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UNIT 1.1 - BIOLOGICAL ASSUMPTION - Coggle Diagram
UNIT 1.1 - BIOLOGICAL ASSUMPTION
Assumptions for the biological approach
Assumption 1 -
Biological influences
Theory of natural selection:
Adaptiveness comes from Darwins' Theory of
Natural Selection
This is the notion that any
genetically determined behaviour that enhances an individuals chance of survival
and reproduction will be naturally selected (e.g - genes)
will be passed down to the next generation.
An example of this is
altruistic behaviour,
where the parents risk theor lives to save their offsping.
The theory of natual selection
would protray this is an inherited, adaptive trait
for saving the offspring.
Environment of evolutionary adaptiveness:
This is the environment to which any species is adapted to the selective pressures that existed in that time
.
Evolutionary psychologists don't assume that all forms of behaviour are adaptive - just that of which is
key to the survival in the individuals particular environment.
EEA can explain why the humans have such large brains relative to their body size.
The theory would propose that the human brain has
grown in proportion to the complex social organisation of our species .
Those humans with particular abilities would be more likely to survive.
Example - those who are better at forming alliances and forming good relationships are more likely to survive in in a complex social world.
Assumption 2 -
Localisation of brain function
Localisation of brain function:
Refers to the principle that certain areas of the brain are responsible for different functions - they have certain jobs or tasks to carry out. The cerebral cortex covers the brain, and is responsible for higher order cognitive functions.
Four Lobes:
The cerbral is divided into 4 regions:
Frontal - involved with thinking and creativity.
Parietal - recieve sensory information, temp, touch and pain.
Temporal - responsible for much of our memory processing as well as processing auditory information.
occipital - concerned with visual processing and recieve infomation directly from the eyes.
Each of the four lobes has specific functions.
Localisation of languages
:
There are specific areas in out brain linked to processing languages.
A french neurosurgeon by the name Pail Broca studied eight patients with language problems and discovered damage to the left hemispheres of their brains. This area is now known as 'Broca's area' and is associated with speech production.
A German neurologist by the name Carl Wernicke discovered another area of the brain that was involved in understanding languages. His patients were able to speak by could not understand languages.
Assumption 3 - Neurotransmitters
Neurons
Neurons are electrically excitable cells that form the basis of the nervous system.
One Neuron communicates with another Neuron at the synapse, where the message is relayed by chemical messengers (Neurotransmitters)
These neurotransmitters are released from the presynapse vesicles in one neuron and will either stimulate or ihnabit receptors in the other neuron.
Neurotransmitters and mental health
Neurotransmitters have been found to play a vital role iin our mental health.
Example - Serotonin plays a role in our moon, sleep and appetite, too little serotonin has been found in people who suffer from depression. Some antidepressent medications therefore work to increasing the avaliablitiy of serotonin at postsynape receptor sits.
High levels od the neurotransmitter dompamine has been associated with the symptoms of schizophrenia. this is supported by the fact that drugs that block dopamine activity reduce schizophrenia symptoms.
Biological explanation for relationship formation
Evolutionary theory proposes that relationships form with individuals who possess certain traits.
Traits that enhance successful reproduction are naturally selection.
However males and females experience different selective pressures:
Male:
Do well to mate as frequently as they can and select women who are more: -
Fertile
Health
Smooth
Glossy Hair
Red lips
Thin waist
Are all indicators of youthfulness and healthiness and add up to what we see as 'physically attractive'
Female:
Seek signs of fertility and healthiness
more concerned with finding a partner who can provide the resources needed for offspring to survive.
Explaining the formation of sibling relationships:
In addition to natural selection theres also kin selection.
Traits to enhance the survival of those who have similar genes are also selected to promote the survival of group genes.
Therefore, we have the incentive to look after out siblings to ensure they are healthy and protected.
Explaining the parental investment thoery:
According to the parental investment theory, as female mammals invest more time in their offspring, they must be 'choosier' in finding a partner.
They will seek out the male that can provide the best resources.
Strengths and weaknesses of the Biological assumption:
Strength 1:
Scientific approach
Point
: Neurotransmitters and localisation of brain function. This means that biological explainations have
clear variables that can be measured tracked and examined.
Evidence
:Raine et al, use of PET scans to compare (14) areas of the brain in muderers (NGRI) comapred to non-murderers.
Explain
: Research into drug therapy, linkes between mental disoders such as depression and schizophrenia and the production of certain nuerotransmitters, linked this to certain behaviours.
Link
: These assumptions strengthen the biological approach is that it tends to lend itself to scientific research, unsed to support biological explainations
Strength 2:
Determinist approach
Point
: One strength is that if we know what predetermines our behaviour, we will be more likely to be able to treat abnormal behaviour.
Explain
: Understanding the function of neurotransmitters to predict effects of neurotransmitters on normal/abnormal behaviour.
Evidence
: The neurotransitter dopamine has been linked with the mental disorder schizophrenia. A large number of the drug amphetamine (known to increase levels of dopamine) can cause some of the symptoms associated with schizophrenia. We understand how the neurotransmitter dopamine works therefore we are able to treat the mental disorder that comes with it.
Strength 3
Successful applications
Point
: The biological approach has led to many successful applications.
Evidence
: Research into the relationship between abnormal levels of neurotransmitters and criminal behaviour has implications for offereing pharmacological treatments to criminal, leading to safter societies.
Explain
: The biological approach has also led to many forms of treatment for mental disorder, such as drug therapy and psychosurgery. Drug therapy produces miced results but is is easy and enables many people with mental disorders to live realtivly normal lives outside of mental hospitals. Viguera et all (2000), reported that more than 60% of bipolar patients improve when daking the drug, lithium.
Weakness 1:
Reductionist approach
Point
: Biological explainations reduce complex behaviours to a set of simple explainations.
Evidence
: The biological approach suggests that an illness such as schizophrenia is bascially a complex physical chemical system that as gone wrong and ignores the experinece of distress that comes with the mental disorder.
Explain
: Reductionism is a part of understanding how systems work, but the problem is that, in the process, we may lose a real undertsanding of the thing that we are investigating. A simplified explaination may prevent us from reaching a true understanding of the target behaviours.
Weakness 2
:
Nature rather than nurture
Point
: Mental illness has multiple causes, yet the biological approah focuses on just biology (nature), tending to ignore life experiences (nurture) and psychological factors such as hpw people think and feel.
Evidence
: The biological approach to exaplining schizophrenia is concerned with abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters rather than how a patient feels about their illness.
Explain
: The biological approach to treatment it therefore concerned with adjusting the abnormal biological systems rathe rthan talking to patients about how they feel.
Weakness 3:
Individual differences
Point
: The biological approach is nomothetic approach, looking to make generalisations about people and find similarities. Ignores differences between individuals.
Evidence
: For example, when stressed some people produce higher levels of adrenaline than others, which, in turn, affects the long-terms of stress.
Explain
: Biological research tends to look at only a few individuals and generalise their results with the everyone, the biological approach tend to use male biological systems rather than females due to their hormonal balance interfering with biological research.