The Biological Approach
SPECIAL TOPIC: The Biological Approach
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Questions
1. What is the other name of the biological approach?
2. What is the main focus of the biological approach?
3. What are the types of the neurons?
4. Outline the heritability concept in the psychology
5. What are the types of studies are used to evaluate genetic factors
6. What are the main parts of the brain?
7. Explain ventricles structure of the brain.
8. Define ‘Psychopharmacology’
9. What are the main critics of the biological approach?
10. Outline the argument for the genetic cause of schizophrenia.
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Answers
1.
Medical approach and Biopsychology
2.
See box
Biopsychology is the branch of psychology that analyzes how the brain and neurotransmitters influence our behaviors, thoughts, and feelings.
This field can be thought of as a combination of basic psychology and neuroscience. Many psychology programs use alternate names for this
field, including biopsychology, physiological psychology, behavioral neuroscience, and psychobiology. Biopsychologists often look at how
biological processes interact with emotions, cognitions, and other mental processes.
If you are interested in the field of biopsychology, then it is important to have an understanding of biological processes, anatomy, and
physiology. Three of the most important components to understand are the brain, neurotransmitters, and the nervous system.
http://psychology.about.com/od/biopsychology/a/biopsyc.htm
3. Sensory neurons; Motor neurons; Interneurons
4. See box:
In a group of people, a particular psychological trait, such as intelligence, usually varies a lot. Differences in groups may be due to genes or the
environment, and researchers use a statistic called heritability to see which has the largest influence. Heritability is a mathematical estimate that
indicates how much of a trait’s variation can be attributed to genes. There are three important principles of heritability:


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Heritability estimates don’t reveal anything about how much genes influence a person’s traits. These figures tell us only to what extent
trait differences between people can be attributed to genes.
Heritability depends on the similarity of the environment for a group of people. In a group of people who share similar environments,
heritability of a particular trait may be high. However, that same trait may have low heritability in a group of people who operate in
different environments.
Even if a trait is highly heritable, it can still be influenced by environmental factors.
http://www.sparknotes.com/psychology/psych101/evolutionandgenes/section1.html
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5. Family studies; Twin studies; Separated twins; Adoption studies
6. Forebrain; midbrain; hindbrain
7. See box:
The brain has a series of hollow, interconnected chambers called ventricles. The lateral ventricles are in the forebrain and are
connected to the third ventricle in the midbrain. The third ventricle is connected by way of the cerebral aqueduct, a long tube, to
the fourth ventricle in the hindbrain, which is then connected to the central canal of the spinal cord (Figure 1 ). The ventricular
system provides the pathway for cerebrospinal fluid to move in the nervous system.
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/CliffsReviewTopic/Central-Nervous-System-CNS-.topicArticleId-25438,articleId-25316.html
8. Psychopharmacology is an approach to biological psychology focusing on the effects of drugs on neural activity and on behaviour.
9. See box
Note there is some controversy as to the relevance of research on non-human species for an understanding of human functioning. In general
terms, we can only be confident that findings from non-human animals are applicable to humans when there is clear supporting evidence from
human research.
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Second, there is psychopharmacology. Psychopharmacology resembles physiological psychology, but is more specifically focused on the
effects of various drugs on neural activity and on behaviour. In general terms, research in psychopharmacology is more applied than research in
physiological psychology, with the emphasis being on the development of drugs having beneficial effects and minimal adverse side effects. In
addition, psychopharmacologists consider the damaging effects of various illegal drugs on the brain and on behaviour. Other pharmacologists
are more interested in basic research. They argue that studying the effects of drugs sheds light on the detailed chemical processes occurring in
the brain.
Third, there is psychophysiology, which involves studying the relationship between physiological activity on the one hand and psychological
processes on the other hand. Most psychophysiological research is carried out on humans. Psychophysiologists make use of a wide range of
measures, including heart rate, electrical conductance of the skin, pupil dilation, and the electroencephalogram (EEG; based on recordings of
electrical brain activity measured at the surface of the scalp). In the past 20 years, event-related potentials (ERPs) have become one of the most
popular EEG-based techniques for studying cognitive processes
http://www.psypress.com/common/supplementary/184169360X/part1.pdf
10. See box:
The strongest relationship occurs between monozygotic (identical) twins. In cases in which one member of a monozygotic twin pair has
schizophrenia, there is a 46% chance that the other member also suffers from schizophrenia. Thus, in about one half of the cases, one of the
twins does not develop schizophrenia, even though the genetic makeupis identical; but pathology is still the norm, since only about 13% are
judged to be normal. Dizygotic or fraternal twins, like siblings, share about one half of the genetic information. When a sibling or one member of a
fraternal twin pair has been diagnosed as having schizophrenia, the other member bears about a 10-15% chance of being afflicted with the
disease. Similarly, the child of a schizophrenic parent has a likelihood of becoming schizophrenic that is about 15 times that of the general
population. Although the relationship is not perfect, there clearly is a high correlation between the closeness of genetic relationship to a
schizophrenic patient and the probability of developing the disorder .
A word of caution is in order concerning the interpretation of the experiments that purport to show the relationship between genetics and the
incidence of schizophrenia (or any other characteristic). There is also a strong correlation between genetic relationship and environment. If the
home environment causes one child to become schizophrenic, would it not also be likely to cause siblings (or especially a twin) to become
schizophrenic? Should one be surprised that a parent suffering from schizophrenia raises a child with similar characteristics? Although these are
valid criticisms, there are a few experiments that provide counter-arguments. In some cases, it has been possible to find diagnosed schizophrenics
who have twins or siblings that have been raised since birth or early childhood in foster homes. The results of these studies show relationships
that are comparable to those described above. The likelihood of developing schizophrenia is more predictable based on the mental health of the
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biological mother than on that of the foster mother.
One of the most spectacular studies of the genetic and environmental influences on schizophrenia is that of the Genain quadruplets (Rosenthal,
1963). These quadruplet girls were the subject of intense study over a period of many years. Although it was impossible to eliminate all
uncertainty, it seemed likely that they were monozygotic. One of these children developed schizophrenic symptoms at an early age. All three of
the remaining quadruplets developed symptoms ranging from frank schizophrenia to schizoid tendencies during later years. The age of onset and
the severity of the symptoms were related to birth weight, the lightest birth weight showing the earliest and most severe symptoms. The father of
the girls and his mother both suffered from schizophrenia. The mother of the girls had some problems (not the least of which were a
schizophrenic husband and quadruplet daughters!), but was not diagnosed as schizophrenic. This case study is probably a perfect example of the
conclusions that should be drawn about the role of genetics and environment in schizophrenia: It seems obvious that one's genetic heritage can
provide a strong predisposition toward schizophrenia, but whether or not the disease is manifested may be determined by other factors such as
the home environment, the prenatal environment, dietary factors, and even other genetically determined characteristics.
http://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~lwh/drugs/chap07.htm#EVIDENCE%20FOR%20BIOLOGICAL%20BASES%20OF%20SCHIZOPHRENIA
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