The Biological Approach

• Behaviour Can Be Explained In Terms Of Brain Structures and Localisation.
  • The organisation of the brain is known as localisation.
  • The cerebral cortex is divided into four lobes, including the occipital lobe.
  • Damage to the brain could affect a bodily function; for example, damage to the occipital lobe can cause sight problems.

• Behaviour Can Be Explained By Neurons and Neurotransmitters.
  • Messages are passed across neurons via synapses.
  • Then to the brain via neurotransmitters.
  • For example, seretonin is implicated in the aetiology of depression.

• General Adaptation Syndrome:
  • General: The same response to all agents.
  • Adaptive: The healthiest way to cope with extreme stress.
  • Syndrome: Severel symptoms are in the stress response.
• Alarm Reaction:
  • Stressor is recognised.
  • The hypothalamus triggers the production of adrenaline from the adrenal glands.
  • This prepares you for the fight or flight response.
• Resistance:
  • The body is adapting, but physiologically deteriorating.
• Exhaustion:
  • The body can't maintain normal functioning, so symptoms reappear.
  • The immune system can't cope, so illness occurs.

• The aim was to test his (Selye's) hypothesis:
  • No matter the stressor, the reaction will always be the same.

• Rats were exposed to various stressors, such as extreme cold, extreme heat, surgical injury, production of spinal shock, etc.

• During the first stage (Alarm Reaction), all stimuli produced an enlargement of adrenal glands, ulcers in the digestive system, and the shrinkage of the immune system.

• If the treatment continued, the appearance and function of organs returned to normal.

• However, after 1-3 months the rats lost their resistance and the original symptoms returned.

• Psychosurgery is a surgical procedure performed on the brain with the aim of relieving stress, anxiety and depression in patients who haven't responded to any other treatment.
• Links with the assumption that behaviour can be explained by brain structure and localisation.
• Leucotomy:
  • Developed by Moniz (1935).
  • Involved a narrow device, called a leucotome, being inserted into the frontal lobe through holes in the skull.
  • The leucotome blade was extended and rotated to lesion the brain tissue in order to destroy pieces of the frontal cortex.
• Transorbital Lobotomy:
  • Developed by Walter Freeman (1950s).
  • Involved inserting an 'ice pick' under the eyelid and into the eye socket.
  • It broke through the skull, into the brain, and moved around to destroy connections to the frontal area.
  • It was done bilaterally.
• Pippard (1955) reported worthwhile/good results in 50% of people with mood disorders; 95% of these had no more than slight personality changes.
• Comer (2002) found that early lobotomies had a fatality rate of 6%.

• Bilateral Cingulotomy:
  • Locating precise areas of the brain with an MRI scan.
  • Exact parts of the brain that need removing are identified, so there is no need to remove large chunks of the brain.
  • A stereotactic frame is used to measure the point where the brain needs to be operated on.

• Cosgrove & Rauch (2001) found that the cingulotomy was effective in 56% of OCD patients.
• Bridges et al (1994) said that this treatment is a last resort, as no controlled trial is possible.

STRENGTHS

• Scientific:
  • Assumption that behaviour can be explained with hormones, and also neurotransmitters.
  • It has clear variables that can be measured, tracked, and examined.
  • Psychologists can conduct scientific research, for example; psychosurgery.

• Deterministic:
  • Assumption that all behaviour can be the result of genes, so behaviour is said to be deterministic.
  • It is easier to treat people if we know what predetermines our behaviour.
  • For example; the neurotransmitter dopamine is implicated in the aetiology of schizophrenia.
  • For example; psychosurgery is designed to sever over-active areas of the brain to reduce the symptoms of OCD.
  • So the biological approach allows us to control our world.

WEAKNESSES

• Reductionist:
  • It reduces complex behaviour to simple explanations.
  • For example, it reduces stress to adrenaline.
  • This means that we may lose a real understanding of what we are investigating.
  • It doesn't consider a person as a whole.

• Nature:
  • It ignores life experiences and psychological factors (such as feelings).
  • It is concerned with adjusting abnormal biological systems, rather than talking to patients.
  • For example; schizophrenia is explained by excess neurotransmitters, and not how patients feel about their illness.

• Twin Studies:
  • Concordance Rate: The degree to which two people are similar.
  • Bouchard & McGue (1981) studied the inheritance of IQ in monozygotic (MZ) twins (identical twins) and dizygotic (DZ) twins (non-identical twins).
  • In the MZ twins, they found a concordance rate of 86%.
  • In the DZ twins, they found a concordance rate of 60%.
  • They also used twins that are reared apart, however this was a problem as some twins grew up in the same environment.
  • A concordance rate of 72% was found for MZ twins reared apart.
  • This shows that there is a significant genetic contribution to intelligence.
• STRENGTHS
  • MZ twins share 100% of their genes, so make perfect participants for gene studies and provide useful information for the biological approach.
  • The comparison between MZ twins reared together and apart has allowed psychologists to make sound assumptions about the importance of genes and the environment.
• WEAKNESSES
  • Twins share genes, environment and are also treated similarly. So concordance rates may not be reliable as it's difficult to distinguish between genes and environment.
  • Study of twins reared apart is problematic as they are usually raised in similar environments, so it's still difficult to distinguish.