making the height they actually become their phenotype

Question 8

How many pairs of chromosomes is an individual typically born with?

Answer 8

23

Question 9

What type of twins are used in studies of genetics and why?

Answer 9

Monozygotic because they share 100% of their genes, so a concordance rate can be established

Question 10

How much genetic material do dizygotic twins share?

Answer 10

50%

Question 11

When do twin studies argue that there is a genetic component?

Answer 11

If the MZ twins show a higher likelihood of sharing behaviours/disorders than DZ twins

Question 12

What does concordance rate mean in twin studies?

Answer 12

The amount of shared behaviour

Question 13

How does evolution shape human behaviour?

Answer 13

1. A random mutation in the genetic make-up of an individual occurs that changes behaviour or characteristics of that individual
2. If that change means that the chances of survival/reproduction are reduced the gene is not passed on, but if it increases these chances the mutation is passed to the individual’s offspring (adaptive value)
3. The gene becomes common within the species,although this occurs over many generations

Question 14

Why do biological psychologists believe that examination of non-human behaviours is useful?

Answer 14

The behaviour in animals occurs in a similar evolutionary process as humans

Question 15

Give an example of an animal behaviour that is widespread and adaptive, and can also be found in humans?

Answer 15

Aggression: Increases access to resources, protects territory and aids finding a mate

Question 16

What genetic basis of aggression have biological psychologists found and how common is it?

Answer 16

MAOA (warrior gene), found in one third of men (Lea et al.)

Question 17

What are the three key biological structures that are useful in explaining human behaviour?

Answer 17

1. The nervous system
2. The neuron
3. The endocrine system

Question 18

What is the nervous system divided into?

Answer 18

The central and peripheral nervous systems

Question 19

What is the central nervous system?

Answer 19

The brain and spinal cord; transfers messages to and from the environment and acts as the centre from which all physiology of the body is controlled, and most actions and reactions are generated from the CNS

Question 20

What is the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 20

Sends and receives information to and from the central nervous system and collects information from the environment. The autonomic nervous system is important for survival and affects reaction to the threat. The somatic system comprises the muscles attached to the skeleton and is therefore important for movement

Question 21

What is a neuron?

Answer 21

A nerve cell which transfers information between the nervous systems. There are billions within the human body and their structure varies depending on their function

Question 22

What is the endocrine system’s job?

Answer 22

To maintain hormone levels in the blood and other bodily fluid by using glands within the body, the most important of which is the pituitary

Question 23

Why is the pituitary gland nicknamed the “master gland”?

Answer 23

It instructs the other glands to secrete hormones when necessary

Question 24

What is neurochemistry?

Answer 24

The biochemistry of the central nervous system; the chemicals that travel around the brain are called neurotransmitters, and are thought to affect behaviour

Question 25

Give an example of neurochemistry affecting behaviour?

Answer 25

High levels of a neurotransmitter called dopamine is linked to schizophrenia

Question 26

How can the biological approach be criticised?

Answer 26

• Too simplistic and do not do the complexity of human behaviour justice
• Supports the nature side of the nature-nurture debate

Question 27

What are the strengths of the biological approach?

Answer 27

• It uses scientific and objective methods of investigation, e.g. brain scans and biochemical levels
• Practical applications such as drugs that help symptoms

Question 28

What is the difference between the central and peripheral nervous systems?

Answer 28

1. Different functions - One controls response, the other provides information
2. Different areas of control - Brain and spinal cord, muscles and sensory neurones

Question 29

What is the genome project?

Answer 29

An assessment of behaviour is made and then your geneology is cross-referenced with everyone else in the database to compare your behaviour with other people who contain the same gene to find similarities in behaviour. This has allowed biologists to pinpoint genes responsible for behaviour