Biopsychosocial Approach and Theoretical Perspectives (Page 2)

Biopsychosocial Approach

  • An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints to explain behavior or mental processes.

Biological Influences

  • Genetic predispositions (genetically influenced traits)
  • Genetic mutations (random errors in gene replication)
  • Natural selection of adaptive traits and behaviors passed down through generations
  • Genes responding to the environment

Psychological Influences

  • Learned fears and other learned expectations
  • Emotional responses
  • Cognitive processing and perceptual interpretations

Social-Cultural Influences

  • Presence of others
  • Cultural, societal, and family expectations
  • Peer and other group influences
  • Compelling models (such as in the media) or played violent video games

AP Exam Tip

  • Familiarize yourself with how the three viewpoints contribute to behavior or mental processes (Figure 2.1) and how they combine to form the biopsychosocial picture.

Behavioral Psychology

  • Scientific study of observable behavior and its explanations by principles of learning
  • Within this broad approach, psychology has more focused theoretical perspectives; each asks different questions and has its limits
  • Together these perspectives complement one another

Anger: Theoretical Perspectives (illustrative example)

  • Behavioral: what triggers angry responses or aggressive acts
  • Biological: brain circuits that cause anger; heredity and experience influence temperament
  • Cognitive: how interpretation of a situation affects anger and how anger affects thinking
  • Evolutionary: how anger may have facilitated the survival of our ancestors' genes
  • Humanistic: how angry feelings affect a person’s growth potential; links to flourishing (positive psychology)

Biological Psychology

  • Scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes
  • Practitioners may call themselves neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists, psychologists, or biopsychologists

Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology

  • Main perspectives include: Behavioral, Biological, Cognitive, Evolutionary, Humanistic, and Psychodynamic
  • Each perspective asks different questions and has limits; together they provide a more complete understanding of behavior

Summary: Integrating the Views

  • The biopsychosocial approach combines biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors to explain behavior
  • Theoretical perspectives offer complementary lenses to study mental processes and behavior, with cross-cutting insights on topics like anger