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AQA Psychology - Approaches > The Biological Approach > Flashcards

The Biological Approach Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Biological Psychology?

A

Tries to explain human behaviour in terms of biology

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2
Q

What is the biological approach?

A
  • Combination of psychology and biology (= physiological) to explain behaviour
  • How we think, feel, behave according to physical factors within the body
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3
Q

Define physiology:

A

the study of the body and its parts and how they function

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4
Q

What are the assumptions of the biological approach?

A
  • Everything psychological is at first biological
  • Human behaviour as a physiological cause which may be genetically or environmentally altered
  • Genes affect behaviour and influence individual psychological difference
  • Mind lives in the brain
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5
Q

How does the cognitive approach differ from the biological approach according to the mind and the brain?

A

Cognitive believe brain and mind to be separate whilst biological believe the mind lives in the brain

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6
Q

What is meant by the genetic basis of behaviour?

A

Determine and provide evidence for the extent to which behaviours, or characteristics such as your IQ are the product of inheritance

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7
Q

How can you investigate the genetic basis of behaviours?

A
  • Twin studies
  • Family studies
  • Adoption studies
  • Selective breeding
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8
Q

What are twin study?

A

Studying twins in order to investigate the genetic basis of behaviour

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9
Q

What are monozygotic twins?

A

Share 100% of the same genes so are identical

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10
Q

What are dizygotic twins?

A

Have different genes so non-identical

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11
Q

What do concordance rates refers to?

A

The extent to which a pair of twins share similar traits or characteristics

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12
Q

What are adoption studies?

A

Comparing a trait or characteristic between adopted children and their biological or adoptive parents.

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13
Q

Define genes:

A

Basic units of heredity

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14
Q

How do genes functions?

A

In pairs

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15
Q

What do the recombination of the parents genes from the parents do?

A

Provide the basis of genetic variability

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16
Q

What is a genotype?

A

The genetic make-up which has the potential for characteristics

17
Q

What is the phenotype?

A

Observable characteristics of an individual

18
Q

What can the phenotype be affect by?

A

Genetics and environmental factors

19
Q

What is a recessive gene?

A

Only shows if an individual has two copies of the recessive gene

20
Q

What is a dominate gene?

A

Always shows, even if an individual only has one dominate gene

21
Q

What is evolution?

A

The changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over successive generations

22
Q

Who was key in the topic of evolution?

A

Charles Darwin

23
Q

What to main concepts did Charles Darwin propose?

A
  • Natural selection

- Sexual selection

24
Q

What is natural selection?

A

Animals with particular traits that provide them with an advantage are more likely to survive and reproduce thereby passing on their ‘adaptive traits’ to their offspring.

25
Q

What is sexual selection?

A
  • Males have an abundance of sperm and can reproduce with as many females as they want.
  • Females have limited eggs so she has to choose a father who will make an investment to the child
26
Q

Are the biological approach lacking scientific methods?

A

No

27
Q

Are the biological approach subjective or objective?

A

Objective

28
Q

What are the strengths of the biological approach?

A
  • Scientific (=causation)
  • Establishes psychology as a science
  • Impact of biology on behaviour can lead to treatment
  • Comparing abnormal to normal brain functions
  • Object due to uses of PET scans or EEGs
29
Q

What are the weakness of the biological approach?

A
  • Deterministic approach
  • Reductions (Dehumanising to biological machines)
  • Ignore effect of environment
  • May focus on rare conditions which have little impact on most people
  • Subjective to human error
  • Small restricted sample
  • Lacks ecological validity

AQA Psychology - Approaches (8 decks)

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