...The purpose of the biological perspective is to determine the physiological basis of psychology and most importantly behaviour. The perspective primarily uses the experimental method and has been criticized for being too reductionist and for using non-human animals. Strengths By knowing the physiological basis of behaviour we can treat symptoms with drugs evolutionary theory can explain things that would otherwise be unexplainable Weaknesses It is difficult to seperate genetic influence from environmental influence It's reductionistic Can't explain altruism well Historical Context The biological perspective was created as a reaction to the theory of dualism, that the mind and the brain are two seperate entities. Some important researchers in the development of the biological perspective are: Plato-nativism Darwin- Outlined evolution and the idea of nativism and heredity Jean Baptiste Lamarck-studied heredity Phineas Gage- Brain injury has the ability to affect behaviour II. Key Concepts Heredity- influence of genes Nativism- certain traits are inately hardwired at birth Evolution Hemisphere specialization Neurotransmission Localization Evolution Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS = Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion) Biological preparedness Basic Assumptions There are four main basic assumptions of the biological perspective: Behavior is biologically determined Behavior has a genetic basis Localization of function Animals may be used...
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...MODELS OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR To read up on models of addictive behaviour, refer to pages 609–618 of Eysenck’s A2 Level Psychology. Ask yourself * Is there a biological basis to addictive behaviour? * Can somebody learn to be an addict? * How might explanations of addiction differ for different addictions? What you need to know MODELS OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR | EXPLANATIONS OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR | * Biological, behavioural (learning), and cognitive models of addictive behaviour | * Biological, behavioural (learning), and cognitive explanations for initiation, maintenance, and relapse * Specific explanations of particular addictions including smoking and gambling | MODELS OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR The models of addictive behaviour attempt to explain the causes and thereby offer insights into how an addiction develops. The assumptions as to the causes of addiction also affect the approach taken to treatment. Biological model of addictive behaviour According to this model, the main causes of addictive behaviour are biological factors within the individual, for example, a neurochemical imbalance or a genetic predisposition towards addictive behaviour. Thus, the vulnerability to develop an addiction may be inherited and family studies are used to support this explanation. Thus approach assumes that addiction has physical causes and can therefore only be cured through medicine. Behavioural (learning) model of addictive behaviour This model is based...
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...Sleep Deprivation Abstract Sleep is one of our basic needs to survive, however in the modern days sleep deprivation in increasing more and more each day, causing accidents and medical problems for the people and the community. This essay will look at the meaning of sleep and sleep deprivation and the basic perspectives on what motivates sleep and sleep deprivation with the five perspectives; evolutionary, psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive and the hierarchy of needs. This essay will also evaluate the best perspective to eliminate sleep deprivation with the cases studies discussing the general hypothesis of sleep and sleep deprivation. Basic Perspectives on Motivation: Evaluating Five Accounts for Sleep and Sleep Deprivation Sleep is one of our basic needs to survive and to function in day to day operations, but not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. Some people can survive on very little sleep, i.e. five hours a night, and some people need a lot of sleep, to the extend that they are sleeping up to 10 to sometimes 15 hours a night (Nature, 2005). According to Wilson (2005) the general rule states that most people need from seven to eight hours of sleep. The deprivation of sleep in our society in continually increasing with the demands in society increasing work loads, the myth that a few hours of sleep is only necessary to function properly and that sleep is sometimes considered as killing time (Nature, 2005). Sometimes sleep deprivation is also caused by other...
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...eating disorder is marked by extremes. It is present when a person experiences severe disturbances in eating behaviour, such as extreme reduction of food intake or extreme overeating, or feelings of extreme distress or concern about body weight or shape. A person with an eating disorder may have started out just eating smaller or larger amounts of food than usual, but at some point, the urge to eat less or more spirals out of control. Eating disorders are very complex, and despite scientific research to understand them, the biological, behavioural and social underpinnings of these illnesses remain elusive. The two main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Eating disorders frequently appear during adolescence or young adulthood, but some reports indicate that they can develop during childhood or later in adulthood. Women and girls are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. Over 90% of people diagnosed with eating disorders are adolescent or young women. Eating disorders are real, treatable medical illnesses with complex underlying psychological and biological causes. They frequently co-exist with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders. Biological Perspective The biological perspective is a way of looking at psychological topics by studying the physical basis for human behaviour. It involves such things as studying the immune system, nervous system and genetics. Also considered are...
