Biological Approaches
The biological approach assumes that psychological states and
behaviours are ultimately caused by biological structures and
(+) The biological approach is a reductionist approach,
processes, and aims to investigate and understand these.
that looks for the laws governing cause-and-effect
- How biological structures, genetics and evolution shape relationships between biological elements and human
behaviour behaviour. This can be an advantage, as it breaks
- The genetic code is the ‘recipe’ for making a person, complex problems down into small components, which
written in the DNA molecule. are easier to describe in full.
- Twin studies on OCD, schizophrenia.
- HM case study on amnesia, difference between episodic (+) Many useful real world applications come from the
and procedural LTM biological side of psychology. In particular, medications used
to treat mental disorders such as the SSRI drugs used to
Research Methods
treat OCD.
Biological psychologists strive to use scientific methods.
Those studying brain structures and processes will use
(-)The biological approach favours the idea that human
tools of neuroscience like fMRI. Case studies and animal
abilities, traits and illnesses are innate and inherited
research are also used. Genetic psychologists looking at
(nature). This often implies that things like mental illness,
heredity study how traits run in families, using twin
talent and personality are fixed and unchangeable (called
studies and adoption studies. Evolutionary psychologists
biological essentialism). This has ethical implications:
are unable to directly study the conditions in which
theories of genetic difference have been used to justify
humanity evolved, so have to make inferences from
sexist and racist attitudes.
observing the behaviour of human populations, and
from comparisons with nonhuman animals.
The biological approach assumes that psychological states and
behaviours are ultimately caused by biological structures and
(+) The biological approach is a reductionist approach,
processes, and aims to investigate and understand these.
that looks for the laws governing cause-and-effect
- How biological structures, genetics and evolution shape relationships between biological elements and human
behaviour behaviour. This can be an advantage, as it breaks
- The genetic code is the ‘recipe’ for making a person, complex problems down into small components, which
written in the DNA molecule. are easier to describe in full.
- Twin studies on OCD, schizophrenia.
- HM case study on amnesia, difference between episodic (+) Many useful real world applications come from the
and procedural LTM biological side of psychology. In particular, medications used
to treat mental disorders such as the SSRI drugs used to
Research Methods
treat OCD.
Biological psychologists strive to use scientific methods.
Those studying brain structures and processes will use
(-)The biological approach favours the idea that human
tools of neuroscience like fMRI. Case studies and animal
abilities, traits and illnesses are innate and inherited
research are also used. Genetic psychologists looking at
(nature). This often implies that things like mental illness,
heredity study how traits run in families, using twin
talent and personality are fixed and unchangeable (called
studies and adoption studies. Evolutionary psychologists
biological essentialism). This has ethical implications:
are unable to directly study the conditions in which
theories of genetic difference have been used to justify
humanity evolved, so have to make inferences from
sexist and racist attitudes.
observing the behaviour of human populations, and
from comparisons with nonhuman animals.
