biological

Home

About

Methods

Studies

Themes

The Biological Approach

Origins and History
Sometimes called the physiological, biopsychological, neurophysiological, nativist (considering nature rather than nurture), or innate approach.
The Biological approach to psychology has integrated with and run parallel to the rest of psychological thought since early Greek times - the Greek physician, Galen, suggested that personality and temperament may be linked to the levels of body fluids such as blood and bile in the body.
As knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and medicine developed, important insights into human behaviour and experience were gained. Wilder G. Penfield (26th January 1891 - 5th April 1976), for example, mapped the role of various areas of the cerebral cortex through microelectrode stimulation with conscious patients. Roger W. Sperry (20th August 1913 - 17th April 1994) investigated the effects of splitting the cerebral hemispheres on consciousness and psychological function.
The field will progress still further as the techniques to isolate the effects of genes and scan the living brain develops.

Assumptions
Biologically orientated psychologists assume that all that is psychological is first physiological - that is since the mind appears to reside in the brain, all thoughts, feelings and behaviours ultimately have a physical or biological cause.
Human genes have evolved over millions of years to adapt physiology and behaviour to the environment. Therefore, much behaviour will have a genetic base.
Psychology should, therefore, investigate the brain, nervous system, endocrine system, and genes.
It is also useful to study why human behaviour has evolved in the way it has, the subject of evolutionary and sociobiological theory.

Methods of Investigation
Laboratory experiments are often used e.g. stimulating, giving drugs to, or removing parts of the brain to see what effect is has on behaviour.
Laboratory observations are also used - controlled observations of physical processes, e.g. sleep or the scanning of the structure and activity of the brain.
Correlations - e.g. between twins and adopted family members to discover the genetic influence on intelligence or mental disorders.

Contribution to Psychology
This approach has contributed to the understanding of:
Gender Development - e.g. the influence of genetic and hormonal predispositions on gender behaviour and identity.
Aggression - e.g. investigating the role of the limbic system.
Abnormality - e.g. the dopamine hypothesis and enlarged ventricle theory of schizophrenia.
Memory - e.g. brain scans of areas involved during memory tests or the effect of brain damage on memory.
Motivation - e.g. the role of the hypothalamus in homeostasis.
Awareness - e.g. the biological theories of sleep, dreams, and body rhythms.
Localisation of function - this refers to the idea that specific functions and behaviours are associated with specific areas of the brain, e.g. the effect of brain damage on behaviour.

Strengths
This approach is very scientific, grounded in the hard science of biology with its objective, materialistic subject matter and experimental methodology.
It provides strong counter-arguments to the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate.
Physiology's practical applications are usually extremely effective e.g. the treatment of mental disorder.
The physiological approach has contributed to psychologists understanding of a very wide range of phenomena.

Weaknesses
Reductionism - the biopsychological approach explains thoughts and behaviour in terms of the action of neurones and biochemicals. This may ignore other more suitable levels of explanation and the interaction of the causal factors.
This approach has not adequately explained how mind and body interact - consciousness and emotion are difficult to study objectively.
Overly Simplistic - biopsychological theories often over-simplify the huge complexity of physical systems and their interaction with environmental factors.