The Biological Approach Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the nativist approach?

A

The assumption that all behaviour is inherited.

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2
Q

What is the physiological approach?

A

Assumption that all behaviour is due to the functioning of internal body parts e.g. neurotransmitters.

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3
Q

What is the medical model?

A

The assumption that psychological disorders ultimately have a physical cause thus can be treated with medical methods.

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4
Q

Explain evolutionary influences on behaviour.

A
  • Adaptation of behaviour to meet demands
  • Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection - idea that genetically determined behaviour enhances chance of survival and reproduction
  • Altruism - a selfless inherited/adaptive behaviour e.g saving offspring which enhances survival of their gene pool
  • Environment of Evolutionary Adaptiveness - The environment that a species is adapted to
  • Only behaviour that enhances survival is adaptive e.g. humans large brains
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5
Q

Explain localisation of brain function

A
  • Localisation of brain function - different parts of the brain are responsible for different functions
  • Frontal lobe - thinking and creativity, Parietal lobe - sensory information, Temporal lobe - memory and auditory, occipital lobes - visual processing
  • There are specific areas of the brain linked to the production/processing of language e.g. Broca’s area - speech production, Wernicke’s area - understanding language.
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6
Q

Explain behaviour according to neurotransmitters

A
  • Neurons are cells that make up the nervous system
  • Neurons communicate at a synapse through neurotransmitters, they’re released from presynaptic vesicles and stimulate/inhibit receptors
  • Lack of certain neurotransmitters can cause mental health issues e.g. lack of Serotonin cause depression
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7
Q

How does the biological approach explain the formation of relationships?

A
  • Individuals form relationships with others who posses certain traits, traits that enhance reproduction are usually naturally selected
  • Fertility is the main trait that people look for in a partner
  • Humans form relationships based on the chemicals that are released in our brain when we see them this effects their emotions.
  • Kin selection - traits that enhance survival of those with similar genes e.g. siblings
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8
Q

Describe the types of antipsychotics and how they work.

A
  • Conventional/typical antipsychotics - Usually used to combat + side effects of schizophrenia, side effects last longer
  • Conventional antipsychotics work by binding to dopamine receptors and not stimulating them therefore blocking the action of dopamine
  • Unconventional/Atypical antipsychotics - Are more temporary so side effects are lower
  • Unconventional antipsychotics work by temporarily occupying dopamine receptors then quickly detaching itself to allow normal dopamine transmission
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9
Q

Describe the types of antidepressants and how they work.

A
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) - these work by blocking the reabsorption of serotonin which leaves more serotonin in the synapse making the next transmission easier
  • Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors - Work by blocking enzymes that break down neurotransmitters
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10
Q

Describe the types of anti-anxiety drugs and how they work.

A
  • Benzodiazepines (BZs) - enhance the activity of GABA (bodies natural anxiety relief) which slows down the central nervous system (CNS)
  • BetaBlockers (BBs) - bind to receptors on the cell of the heart which makes it harder to stimulate cells to this body part therefore making the heart beat slower so blood pressure falls and there is less stress on the heart
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11
Q

Name and describe two strengths of drug therapy.

A

Drugs v placebo

  • Soomro et al (2008) reviewed 17 studies of SSRIs with OCD, patients found them more effective after 3 months of treatment
  • Kahn et al (1986) followed 250 patients over 8 weeks and concluded that BZs were superior to placebos
  • Counter argument - little long term data exists, so it cannot be concluded that drugs work better then the placebos in the long term

Comparison with other treatments

  • It is a cheap treatment as it would be covered under the NHS
  • It is less time consuming as after the initial consultation the doctor only needs to meet with the patient every couple of months to discuss the effects of the drug
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12
Q

Name and describe two weaknesses of drug therapy.

A

Side effects
- Many drugs have serious side effects that could cause an individual to stop taking the drug, tricyclic antidepressants tend to have more side effects than SSRIs so are only used when SSRIs are ineffective
- Soomro et al (2008) - common side effects of SSRIs are nausea, headaches and insomnia
Symptoms not Cause
- The cause of the mental illness is not treated only the symptoms of the mental illness, leading to ‘revolving door syndrome’

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13
Q

What are two ethical issues of drug therapy?

A

Use of placebos
- No patient can be given a drug that is known to be inferior, so placebos cannot be used
- In a trial a placebo can be replaced by an existing drug
Valid consent
- Patients may not be able to fully understand or remember all the side effects of the drugs or may not be in the right frame of mind to accept

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14
Q

Explain the procedure of Raine (1997)

A
  • Sample obtained through opportunity sampling
  • Participants asked to practice a continuous performance task (CPT) which activated areas of the brain
  • Participants were given a tracer injection, which is taken up by active areas of the brain which makes it easier to see on the PET scan
  • PET scan done on each participant 32 mins after the injection was given
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15
Q

What were the findings of Raines quasi-experiment?

A
  • Reduced activity - in areas previously linked to violence
  • abnormal asymmetries - reduced activity on the left side of the brain
  • Brain structures - there were no differences in brain structures
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16
Q

What were the conclusions of Raine (1997)?

A
  • links shown between areas of the brain and aggression

- murderers pleading NGRI have different brain functions then normal individuals

17
Q

What are two strengths of Raine et al (1997)?

A

The research method
- Data was collected using a PET scan, allows research of detailed regions of the brain, also allowed Raine to examine how the brain processes information differently
- Increases reliability as the experiment can be replicated
Ethics
- Participants all signed consent forms and followed protocols that were approved by the human subjects committee, so all were protected from harm and gave consent
- Counter argument, if they pled insanity they wouldn’t be in the right mind set to give consent

18
Q

What are two weaknesses of Raine et al (1997)?

A

A Quasi-experiment

  • The independent variable was not manipulated by the experimenter
  • Casual conclusions cannot be drawn, what made them murderers is not known many other factors may have contributed to it

The sample

  • The sample was only murderers so conclusions cannot be generalised to all types of violent offenders, conclusions are restricted to a small number of people
  • All murderers were form California so the experiment was ethnocentric.
19
Q

What are three strengths of the biological approach?

A
  • Scientific - have clear variables that can be measured, tracked and examined
  • Determinist - if we know what predetermines our behaviour it is easier to treat abnormal behaviour, provides explanations for the causes of behaviour which can be used to improve quality of life
  • Successful application - Cherek et al (2002): males with criminal behaviour had lower levels of aggression after a 21 day course of antidepressants
20
Q

What are three weaknesses of the biological approach?

A
  • Reductionist - reduces complex behaviour to simple explanations which can cause us to lose the real understanding of the subject
  • Nature over nurture - focuses more on the nature side of the argument and widely ignored nurture
  • individual differences - it makes generalisations about people and how their bodies work