Biological Approach Questions And Answers – Flashcards

Everything psychological is first biological. Brain structure and function can explain our thoughts and behaviours. Brain processes, genes, neurochemistry and the nervous system can explain our thoughts and behaviours. The mind is the brain.

Perspective that emphasises the importance of physical process in the body such as genetic inheritance and neural function.

They make up chromosomes and consist of DNA which code for both psychological and physical features. They are inherited from parents.

Arrangement of parts to form an organ, system or living thing.

Relates to chemicals in the brain that regulate psychological functioning.

Particular set of genes a person possesses. Their genetic makeup.

Way genes are expressed physically, behaviourally and psychologically. Can be affected by environmental factors.

Changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over successive generations.

Inherited condition that means body can't metabolise phenylalanine leading to toxic levels in the body. A strict diet controls the levels of it. It is a good example of how genotype predisposes people to a disease but the environment can change their phenotype so it is not expressed physically.

Psychologists are interested in whether or not traits such as intelligence, personality and mental illness are inherited the same way as physical traits such as height or hair colour. Twin studies are used. Monozygotic twins share 100% of their genes. Dizygotic twins share 50% of their genes. Concordance rates are then compared for any trait.

Degree of similarity. The extent to which both twins share the same characteristic.

That genes predominantly control intelligence but environment does have an effect as identical twins raised apart have lower concordance rate.

Charles Darwin proposed the theory of Natural Selection. Says that a random mutation in the genes causes a trait which gives that species a survival advantage. This means they can survive and breed passing on the gene to their offspring.