What is the Biological Approach in Psychology?

Erica

15/10/2025

Psychology

The biological approach

904

•

15 Oct 2025

•

2 pages

What is the Biological Approach in Psychology?

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Erica

@erica4

The biological approach in psychology explores how biological structures and... Show more

Approaches
A01
The biological approach
Assumptions
Suggests everything psychological is at first biological
Looks at biological structures a

Evaluation of the Biological Approach

While the biological approach in psychology offers valuable insights into human behavior, it is not without its limitations and criticisms. This page explores some of the strengths and weaknesses of this perspective.

Strengths:

Scientific rigor: The biological approach employs objective and reliable methods of investigation, such as brain imaging techniques, which provide empirical evidence for its claims.
Practical applications: Insights from this approach have led to the development of effective treatments for mental illnesses, particularly through the use of psychoactive drugs.

Example: The understanding of neurotransmitter function has led to the development of antidepressants that target specific chemical imbalances in the brain.

Explanatory power: It offers explanations for mental illnesses by examining the action of neurotransmitters and brain structures, providing a physiological basis for psychological disorders.

Weaknesses:

Causal conclusions: The approach sometimes makes assumptions about causality based on correlational evidence.

Quote: "This evidence comes from studies that show a particular drug reduces mental disorder symptoms, assuming the neurochemical in the drug causes the disorder - this is like assuming the cause of a headache is lack of paracetamol because paracetamol is effective in reducing symptoms."

Deterministic view: The biological approach can be seen as overly deterministic, suggesting that human behavior is primarily governed by internal, biological causes over which we have little control.

Highlight: This deterministic view has implications for the legal system, as it challenges notions of free will and personal responsibility for one's actions.

Nature-nurture debate: Critics argue that the approach fails to adequately account for environmental influences on behavior.

Vocabulary: Nature-nurture debate: The ongoing discussion in psychology about the relative influences of genetic inheritance and environmental factors on human behavior and development.

Reductionism: The biological approach may oversimplify complex psychological phenomena by reducing them to purely biological explanations.

Understanding these strengths and weaknesses is crucial for students studying the biological approach psychology A level, as it allows for a more nuanced and critical evaluation of this perspective in explaining human behavior and mental processes.

The Biological Approach in Psychology

The biological approach in psychology is a fundamental perspective that examines how biological factors influence human behavior and mental processes. This approach is based on the assumption that all psychological phenomena have a biological basis.

Definition: The biological approach suggests that everything psychological is first biological, focusing on how genes, neurochemistry, and the nervous system shape our thoughts and behaviors.

Key aspects of the biological approach include:

Genetic basis of behavior: Behavior geneticists study how behavioral characteristics are inherited, often using twin studies to compare concordance rates between identical $MZ$ and non-identical (DZ) twins.

Vocabulary:

Genotype: A person's genetic makeup

Phenotype: The observable characteristics resulting from the expression of genes

Brain structure and function: The approach examines how different brain regions and neural processes contribute to various psychological phenomena.
Evolutionary perspective: It applies Darwin's theory of natural selection to explain how certain behaviors have evolved to increase survival chances.

Example: Farmers use principles of selective breeding, which is based on evolutionary theory, to enhance desirable traits in crops and livestock.

Scientific methods: The biological approach employs objective techniques such as brain scanning (fMRIs and EEGs) to gather reliable data.

Highlight: The use of advanced technology in brain imaging has significantly contributed to the scientific credibility of the biological approach in psychology.

Real-life applications: This approach has led to the development of psychoactive drugs for treating mental illnesses by targeting specific neurotransmitter systems in the brain.

The biological approach psychology A level curriculum often emphasizes these key concepts to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how biology influences human behavior and mental processes.

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Psychology

15 Oct 2025

904

2 pages

What is the Biological Approach in Psychology?

Erica @erica4

The biological approach in psychology explores how biological structures and processes influence human behavior and mental processes. It emphasizes the role of genetics, brain function, and evolutionary factors in shaping... Show more

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Evaluation of the Biological Approach

Strengths

Scientific rigor The biological approach employs objective and reliable methods of investigation, such as brain imaging techniques, which provide empirical evidence for its claims.
Practical applications Insights from this approach have led to the development of effective treatments for mental illnesses, particularly through the use of psychoactive drugs.

Example The understanding of neurotransmitter function has led to the development of antidepressants that target specific chemical imbalances in the brain.

Explanatory power It offers explanations for mental illnesses by examining the action of neurotransmitters and brain structures, providing a physiological basis for psychological disorders.

Weaknesses

Causal conclusions The approach sometimes makes assumptions about causality based on correlational evidence.

Quote "This evidence comes from studies that show a particular drug reduces mental disorder symptoms, assuming the neurochemical in the drug causes the disorder - this is like assuming the cause of a headache is lack of paracetamol because paracetamol is effective in reducing symptoms."

Deterministic view The biological approach can be seen as overly deterministic, suggesting that human behavior is primarily governed by internal, biological causes over which we have little control.

Highlight This deterministic view has implications for the legal system, as it challenges notions of free will and personal responsibility for one's actions.

Nature-nurture debate Critics argue that the approach fails to adequately account for environmental influences on behavior.

Vocabulary Nature-nurture debate The ongoing discussion in psychology about the relative influences of genetic inheritance and environmental factors on human behavior and development.

Reductionism The biological approach may oversimplify complex psychological phenomena by reducing them to purely biological explanations.

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

The Biological Approach in Psychology

Definition The biological approach suggests that everything psychological is first biological, focusing on how genes, neurochemistry, and the nervous system shape our thoughts and behaviors.

Key aspects of the biological approach include

Genetic basis of behavior Behavior geneticists study how behavioral characteristics are inherited, often using twin studies to compare concordance rates between identical $MZ$ and non-identical (DZ) twins.

Vocabulary

Genotype A person's genetic makeup

Phenotype The observable characteristics resulting from the expression of genes

Brain structure and function The approach examines how different brain regions and neural processes contribute to various psychological phenomena.
Evolutionary perspective It applies Darwin's theory of natural selection to explain how certain behaviors have evolved to increase survival chances.

Example Farmers use principles of selective breeding, which is based on evolutionary theory, to enhance desirable traits in crops and livestock.

Scientific methods The biological approach employs objective techniques such as brain scanning (fMRIs and EEGs) to gather reliable data.

Highlight The use of advanced technology in brain imaging has significantly contributed to the scientific credibility of the biological approach in psychology.

Real-life applications This approach has led to the development of psychoactive drugs for treating mental illnesses by targeting specific neurotransmitter systems in the brain.