Compare And Contrast The Biological Approach

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The biological approach emphasizes physical and biological bases of behaviour. It looks at how brain functions influence different behaviours and personality. The study of nervous system has played a major role in the development of biological approach to psychology. On the other hand, the psychoanalytic approach explains personality, motivation and psychological disorders by focusing on the influence of early childhood experiences, unconscious motives and conflicts. This essay attempts to explain biological and psychoanalytic approaches to psychology with focus on their core assumptions, key features, similarities and differences.
The biological approach assumes that all behaviours have a physiological basis and certain behavioural characteristics can be transmitted genetically from one generation to another (W.E. Glassman 2009). The behaviour has a physical cause in the same way as physical illness. The causes of abnormal behaviour can be explained by understanding nervous system and the endocrine system. The psychoanalytic approach assumes that human behaviour and feelings as adults are determined by …show more content…

In explaining human behaviour, both approaches make assumptions to simplify human behaviour in terms of their own principles and beliefs. The biological approach believes on the nature side of the debate. The biological functions that are thought to influence our behaviour are set at the point of birth by the action of genes. The changes in our biology as we grow will have a corresponding effect on our behaviour. The psychoanalytic approach, on the other hand favours the nurture side of the debate. The only thing a child is born with, according to Freud, is an id which has a very healthy libido and further parts of the personality develop as the child interacts with the environment (including parents) until all the parts have developed and are functioning in a healthy

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