(15) Unit 1 - DRAINS Evaluation of the Biological Approach

Is the biological approach deterministic or does it acknowledge free will?

This approach is deterministic and does not acknowledge free will.

What evidence or example supports the biological approach being deterministic?

Phineas Gage became irrational after damage to pre-frontal cortex which shows that localisation of brain function determines behaviour rather than free will.

What is a strength and weakness of the biological approach being deterministic?

A strength of this is that this takes the blame off individuals for mental health disorders, for example, which may comfort them.

A weakness of this is that there is too much responsibility placed on biology which means that patients will not make the effort to change.

Is the biological approach reductionist or holistic?

This approach takes a reductionist approach where behaviour can be reduced down to biology and physical factors alone.

What evidence or example supports the biological approach being reductionist?

Soomro et al (2008) reviewed 17 pieces of research where the effects of SSRIs on patients with OCD. They found that patients given SSRIs found them to be much more effective than patients who were given a placebo, evidenced by reduced levels of OCD in the patients who took SSRIs.

What is a strength and a weakness of the biological approach being reductionist?

A strength of this is that the biological approach claims to pinpoint the origin of behaviour. Therefore, treatments will be more effective, and theories are more scientific than if a holistic approach was considered.

A weakness is that this does not consider the whole individual, therefore providing a very simplistic explanation for behaviour. Individuals behave in different ways for a number of different reasons, so it is best to take a holistic, rather than reductionist, view.

Has the biological approach been applied successfully?

The biological approach has been applied successfully in society in many ways.

What evidence or example supports the biological approach being applied successfully?

The biological approach has been successful in managing the effects of life-changing illnesses for which there are no known cure, e.g. schizophrenia. Applications of this kind not only allow individuals to lead a relatively ‘normal’ life, but it also allows them to access talking therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, that they would not be have been able to without drug therapy for support.

What is a strength and a weakness of the biological approach being applied successfully?

A strength of this is that patients can live a good quality of life as they can work and contribute to society, reducing stigma and revolutionising treatment of mental health disorders.

A weakness of this is that patients may experience side effects that are severe and often irreversible (e.g. tardive dyskinesia) which may lead to medicine non-compliancy. Drug therapy may also be expensive which may cause a social or cultural divide.

Is the biological approach idiographic or nomothetic?

The biological approach is nomothetic, meaning it uses scientific methods to carry out research, aiming to develop theories that can be applied as general laws (generalised) of human behaviour. It develops general, physical theories based on the medical model that can be applied to everyone.

What evidence or example supports the biological approach being nomothetic?

Raine et al (1997) aimed to develop a theory of whether there are brain differences between a group of normal controls and murderers who were pleading NGRI. These results would be applied to everyone. This would help to determine if brain differences/abnormalities are a response for criminality.

What is a strength and a weakness of the biological approach being nomothetic?

A strength of being nomothetic is that it helps the greater good that can be applied to a greater amount of people.

A weakness of this is that idiographic recognises individual differences and therefore have a generally more accurate explanation of behaviour that nomothetic does not.

Does the biological approach fall on the nature or nurture side of the debate, or is it interactionism?

The biological approach only considers nature when explaining behaviour.

What evidence or example supports the biological approach falling on the nature side of the debate?

This is demonstrated by the use of therapies such as drug therapy or psychosurgery where individuals are given physical, rather than psychological treatments in order to improve their mental health.

What is a strength and a weakness of the biological approach falling on the nature side of the debate?

A strength of drug therapy is very effective for relieving the symptoms of mental illness, so if the approach uses successful and scientific therapies that target biology (hence the nature of the individual), then psychology can fulfil its aim of curing or managing mental illness so that people can live a more ‘normal’ life.

A weakness of this is that there is evidence from other therapies to suggest that mental illness stems from psychological, not physical, issues.

Is the biological approach scientific?

A key aspect of the biological approach it is scientific and aims to use scientific methods to investigate behaviour.

What evidence or example supports the biological approach being scientific?

Biological psychologists create hypotheses, use objective research methods and collect quantitative data to investigate ideas. Raine’s hypothesis was that NGRI murderers has brain abnormality in areas linked to violence. He also used a control group to make research fair and accurate.

What is a strength of the biological approach being scientific?

A strength of this is that science is viewed as being more credible and adds support to the key principles of the approach.