Summary
Approaches Summary A* Notes - AQA ALevel Psychology
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- Approaches
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- AQA
Summary Notes for Approaches in Psychology Alevel, with PEEL notes.
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The Biological Approach.Spec says, ‘The biological approach: the influence of genes, biological structures and
neurochemistry on behaviour. Genotype and phenotype, genetic basis of behaviour,
evolution and behaviour.’
Key terms.
- Biological approach = a perspective that emphasises the importance on physical
processes in the body such as genetic inheritance and neural function.
- Genes = they make up chromosomes and consist of DNA which codes the physical
features of an organism (such as eye colour and height) and psychological features
(such as mental disorders and intelligence), genes are transmitted from parents to
offspring ie are inherited.
- Biological structure = an arrangement or organisation of parts to form an organ,
system or living thing.
- Neurochemistry = relating to chemicals in the brain that regulate biological and
psychological functioning.
- Genotype = the particular set of genes that a person possesses.
- Phenotype = the characteristics of an individual determined by both genes and the
environment.
- Evolution = the changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over
successive generations.
Assumptions.
- The biological approach suggests that everything psychological is at first biological,
so to fully understand human behaviour, we must look to biological structures and
processes within the body.
- From a biological perspective, the mind ultimately lives in the brain – meaning that
all thoughts, feelings and behaviour ultimately have a physical basis.
o This is in contract to the cognitive approach that sees mental processes of the
mind as being separate from the physical brain.
The neurochemical basis of behaviour.
- Neurochemistry refers to the action of chemicals in the brain.
- Much of our thought and behaviour relies on chemical transmission in the brain. This
occurs using neurotransmitters.
- An imbalance of neurochemicals in the brain has been implicated as a possible cause
of mental disorder, for example low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in OCD
and the overproduction of dopamine in schizophrenia.
The genetic basis of behaviour.
- Psychological characteristics, such as intelligence, are inherited in the same way as
height or eye colour.
- Twin studies are used to investigate whether certain psychological characteristics
have a genetic basis through analysing concordance rates (the extent to which twins
share the same characteristics).
o If a characteristic is genetic we would expect all monozygotic twins (MZ) to
be concordant as they share 100% of the same genes, as the environment is
assumed to be the same.
,Genotype and phenotype.
- A person’s genotype is their actual genetic make-up, whereas phenotype is the way
that genes are expressed through physical, behavioural and psychological
characteristics.
- Despite having the same genes, the way identical twin’s genes are expressed
(through their phenotype) is different.
- This illustrates what many biological psychologists would accept, that much of
human behaviour depends upon an interaction between genetic inherited factors
(nature) vs the environment (nurture).
Evolution and behaviour.
- The evolution of animals and plants is a fact. Darwin proposed the theory of natural
selection to explain this.
o The main principle of this theory is that any genetically determined behaviour
that enhances an individuals survival will continue in future generations.
o This happens in a similar way to a farmer deciding which animals to use for
breeding.
- The selection occurs simply because some traits give the possessor a certain
advantage.
o The possessor is more likely to survive, reproduce and pass on these traits.
o If the individual does not reproduce then the traits do no remain in the gene
pool for successive generations.
Real world application – Strength.
- The biological approach has real world application.
- Increased understanding of neurochemical processes in the brain is associated with
the use of psychoactive drugs to treat serious mental disorders.
o For example, the biological approach has promoted the treatment of clinical
depression using antidepressant drugs that increase levels of
neurotransmitter serotonin at synapses in the brain.
Such drugs have been associated with the reduction of depressive
symptoms.
- This means that people with depression are more able to better manage their
symptoms and condition, living their life in the community, rather than in the
hospital.
COUNTERPOINT.
- Although antidepressant drugs are successful for many patients, they do not work
for everyone.
o For instance, a recent study by Cipriani et al compared 21 antidepressant
drugs and found wide variations in their effectiveness.
Although most of the drugs were more effective than placebos in
comparative trials, the researchers concluded that the effects of
antidepressants in general were ‘mainly modest’.
- This challenges the value of the biological approach because it suggest that brain
chemistry alone may not account for all cases of depression.
, Scientific Methods – Strength.
- The biological approach uses scientific methods of investigation.
- In order to investigate the genetic and biological basis of behaviour, the biological
approach makes use of a range of precise and highly objective methods.
o These techniques include fMRI’s and EEG’s.
With advances in technology, it is possible to accurately measure
physiological and neural processes in a way that is not open to bias.
- This means that much of the biological approach is based on objective and reliable
data.
Biological determinism – Limitation.
- The biological approach is determinist and it sees human behaviour as governed by
internal, genetic causes over which we have no control.
- However, we have already seen that the way in which an individual’s genotype is
expressed (in it’s phenotype) is heavily influenced by the environment.
o Not even identical twins who look the same, think the same.
- Also a purely genetic argument becomes problematic when we consider things such
as crime, due to the ideas that a criminal could ‘get away with it’ by claiming that
they had a ‘crime gene’.
- This suggest that the biological view is often too simplistic and ignores the mediating
effects of the environment.
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