AO3 evaluation points for biopsychology :
Strengths : Limitations :
1. It uses the scientific method in its research 1. Fight or flight does not tell the whole story
- For example, twins and adoption studies and - Gray 1988 argues that the first phase of
scanning techniques such as MRI, PET and EEG reaction to a threat is not to fight or flee, but to
- These methods make it possible to measure avoid confrontation
biological processes accurately and without - He states that, prior to responding with
any bias (it is objective) → this means that the attacking or running away, most animals
approach is based on reliable data display the ‘freeze response’
2. Offers explanations for behaviour - This enables humans to stop and think which
- For example, mental illnesses by linking them to focuses attention and makes them look for new
neurotransmitters in the brain information in order to make the best response
- Eg depression is associated with low serotonin for a particular threat.
levels. 2. IDA Gender bias (for fight or flight research)
- HOWEVER just because a correlation can be - Most research was conducted on males and
established, it does not mean that a cause and then generalised to females which is a clear
effect can be weakness → does not fully explain the stress
3. Led to the development of drug therapies response in females
- Increased understanding of biochemical - BUT Less & Harley (2012) have found evidence of
processes in the brain has led to the a genetic basis for this gender differences in
development of several drug therapies to treat the stress response. The SRY gene found on the
serious illnesses such as depression male Y chromosome which directs male
- These drugs have been seen to be effective in development and promotes aggression, which
numerous amounts of patients → allows results in the male stress response. The SRY
patients to manage their condition and gene may prime males to respond in a certain
improve their quality of life way during stressful events.
4. Provides a strong argument for the nature side of the 3. IDA Biological determinism
nature-nurture debate - The idea of fight or flight is highly deterministic
- This is clear through twin and adoption studies and ignores the role of free will in determining
by showing that certain characteristics, such as human behaviour in stressful/fight or flight
intelligence, may have a genetic link situations
- BUT it is difficult to separate out the effects of 4. Reductionist approach
nature and nurture. - It attempts to explain all aspects of human
- For example, MZ twins may have a higher behaviour in terms of neurons,
concordance rate than DZ twins not because of neurotransmitters & synaptic transmission.
higher genetic similarity, but because of similar - By focusing purely on the biological aspects &
treatment → in this case the higher explanations it over-simplifies the explanation
concordance rate would be due to nurture and for complex behaviours and ignores all other
not nature explanations that are also involved within it eg
behaviourism, SLT etc
5. Biopsychological approach is deterministic
- Due to the fact that they suggest that human
behaviour is controlled by internal biological
causes over which we have no control or free
will.
- This therefore absolves people from
responsibility for their behaviours.
- For example, the discovery of a criminal gene
(making someone more likely to offend) could be
used as a defence in a court of law
6. It is largely unreliable
- Allen and Stevens (1994) found that synaptic
transmission regarding hippocampal neurons
was very unreliable, with less than half of the
neurotransmitter being picked up by the
neuron.
7. The use of animals for research is unreliable
- Much of the evidence/studies related to neuron
and synaptic transmission involve the use of
animals for testing
- HOWEVER this can be viewed as greatly
unreliable due to the fact that humans differ
socially, biologically and cognitively to humans
(Barnett) and therefore animal behaviour is not
generalisable to humans → so the studies are
not generalisable to humans
Strengths : Limitations :
1. It uses the scientific method in its research 1. Fight or flight does not tell the whole story
- For example, twins and adoption studies and - Gray 1988 argues that the first phase of
scanning techniques such as MRI, PET and EEG reaction to a threat is not to fight or flee, but to
- These methods make it possible to measure avoid confrontation
biological processes accurately and without - He states that, prior to responding with
any bias (it is objective) → this means that the attacking or running away, most animals
approach is based on reliable data display the ‘freeze response’
2. Offers explanations for behaviour - This enables humans to stop and think which
- For example, mental illnesses by linking them to focuses attention and makes them look for new
neurotransmitters in the brain information in order to make the best response
- Eg depression is associated with low serotonin for a particular threat.
levels. 2. IDA Gender bias (for fight or flight research)
- HOWEVER just because a correlation can be - Most research was conducted on males and
established, it does not mean that a cause and then generalised to females which is a clear
effect can be weakness → does not fully explain the stress
3. Led to the development of drug therapies response in females
- Increased understanding of biochemical - BUT Less & Harley (2012) have found evidence of
processes in the brain has led to the a genetic basis for this gender differences in
development of several drug therapies to treat the stress response. The SRY gene found on the
serious illnesses such as depression male Y chromosome which directs male
- These drugs have been seen to be effective in development and promotes aggression, which
numerous amounts of patients → allows results in the male stress response. The SRY
patients to manage their condition and gene may prime males to respond in a certain
improve their quality of life way during stressful events.
4. Provides a strong argument for the nature side of the 3. IDA Biological determinism
nature-nurture debate - The idea of fight or flight is highly deterministic
- This is clear through twin and adoption studies and ignores the role of free will in determining
by showing that certain characteristics, such as human behaviour in stressful/fight or flight
intelligence, may have a genetic link situations
- BUT it is difficult to separate out the effects of 4. Reductionist approach
nature and nurture. - It attempts to explain all aspects of human
- For example, MZ twins may have a higher behaviour in terms of neurons,
concordance rate than DZ twins not because of neurotransmitters & synaptic transmission.
higher genetic similarity, but because of similar - By focusing purely on the biological aspects &
treatment → in this case the higher explanations it over-simplifies the explanation
concordance rate would be due to nurture and for complex behaviours and ignores all other
not nature explanations that are also involved within it eg
behaviourism, SLT etc
5. Biopsychological approach is deterministic
- Due to the fact that they suggest that human
behaviour is controlled by internal biological
causes over which we have no control or free
will.
- This therefore absolves people from
responsibility for their behaviours.
- For example, the discovery of a criminal gene
(making someone more likely to offend) could be
used as a defence in a court of law
6. It is largely unreliable
- Allen and Stevens (1994) found that synaptic
transmission regarding hippocampal neurons
was very unreliable, with less than half of the
neurotransmitter being picked up by the
neuron.
7. The use of animals for research is unreliable
- Much of the evidence/studies related to neuron
and synaptic transmission involve the use of
animals for testing
- HOWEVER this can be viewed as greatly
unreliable due to the fact that humans differ
socially, biologically and cognitively to humans
(Barnett) and therefore animal behaviour is not
generalisable to humans → so the studies are
not generalisable to humans