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...STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES OF BIOLOGICAL APPROACH STRENGTHS 1. We need to know the basis of what makes us tick. If we don’t then we cannot really claim to know anything about behaviour at all. Some would claim that all behaviour should be explained on a physiological level because all that we are is contained in our neural and hormonal reactions. WEAKNESSES 1. It’s reductionist, which leads to the following criticisms: (a) If someone comes to you with depression is it any use to them to tell them that their serotonin receptors are not functioning properly? (b) Mind/body problem 1: psychology has great influence on physiology (stress and illness) (c) Mind/body problem 2: sensation is not necessarily the same as perception (d) Consciousness: what is it, where is it and is it any use finding it? (e) What about free will? Biological approach advocates determinism 2. Evolutionary approach has a number of problems: (a) Altruism: difficult to explain. Even sociobiologists come up with some very convoluted explanations. (b) Our developing cortex means that we rely less on instincts and more on “higher” processes. (c) Our behaviour is very much socially and culturally determined. 3. Genes: Difficult to separate genes and environmental influences on behaviour. 2. If we know the physiological basis of some aspects of behaviour (e.g. depression) then we can treat the problem using drugs, which could solve the problem entirely if it’s simply a straightforward chemical imbalance. Plus, some aspects...
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...Psychology Assignment Outline the principles that define the biological level of analysis: Biological level of analysis is the study of perceiving the body as a biological system. Principle 1: There are biological correlates of behaviour. This suggests that all observable behaviours (emotions and cognitions) can be traced back to physiological events. There are links between psychological and physiological activity such as neurotransmitters, hormones, brain localization etc. Study: Dr. John W. Newcomer in 1999 conducted an experiment on the effect of stress on a hormone called cortisol. This was tested on the basis of verbal declarative memory. Group 1 who had consumed a high dosage of cortisol, ingested tablets containing 160 mg of cortisol for duration of four days. Group 2 who had consumed a lower dosage of cortisol, ingested tablets with 40 mg of cortisol for duration of four days. Group 3 had placebo tablets (they do not contain an active substance meant to affect health) The 3 groups listened to a prose paragraph and had to remember it. The increased level of cortisol under long-term stress often negatively affects the memory system. These results showed that group 1 showed the worst performance on the memory test compared to group 2 and 3. Thus demonstrating that an increase in cortisol over a period of time has a negative effect on memory. Principle 2: Animal research can provide insight into human behaviour. This implies that researchers utilise animals to study...
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...THE BIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO PSYCHOPATHOLOGY Approaches to psychopathology are based on different views of the CAUSE of abnormality. The models have different views about how abnormality comes about in the first place Assumptions of the biological model • Abnormality is caused by physical factors – as all behaviour is associated with changes in brain function, abnormal behaviour will be caused by changes in either the structure or function of the brain. - For example in terms of the structure of the brain (neuroanatomy) a damaged hypothalamus has been linked to anorexia - In terms of the function of the brain, neurotransmitters and hormones have been linked to psychopathology, e.g. low levels of serotonin have been lined to depression. • Abnormality is inherited – the genetic view is that there are abnormal genes that are inherited, i.e. passed down from parents to children, even though they may not be shown in every generation. Family, twin and adoption studies are used to establish concordance rates (this shows the extent to which members of the same family share a particular characteristic) to test for genetic predispositions as an explanation of abnormality. - For example Holland et al (1988) found a 56% concordance rate for identical twins (MZ) and only a 5% concordance rate for non-identical twins (DZ) in anorexia nervosa which supports the idea of a genetic basis for abnormality. Evaluation of the biological model Strengths ...
