1.1: Biological approach

WJEC advanced information

Assumptions: Explain the assumptions and apply these to explain relationship formation.
Approach: Evaluate the approaches strengths and weaknesses, and compare to the four other approaches.

A key assumption of biological is that all behaviours can be explained by our biological functions, with three main strands.
- Physiological approach - All behaviour is due to internal body functioning, such as brain localisation.
- Nativist approach - All behaviour is inherited, passed down through genes.
- Medical model - Psychological disorders should be treated like physical diseases, through surgeries and drug treatments.

Based on Darwin’s theory of natural selection, that traits that increase are more likely to be passed on and therefore inherited by offspring as they share their genes.
Natural selection works in steps:
- Mutation - Changes in DNA.
- Variation - A difference in biochemical function, outward appearance or behaviour occurs.
- Competitive advantage - Some are more suited to the environment than others and out-compete members of their own and other species.
- Survival of the fittest - Those more suited to the environment survive better.
- Reproduction - They are then more likely to reproduce as they survive to maturity.
- Pass on - The offspring inherit the advantageous alleles, so they are more suited to the environment.
- Continuation - These offspring outperform their competitors and have more children, until eventually this trait becomes the norm.
An example of a psychological trait that may be passed on this way is intelligence, as this increases chances of survival.
A key concept is EEA (Environment of evolutionary adaptiveness) which is the environment in which natural selection occured and the pressures in such environment.
- This suggests we no longer adapt to wild environments, but instead the current social organisation of our species, such as the ability to be friendly.

This is the idea that certain areas of the brain are responsible for certain functions, such as:
- Frontal lobe - Thinking and creativity, linked to personalities.
- Parietal lobes - Receive sensory information such as temperature, touch and pain.
- Temporal lobes - Responsible for memory processing and processing of auditory information.
- Occipital lobes - Responsible for visual processing and receiving information directly from the eyes.
Additionally, there are specific areas linked to language processing.
- Broca’s area - Discovered by Broca after studying eight patients with language formation problems, found they had damage to the posterior portion of the frontal lobe.
- Wernicke’s area - Discovered by Wernicke, patients who couldn’t understand language had damage to the posterior portion of the left temporal lobe.

Neurons are cells that form the nervous system.
- Each neuron has many branches at the end of each neuron known as dendrites.
- Neurons communicate at synapses, with a small gap between each neuron known as synaptic cleft with a 20nm gap.
- These relay chemical messengers, known as neurotransmitters, which are released from the presynaptic vesicles on one neuron. These either stimulate or inhibit receptors in the other neuron.
They have been found to play a significant role in our mental health.
- Dopamine is associated with reward-driven behaviour.
- Oxytocin is also associated with forming bonds, such as between mother and child.

People look for those who best fit them in an evolutionary sense:
- Men look for youthful and fertile women, such as those with red lips and thin waists.
- Women look for wealthy men who can provide the resources needed to provide for children and themselves.
- Parental investment theory (Trivers) shows that women have to be more choosier with finding a partner as they need one that will provide resources.

Chemicals in our brain can influence how we act and our emotions. For romantic relationships, there are two main neurotransmitters:
- Dopamine - Responsible for pleasure seeking and reward-driven behaviour. If someone has the goal of getting a partner, each milestone towards this will give a hit of dopamine.
- Oxytocin - A hormone linked to human bonding and trust increases, and helps in romantic relationships. When a lack of physical contact occurs oxytocin increases, leading to feelings of wanting to bond again with ones partner.

Believes a person’s behaviour and therefore their life is determined by internal biology; such as genes and neurotransmitters.
This eliminates our free will, and gives the idea that biology cannot be altered.

Biological does not factor upbringing or environment as a cause for future behaviour.
People are products of inherited genes = nativist approach.

Biological is more scientific, nature, determinist, nomothetic and reductionist.

It is highly scientific, as it focuses on only observable behaviour to ensure this.
Most evidence is based on lab experiments, which are quite valid.

The therapies are successful and have helped many, but are extremely controversial.

Focuses exclusively on biology.
Includes theories from other sciences, such as evolution, genes and neurotransmitters.