The Biological approach

Question 1

What does the biological approach focus on?

Answer 1

How biological factors, such as genes, impact on behaviour

Question 2

What does the biological approach mainly use for their research?

Answer 2

Twin studies

Question 3

What do twin studies show about behaviour in general?

Answer 3

Monozygotic twins (who share 100% of genotype) have a higher concordance rate with behaviour than dizygotic twins (who share 50% of genotype) showing the genetic component in behaviour

Question 4

What are some issues with using twin studies?

Answer 4

• They are an unusual sample which makes it harder to generalise to non-twins
• It is hard to separate nature and nurture
• Never 100% concordance rate so other factors other than genetics must play a role

Question 5

What type of studies are used by the biological approach psychologists? Why is this a strength?

Answer 5

Laboratory
Reliable
Control of variables
Scientific

Question 6

What are two assumptions of the biological approach?

Answer 6

Everything psychological was at first biological

Evolution plays a significant role in psychology

Question 7

What would the biological approach psychologists look at to further their understanding of psychology?

Answer 7

Chemistry of the body and biological structures

Question 8

What does the biological approach fail to do?

Answer 8

Take into account the impact of the environment, surroundings and upbringing on everything psychological, meaning it is an incomplete explanation

Question 9

What do the biological approach psychologists believe in terms of linking behaviour to evolution?

Answer 9

animals have adapted over time to suit their environment and link this back to changes in behaviours in humans

Question 10

What is a significant limitation of the biological approach?

Answer 10

It is deterministic
Leaves little room for free will
Assumes the way we behave is already determined for us and we have very little impact on it

Question 11

What are limitations of using lab studies?

Answer 11

Produce low ecological validity

Question 12

Do the biological approach psychologists believe you can use animals to study human behaviour?

Answer 12

Yes

They believe that humans and animals share a lot of biological similarities

Question 13

Outline Gottesman’s study into twins? (1991)

Answer 13

• Meta-analysis of 40 twin studies looking at schizophrenia
• Identical twins - 48% concordance rate
• Non-identical twins - 17% concordance rate
• Schizophrenia has a strong genetic basis

Question 14

What are some evaluative points for Gottesman’s study?

Answer 14

• Carried out on field studies so it has high ecological validity
• The expected concordance for identical twins is 100% but this is not the case so other factors must be involved
• Hard to separate nature from nurture

Question 15

What two types of studies are used to look at the influence of biology?

Answer 15

• Twin studies

- Adoption studies

Question 16

Outline the methodology of Heston’s adoption study of schizophrenia. (1966)

Answer 16

• 47 adopted children whose biological mothers had schizophrenia were studied
• Control group of 50 adopted children whos biological mother’s didn’t suffer from schizophrenia
• Followed up as adults and were interviewed, given intelligence and personality tests

Question 17

What were the results of Heston’s adoption study of schizophrenia (1966)

Answer 17

5 out of 47 became schizophrenic
4 out of 47 were considered borderline schizophrenic
0 in the control group became schizophrenic
Shows schizophrenia has a genetic basis

Question 18

What are some evaluative points for Heston’s adoption study? (1966)

Answer 18

• Interview data can be unreliable and affected by social desirability
• But they are a good way to get naturalistic data
• Adopted children who’s mothers didn’t suffer might not have shown symptoms YET, cant rule it out