Psychological
charictoristics have
a physiological
cause.
have a physical cause
and therefore should
be treated with
medication or surgery
like pysical illness
For example:
Antidepressiants
for depression.
Genes influence our behaviour.
We inherited
psychological
charictoristics in the
same ways a physical
ones.
For example
aggressive
behaviour is
inherited like eye
colour.
Theory.
General adaptation syndrome.(
Genral applied to the population,
adaptation part of evoluion, and
syndrome, effects the body).
Developed after rats exposed to the same
stressor all died. do humans all deal with
stress in the same way?
Stage one: Alarm
Become aware of the
stressor and the body gets
ready to fight or flee.
Hypothalamus
Adrenal Medulla
Pupils dilate
Eyes let in more light
See better.
Heart beat increases.
More blood
supplied to muscles
Can flee (run faster)
Stage 2: resistance.
Continue to fight or flee
Hypothalamus
Pituitary Gland
Hoarmone
Adrenal Cortex.
Cortisol
Regulates glucose
levels by breaking
down fat storage.
Continue to fight or
flee
Stage 3: Exhaustion.
The body releases
the hoarmones to
its supply runs out.
After long term exposure to the stressor,
cortisol in high doses causes a weakened
immune system causing stress related
illnesses like high blood pressure, colds,
heart disease and ulcers.
Therapy
Chemotherapy.
Genral term for drug treatment
used to treated mental
disorders.
The aim of
chemotherapy is to
interfear with the
neurotransmitter activity
in the synapse between
neurons to either
increase or decrease
chemical messages.
Asumptions
Mental illness has a
physiological cause.
Chemical messengers effect
our behaviour (ABNORMAL
LEVELS ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR)
How it works.
AD Depression
Depression caused
by too little
seratonine
Stop reabsorbtion.
Seratonine stay in synapse for longer
Higher chance bind to recpeters.
Increase in message.
Increase mood
AP for schizophrenia
Caused by high dopamine levels.
Block synapse receptors.
Less dopamine molecules can bind
Decreased messages.
Decreased Symptoms.
Strenghs
Useful practical applications
Has aspects that are
useful/helpful in changing
behaviour in a positive
way.
Chemotherapy, help people with
mental illness to ease symptoms
and improve quality of life.
Sciencetific.
Objective explanations, identifies
variables which can be manipulates,
controlled and messured to identify
a causal relationship.
IV seratonin levels, DV symptoms
are manipulated by drugs to see
relationship..
Weaknesses.
Reductionist.
Reduces complex human behaviours into
basic explanations which means we could
loose full understand of that behaviour as
a result.
Depression with variety of
symptoms unlikley to be
caused by one
nuerotransmitter.
Ignores nurture
Ignores that we develop
pschological charictoristics
through our enviroment
and experiances
Based on
assumption that
genes influence our
behaviour.