Biological Approach Psychology

The biological approach to psychology was developed from the study of biology and Charles Darwin’s research into evolution.

Darwin theorised that a species changes over time (evolves) to better fit its environment. They did this through a process he called natural selection. Occasionally, an animal is born with a variation that sets it apart from other members of its species, called a mutation (Darwin, 1859). If this mutation enables the animal to better survive in its environment than other members of the species, it is more likely to reproduce, passing down their mutation to their offspring. Over a long period of time, as animals that lack the mutation are killed off and those who have it reproduce, the entire species changes until all members

One key feature of the approach is that brain structure influences a person’s psychological state. The nervous system (composed of approximately 12 billion neurons) is the structure that controls all human behaviour and thought, so damage to this system can result in dramatic changes. This can be seen in the case of Phineas Gage, who was described as no longer being himself after miraculously surviving an accident in 1848 that put a tamping iron through his skull and frontal lobe (Harlow, 1848). A predisposition to particular mental illness can be passed on genetically, through inheriting defects in brain structure. Chemical imbalances can also cause mental illness such as depression resulting from low levels of serotonin.

There are many applications of the biological approach. One of them would be the use of chemotherapy, where the patient is given medication to correct or counter the chemical imbalance in their brain, such as Prozac (Fluoxetine) for sufferers of depression or Benzodiazepine for

Another is that it has clear proof that brain damage can cause cognitive difficulties in the form of case studies. A weakness of this approach is that it for the most part ignores environmental causes of mental illness (a person could be suffering from depression because of recent events in their life) and that there are some cases that they cannot explain, such as “the man with no brain” (Feuillet, Defour, and Pelletier, 2007) being capable of functioning.

The cognitive approach to psychology was established in the 1950 in response to the behaviourist approach. It criticised the approach for only focussing on the observable behaviour in response to outside stimuli, believing that the role of mental constructs was being ignored. The cognitive approach stresses that psychologists must place focus on both the mind and environmental factors, along with the relationship between the