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Outline the biological approach (6 marks)1) The biological approach assumes that every psychological is at first biological or physiological
and therefore to understand human behaviour, we must look at biological structures and
processes in the body.
2) Biological psychologists look at the influence of genes on behaviour, as it is believed that our
behaviour has adapted to our environment through evolution.
3) Twin studies have been used to investigate whether certain psychological characteristics
have a genetic basis, this is achieved by analysing concordance rates. Monozygotic twins
share 100% of the same DNA, whereas dizygotic twins share 50% of the same DNA meaning
psychologists can use this to measure the influence of environmental factors. For example,
the concordance rate found by Gottesman (1991) for developing schizophrenia is 48% in
monozygotic twins but only 17% in dizygotic twins.
4) Biological psychologists look at whether certain brain regions underpin certain functions.
5) The do this via brain scanning and also post-mortem exams. To illustrate the occipital lobe
has been linked to visual perception and the parietal lobe is linked to the processing of
sensory information.
6) Biological psychologists also believe that the nervous system, hormones, and
neurotransmitters influence our behaviour. A big quantity of research has shown mood
changes in females due to the menstrual cycle and the level of particular hormones being
secreted.
Evaluate the biological approach (10 marks)
Point 1 – real world applications
A strength of the biological approach in psychology is that it has very useful real world applications to
help treat disorders. When looking at depression, the biological approach influenced the
development of drug therapy through looking at behaviour through neurotransmitters. This led to
SSRI’s which prolong the duration of serotonin in the synapse to prevent as much being reabsorbed.
This type of treatment has been found to be very effective, March et al found an 81% of significant
improvement in depression symptoms after treating patients for 36 weeks. This is important as it
allows the individuals to take control over their behaviour rather than having to behave in a way
determined by their biology.
Point 2 – scientific methods
Another strength of the biological approach is that it uses objective and scientific methods to study
behaviour. Scanning techniques performed on brains to locate areas that control specific functions,
such as FMRIs and EEGs are very scientific methods of measuring behaviour because they accurately
measure physiological and neural processes objectively and reliably. This means that any evidence
found is replicable and falsifiable. This is important as it implicates that any research supporting the
biological approach has high internal validity and can establish an obvious cause and effect.
Point 3 – very deterministic approach
However, this approach can be criticised for being deterministic. Biological determinism means all
behaviour has physiological or genetic cause and assumes we have no individual control over our
behaviour. This can be seen as a criticism as it can lead to discrimination against those with a
predisposition for a certain type of behaviour or excuses for people that behave in a certain way. For
example, forensic psychology focusing on the role of biological factors such as the MAOA gene and
, the pre-frontal cortex as explanations for offending can cause discrimination against those carrying
the MAOA gene even if they have not committed a crime or, it can suggest that some criminals are
not responsible for their actions, allowing them to avoid sentencing even if there are a danger to
society. This is a criticism of the biological approach as it assumes we cannot change our behaviour
and dehumanises individuals due to the basis of their biology.
Outline and evaluate Wundt’s role in the emergence of psychology as a science (8 marks)
A01 - Wilhelm Wandt is referred to as the father of psychology due to his role in paving the way for
measuring behaviour using more appropriate scientific methods and techniques. He published the
first book on psychology in 1873 called ‘principles of physiological psychology’ and in 1879
established the first psychological lab in Leipzig, Germany, the ‘Institute of experimental psychology’.
This marked psychology as an independent formal field of study.
Wandt’s approach of structuralism involved him tyring to uncover the structure of consciousness by
breaking down mental processes into their most basic components, e.g., sensations and perception.
He used scientific methods in controlled environments to explore this, using his technique of
introspection. He standardises instructions and controlled any extraneous variables. He identified
higher mental processes such as learning, language and emotions which could not be studied in this
strictly controlled manner, although he originally believed that all aspects of human behaviour could.
A03 –
Point 1 – controlled environment still used today
Wundt separated Psychology from Philosophy and paved the way for the subject to become
recognised as a valid experimental science
He conducted his research (laboratory experiments) under carefully controlled
conditions, and this encouraged other researchers to follow the same experimental
approach and be more scientific
Made a comeback in recent years:
Csikszentmihalyi & Hunter (2003): introspective methods to measure ‘happiness.
Offers researchers a way of studying emotional states and understanding the
momentary conditions that affect happiness and may help them them to improve
the quality of our lives
Introspection still used today in areas such as therapy
Point 2 – flaws of methodology
Introspection, which investigates internal events by examining conscious thoughts and feelings, is not
particularly accurate as we are not fully conscious / aware of all influences on our behaviour.
Nisbett & Wilson (1977) claim we have very little knowledge of the causes of, and processes
underlying, our behaviour and attitudes, e.g. implicit attitudes (such as stereotypical beliefs we are
not consciously aware of) can influence the way we react to stimuli. Yet, Wundt’s participants would
not be reporting this in response to stimuli as it is unconscious. This challenges the value of
introspective reports in exploring the roots of our behaviour. The introspection method does not
explain how the mind works, it simply relies on self-reported information from individuals which is
highly subjective and isn’t compatible with the key features of science. Therefore his role could be
argued to undermine psychology’s respect as a science.
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