biological approach

assumptions
1. everything psychological is first biological
2. need to look at genes nervous system and neuroscience
3. need to understand brain structure and function
  1. to understand thoughts
    1. different to cognitive as mind lives in the brain not separate
genes
1. are intelligence, personality, height or mental disorders inherited
2. twin studies
  1. used to see the likelihood of certain traits have a genetic basis
  2. concordance rate
    1. the likelihood that trait will appear in both twins
  3. monozygotic
    1. identical
    2. higher concordance rate
    3. share 100% of each other's genes
  4. dizygotic
    1. non-identical
    2. lower concordance rate
    3. share 50% of each other's genes
genotype & phenotype
1. genotype
  1. genetic make-up
  2. twins would have the same genotype
  3. nature
2. phenotype
  1. observable characteristics
  2. occurs through the influence of the environment on the genotype
  3. nuture
evolution
1. Darwin
2. natural selection
3. survival of the fittest
  1. those genes passed on
  2. genotype
evaluation
1. scientific
  1. use scientific methods
    1. e.g. EEG, fMRI
    2. precise and reliable
    3. advanced tech
      1. no bias or faulty results
2. real life
  1. psychoactive drugs
    1. can treat serious mental health issues
    2. revolutionised treatment
    3. can manage their condition at home
      1. more normal life
      2. less pressure on the NHS
3. conclusions
  1. explanation for mental health (action of neurotransmitters)
    1. evidence from drugs reducing sysmptoms
    2. thus the neurochemical causes the disorder
  2. limitation
    1. discovered cause where only association exists
evaluation +
1. determinist view
  1. sees behaviour as internal and we can't control it
    1. implications for the legal system
      1. criminals are seen as morally responsible
      2. if it's their genes then they aren't responsible
2. nature and nurture
  1. confounding variables
    1. usually grow up in a similar environment
      1. so is it nature (genes)
      2. or nurture the enviroment

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biological approach

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	Created by Daisy U about 9 years ago