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...Discuss genetic factors involved in aggressive behaviour A way to study the hereditary of aggression is through twin studies. There are two types of twins; monozygotic who are identical and share all the same genes are dizygotic who are non-identical and share only 50% of genes. If there is a 100% concordance rate between monozygotic twins it suggests that share genes may be responsible for aggressive behaviour rather than the environment. Caccaro et al found that there was a 50% variance in aggressive behaviour of adult twin pairs and that it was caused by genetic factors suggesting that genetics are involved with the aggression of individuals. Research that supports the link between genetics and aggression was conducted by Rhee and Waldman who conducted a meta-analysis of 51 studies and found that there was a relationship between genetic factors and anti-social behaviour suggesting that genetics does have an effect on levels of aggression. Adoption studies have looked at examining levels of aggression between adopted children and their biological parents. If a positive correlation is found between the adoptee and biological parent then a genetic factor is implied but if a positive correlation is found between the adoptee and rearing family then a environmental factor may be implied suggesting that it is not only genetic factors that influence levels of aggression. Research that supports adoption studies was conducted by Hutchings and Mendick who studied 14,000 adoptions...
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...are those that we inherit through our parents, they are used to explain why aggression runs through families. Genetic factors play a role in aggressive behaviour and lies within an individual’s genetic make-up. Psychologists, look at twin studies to try and find evidence on a genetic basis to compare the degree of similarity of aggression between sets of monozygotic (MZ) twins and dizygotic (DZ) twins. A lot of the time, it is found that aggressive behaviour is more highly correlated in MZ twins than DZ twins. An example of this would be when McGuffin and Gottesman found a concordance rate of 87% for aggressive behaviour in MZ twins, compared with 72% for DZ twin pairs. However we cannot just rely on evidence from twin studies because they can be problematic as it is hard to disentangle nature and nurture. Many have suggested that MZ twins are treated more alike and share more similar environments than DZ twins because they act more like 'one' person rather than two separate people. This may affect how alike they are and how likely they are to express aggression. Researchers have also identified a number of genes that can potentially cause aggression. Although no individual gene for aggression has been identified in humans, a gene responsible for the production of the protein MAOA has been associated with aggressive behaviour. MAOA regulates the metabolism of serotonin in the brain. Low levels of serotonin have been associated with aggression. In 1993, a study of a Dutch family...
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...Psychological perspective is a view or an approach to studying human behaviour. Smoking today kills around 4 million people every year; it is the main cause of lung cancer and disease in humans. To understand smoking behaviour we can look at the main psychological perspectives to better understand the reasons behind smoking, and maybe come up with effective solutions to reduce this behaviour and promote healthier lifestyles. Biological Perspective Charles Darwin (1859) first demonstrated the idea that genetics and evolution played a major role in affecting human behaviour through natural selection. Biological Psychologists also agree with this theory that all human behaviour has been evolved over millions of years to adapt behaviour to the environment that we live in. Biological Psychologists also believe that because the mind resides in the brain, that factors such as chromosomes and hormones have a significant influence on our behaviour for example, gender personality development. Using the biological approach there is scientific evidence to say that smoking behaviour is linked to effect that nicotine has on the brain. There are over 300 chemicals in cigarettes but nicotine is the one that is linked with addiction. Nicotine causes a physical addiction and can increase levels of dopamine (the hormone found in the reward part of the brain). For example a study done by (Jain & Mukhergee, 2003 the biological basis of nicotine addiction) says that when a tobacco is smoked nicotine...
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...Deviance in general is seen as violating social norms. Numerous researchers and individuals such as Robert Merton (1938) and William Sheldon (1949) have tried to present ways to explain deviant behaviours in the past. The two main theories that have been developed to explain deviance are biological theories and the social constructionist theories. This essay will examine social theories such as Becker’s labelling theory, and biological theories such as Sheldon’s body type theory, and contrast between the theories mentioned. Finally this essay will examine the differences between the theories and whether the biological explanation or the social constructionist explanation can be better used to explain deviance. Looking at social control can help clarify definitions of what crime and deviance are. Social control refers to both the formal and informal means by which society responds to social deviance. While there are many possible explanations for what could be the underlying causes behind deviant individuals, the social constructivist theory is that deviance is a “failure to conform to culturally expected norms of behaviour” (Llewellyn, Agu & Mercer 2008: 90). What is viewed as deviant in one particular culture or society may be considered normal practice in another. Social norms are not universal; they are contextual to the culture in which they are formed. Without deviance, society would remain the same, restricted to tradition and stagnant social norms, because no individual...
