BIOLOGICAL APPROACH

ASSUMPTIONS
● EMOTIONS, BEHAVIOURS AND COGNITIONS ARE CONTROLLED BY THE
BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM AND PROCESSES SUCH AS EVOLUTION, GENES, THE
NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HORMONES

● EMOTIONS, BEHAVIOURS AND COGNITIONS CAN BE INVESTIGATED BY

MANIPULATING AND MEASURING BIOLOGICAL RESPONSES, SUCH AS EYE
MOVEMENTS, BRAIN ACTIVITY AND PULSE RATE
Turhan Canli, William Dement,
Stanley Schachter, Jerome Singer
 Key Areas

• GENES
• GENOTYPE & PHENOTYPE
• EVOLUTION
• NEUROCHEMISTRY
• BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURES
 GENES
Genes – passed from one generation to the next one; carry information in the
form of DNA, which carry instructions for characteristics
inheritance & twin studies
Monozygotic twins – identical
Dizygotic twins – 50% genes
Concordance rate (CR) – the probability of both twins having a particular trait if
one of the pair does/ degree of similarity
Ex. High concordance rate to develop schizophrenia ;
Ex. MCGriffin et al. (1996) 46% chance to develop depression in MT
 GENOTYPE VS PHENOTYPE

• Genotype – the particular genes/ genetic makeup – fixed from birth

• Phenotype – the characteristics displayed as an interaction between the
expression of the genotype and environment; observable characteristics
 EVOLUTION
• Genes are the mechanisms through which the evolution takes place
• Inherited characteristics
• Natural selection ensures that characteristics providing evolutionary advantage are passed
to the next generation; others who do not have die out

• Survival of the fittest

Ex. Buss (1994) – Sex differences in partner preferences (young, fertile, chesty…., thus both men and women
have evolved certain attractive traits)
 BIOLOGY
• The role of chemicals in determining behaviour

• Neurochemistry –– signals are sent between neurons by chemicals called

neurotransmitters ; imbalances are associated with atypical behaviour
Ex. Serotonin (+) – depression & aggression /// Dopamine (-) – schizophrenia
Crockett et al.(2008) – Behaviour regulation and impulse control

• Biological structures – lots of parts together to make a whole; brain parts and functions
• Somatic nervous system & Sympathetic nervous system & Endocrine system
Brain parts
and
functions
 BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION
• Strengths, Weaknesses & Comparisons
• Strengths :
scientific methods – fMRI, MRI, CT, EEG
real world application – drug treatment
• Weaknesses:
causation
evolutionary approach is unfalsifiable
biological determinism –e.g. can we blame people for aggression?
 CORE STUDIES


CANLI ET AL. (2000)

DEMENT & KLEITMAN (1957)

SCHTCHER & SINGER (1962)

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CORE STUDIES


BRAIN RESEARCH METHODS