Outline and evaluate the biological approach to psychopathology
Outline and evaluate the biological approach to psychopathology
The biological approach to psychopathology suggests that abnormal behaviour is caused or related to physical changes in the body. The biological approach suggest that the four following things cause physical disorders (abnormality) ; genes, biochemistry, neuroanatomy and viral infection.
Psychologists have investigated the role in which gene’s play in abnormal behaviour. To do this the majority of psychologists use twins. It has been demonstrated that first-degree relative of a person suffering schizophrenia have a 10% chance of developing the disorder. This is much greater than the 1% in the normal population. Gottesman used a meta-analysis of about 40 twin studies and found that the concordance rate for schizophrenia was 48% in monozygotic twins however only 17% in dizygotic twins which proves that some abnormal behaviours are genetically inherited.
The biological approach suggests that abnormality is caused by neuroanatomy for example neurotransmitters can lead to disorders such as depression due to too little serotonin and anxiety due to little noradrenaline also too much dopamine can lead to schizophrenia. Another factor of the biological approach is viral infection. Its emphasized that viral infections can lead to disorders and abnormality for example the syphilis bacteria can cause sexually transmitted diseases which can cause general paresis, brain damage, forgetfulness, mental deterioration and delusions – these behaviours would be deemed as abnormal. Some forms of infections can rise into types of mental illnesses for example the influenza virus in pregnant women can often lead to schizophrenia.
A strength of this biological approach to psychology is that it requires a great amount of objective date resulting in findings being very specific with accurate scientific measures however one limitation of the biological approach is that it ignores all other approaches and definitions such as the
The biological approach to psychopathology suggests that abnormal behaviour is caused or related to physical changes in the body. The biological approach suggest that the four following things cause physical disorders (abnormality) ; genes, biochemistry, neuroanatomy and viral infection.
Psychologists have investigated the role in which gene’s play in abnormal behaviour. To do this the majority of psychologists use twins. It has been demonstrated that first-degree relative of a person suffering schizophrenia have a 10% chance of developing the disorder. This is much greater than the 1% in the normal population. Gottesman used a meta-analysis of about 40 twin studies and found that the concordance rate for schizophrenia was 48% in monozygotic twins however only 17% in dizygotic twins which proves that some abnormal behaviours are genetically inherited.
The biological approach suggests that abnormality is caused by neuroanatomy for example neurotransmitters can lead to disorders such as depression due to too little serotonin and anxiety due to little noradrenaline also too much dopamine can lead to schizophrenia. Another factor of the biological approach is viral infection. Its emphasized that viral infections can lead to disorders and abnormality for example the syphilis bacteria can cause sexually transmitted diseases which can cause general paresis, brain damage, forgetfulness, mental deterioration and delusions – these behaviours would be deemed as abnormal. Some forms of infections can rise into types of mental illnesses for example the influenza virus in pregnant women can often lead to schizophrenia.
A strength of this biological approach to psychology is that it requires a great amount of objective date resulting in findings being very specific with accurate scientific measures however one limitation of the biological approach is that it ignores all other approaches and definitions such as the