Biological aspects summary

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  • Created by: kenno23
  • Created on: 15-03-14 12:55
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  • Biological approach
    • Nature
      • Falls strongly on the side of nature in the nature vs nurture argument due to the belief that everything is down to our genetics and hormones.
    • Tyron's rat study
      • Tyron conducted a study to see if genetics played a role in our ability to do a task. He put Rats through a maze and split them into 2 groups. "maze dull" and "maze bright" Rats. He then bred these groups of rats and observed their offspring to see if they had the same ability
        • The experiment is criticise for using Rats as approaches such as the humanists would argue that you cant generalise results found on animals to humans as we are qualitatively different
    • Role of CNS
      • The biologists would argue that our CNS determines our responses to external stimuli and therefore determines our behaviour
      • There is also our PNS (peripheral nervous system) works together with the CNS
    • Evolution of Behaviour
      • Charles Darwin was the main evolutionary psychologist
      • Bishop and Cook's study showed that over a period of time animals can change appearances and behaviours as shown by the peppered moths change in appearance
    • Lab experiments
      • The biological approach uses lab experiments to gain its data. These are good because they are done in a controlled environment. You can manipulate the IV and DV and also have a high level of control over extraneous variables
      • It has its limitations as well. Due to it being in an artificial setting it does not represent real life so it lacks ecological validity
    • Phenotype
      • All of our genetic and environmental factors that affect our appearance and actions
    • Genotype
      • The genetic factors inside of our bodies
    • Strengths
      • Highly scientific and it has lots of lab testing to clearly prove cause and effect
      • It has practical applications as the research we get from it can be used to help treat mental illness
  • The experiment is criticise for using Rats as approaches such as the humanists would argue that you cant generalise results found on animals to humans as we are qualitatively different

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