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...Discuss genetic and environmental influences on behaviour. (22) There has been a debate in psychology regarding nature (genetics) and nurture (the environment) and whether one of these explanations alone determine human behaviour, or whether there are other factors influencing our actions. There are two different stances that people take on whether language development is genetic or environmental. Nativists believe that the capacity for language can be classed as ‘innate’. Whereas empiricists suggest that, it is environmental variables that play a vital role in language development. It would be ethically impossible to study behaviour in total isolation in order to determine whether genetics or environmental influences for our behaviour. The closest research recorded, focusing on this case is a girl named Genie (1970); who was socially isolated for the first 13 years of her life, by her father. Genie’s case presented researchers with a unique opportunity. Psychologist James Kent described Genie as a ‘profoundly damaged child’ as it was discovered that she could hardly walk and could only speak around 20 simple words. It was suggested that although she started learning single words. In most cases it is thought that after a few words have been acquired it is then followed by what is called language explosion. However, this never happened for genie her language abilities didn’t improve, and she appeared unable to apply grammatical rules and use language in a meaningful way...
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...Biological Determinism 1. According to the author of the article "All in the Genes?", there is no intrinsic causality between genetics and intelligence. The author analyses different aspects of biological determinism, and supplies many examples, which illustrate aspects of this problem that are being discussed since the time when these ideas became popular. He does not agree with biological determinist that the intellectual performance of a person depends on genes inherited from his parents. There are a lot of different theories about intellectual capabilities. All these theories reflect different points of views, depending on the period of time the authors of these theories lived. The author argues for the theory that in the nineteenth century , artificial barriers in social hierarchy prevented people from achieving higher intellectual performance. In the end of XX century, in most places these barriers were removed by the democratic processes, and nothing artificial can stand between the natural sorting process and social status of the people. These changes can not be considered as historical because the age of democracy is just two hundred years , and the time when inequality between classes and between people was a natural situation is almost as long as the history of the world . The author insists that there is no connection between environmental differences and genetics. In support of his idea the author state that any Canadian student can...
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...Describe and evaluate the behaviourist approach in psychology. Refer to evidence in the answer. [10 Marks] The behaviorist approach works on the assumption that behaviour is learned through experience and that we are born with no experience. The approach suggests that behaviours are learned through reinforcement that strengthens a behaviour and that all learning links to responding to a stimulus. It also assumes that the environment is the sole determining factor in behaviour. There are two main theories that fall under the behaviourist approach: classical and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning was developed by psychologist, Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov adopted the idea of stimulus response and learning through association. Pavlov used a dog to show his theory. He noticed when the dog saw food it would salivate. He began giving the dog food ,the unconditioned stimulus, with a ringing bell, the conditioned stimulus. Eventually Pavlov was able to get a response from the dog when only ringing the bell which shows how the dog learnt to associate the bell with food. Operant conditioning was adopted by Fredric Skinner. His theory worked on the basis of reinforcing behaviors. The 3 main types of reinforcement are positive and negative reinforcement and punishment. Skinner used his ‘Skinner Box’ to show this theory. The Box consisted of a hungry rat and a lever.In positive reinforcement the rat is given food when it presses the lever. In negative reinforcement the rat is given an...
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...WHAT IS INFORMATICS? Informatics is the study of the structure, behaviour, and interactions of natural and engineered computational systems. Informatics studies the representation, processing, and communication of information in natural and engineered systems. It has computational, cognitive and social aspects. The central notion is the transformation of information whether by computation or communication, whether by organisms or artifacts. Understanding informational phenomena - such as computation, cognition, and communication - enables technological advances. In turn, technological progress prompts scientific enquiry. The science of information and the engineering of information systems develop hand-in-hand. Informatics is the emerging discipline that combines the two. In natural and artificial systems, information is carried at many levels, ranging, for example, from biological molecules and electronic devices through nervous systems and computers and on to societies and large-scale distributed systems. It is characteristic that information carried at higher levels is represented by informational processes at lower levels. Each of these levels is the proper object of study for some discipline of science or engineering. Informatics aims to develop and apply firm theoretical and mathematical foundations for the features that are common to all computational systems. THE SCOPE OF INFORMATICS In its attempts to account for phenomena, science progresses by...
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