Biological Approach

1518 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Parenting styles and why they are important

The biological approach is a method that looks at our genetics to figure out a reason as to why one behaves in a particular way and why individuals develop abnormal behaviors. The biological theorists who study behavioral genetics study in what manner genetic influences effect behavior. Biological factors such as chromosomes have a substantial effect on humans and their behaviors. Most of what psychologists know about biological influences on personality is derived from twin studies. Twin studies examine and compare monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins. This is done because identical twins share the same DNA and are therefore predicted to share the same levels of specific traits. They are studied in cases where the twins are both reared together and separately to understand individual differences and similarities in personalities in these twins; in most cases even when the identical twins are reared apart they often are similar in regards to their career choices and personality characteristics. While fraternal twins share about fifty percent of the same DNA which is about the same amount as non-twin siblings. The outcome of fraternal twins is similar to the outcome of individuals not born as twins, meaning the pair of DZ twins will have different personality traits (Holzinger, 1929). This demonstrates that although MZ twins are reared apart they still share the same personality traits because they are heritable. The biological aspect of traits is explained through genetics. Biology is the influence for most of the complex and intricate phenomena that occur within a human being, the same can be applied to the personality of an individual. The Big Five is a list of the five core personality traits that all indivi... ... middle of paper ... ...onality model (Costa and McCrae, 1988). Without an appropriate caregiver to provide nurture a person can be high on neuroticism, and low on extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness; meaning the person will be immensely psychologically unstable. Without stability and emotional support as a child, as an adult, an individual do not learn how to cope with the pressures of life (Bleidorn et al., 2010). This is apparent when individuals are extremely anxious, and self-conscious, introverted and displaying negative emotions about everything, not open to new experiences or people, has issues trusting others, and has little to no self-discipline (Rothbart, Ahadi, and Evans, 2000). A child that has been nurtured has been brought up in a positive and loving environment will have great psychological health and will be a stable/functional adult.

Show More
Related

  • There Is You Mother, A Woman's Fight To Keep Her Child By Rachel Aviv

    1442 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to the article, a study in Development and Psychopathology found that “children in foster care have a weakened ability to regulate their emotions and impulses and to persevere when confronted with intellectual challenges” (Aviv, 2013). Children who are placed in foster care after being removed from their family develop different types of needs.

    Read More

  • Serial Killers: Nature Vs. Nurture

    1541 Words  | 4 Pages

    A person is the way they are based on their childhood. People who have a happy childhood, with loving and caring parents, tend to have a happy adulthood. On the other hand, people who had a poor childhood, with disapproval of their own parents, usually do the same to their children or others around them, sometimes contributing to their murders. Infancy is one of the more important stages in a person’s development. Without proper care, and attention, it can have major consequences. Infancy is one of the most fragile and important stages in the development of a human and their emotions. Infancy is a crucial period for the proper development of emotions for the adult personality. (Vronsky 2004). The first twelve months of a person’s life are critical in the development of emotions like remorse and affection. When a child does not receive adequate attention and physical contact during their first twelve months, they could suffer personality disorders in their future. (Freeman 2). When a child does not get enough love, and affection from their parents, they will end up lacking in the ability to show affection or remorse. If they are not taught that from infancy, they will not learn it. Infancy is a crucial period in everyone’s life, and it should be taken with a serious, but gentle hand. As infancy can have major effects on the developing adult personality, childhood trauma can

    Read More

  • The Concept of Infant-Mother Attachment

    706 Words  | 2 Pages

    The child that has developed a good, strong infant-mother attachment can easily explore their world due to the confidence gained in infancy. And exploration means their cognitive and emotional skills will develop naturally through just playing like a child should. The child not given this all important mother-child bond will severely lack the ability to learn and explore. Plus, it will lead to a life-long disability as a struggling adult. The emotional development (or lack of) alone can be very detrimental when the adult child is seeking friends and eventually an intimate relationship. For a child that has developed a secure infant-mother attachment the child is confident, less aggressive, more interested in exploration and able to problem solve (Diessner, 2008).

    Read More

  • The Early Years: The Effects of Nurturance During Childhood on Development

    1578 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Although experience may affect human brain structure and function throughout the entire life span, evidence…..suggests that early experience may be particularly critical” (Rao et al., 2010). During the childhood years, adequate nurturance by parents has a large impact on optimal biological and psychological development. This includes neurological, social, emotional, and cognitive growth. Rao et al. (2010) broadly define nurturance as including “warmth, affection, and acceptance” (p. 1145). Like nurturance, many researchers have looked at the importance of similar issues such as attention, attachment, and bonding. Conversely, issues such as stressful environments and unstable relationships have been shown to have negative consequences on childhood development. The importance of this early childhood nurturance is evident in the story of Michel Oher as described in the movie The Blind Side. Due to his neglectful upbringing, Michael has many academic deficits including language problems as well as having limited social and stress management skills. However, when taken in by the Tuohy family Michael begins to thrive and flourish due to the encouraging attention he receives and the positive environment in which he now lives. Although Michael’s case is atypical, not every impoverished child gets a second chance, it does illustrate the effects that improper, and later adequate, nurturance has on a child and his or her development.

    Read More

  • Erik Erikson's Attachment Theory

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    Erik H. Erikson was a significant psychologist that greatly changed the field of child development. In the 1950’s, Erikson advanced a Freudian approach in development. He viewed that social development as a series of eight challenges that people have to overcome. Each challenge has an outcome that’s either favorable or unfavorable. The outcome drastically affects a person’s personality. For example, in a favorable outcome, the result can leave a positive feeling. With a positive outlook, it’s easier for a person to cope with challenges in life. An unfavorable outcome can leave a person at a disadvantaged for the future. During the first couple challenges, Erikson believed that the caregiver has a great impact on a child’s development (Romero).

    Read More

  • Biological Factors Can Predict Personality

    1903 Words  | 4 Pages

    A layman would define personality as an individual’s characteristics in terms of how they think and behave. Many theorists, however, interprets personality differently resulting in various personality theories. Personality is determined by traits which are behaviours displayed by a person in most given situations. How a person reacts to common circumstances may also be used to foresee future behaviours. Traits are then categorized into types that allow easier comparisons to be made between each individual’s attributes. The focus of this paper would be on the biological aspects of personality whereby traits are thought to be inheritable through genetics and associated with the central nervous system. Behavioural genetics are research that makes use of results from studies done on family, twins and adoptions. The findings of how both genes and environment influences personality from the studies will be discussed. Some researchers found possible issues with the representativeness of such studies. The outline of Eysenck’s biological model of personality and arousal, Gray’s BAS/BIS theory and Cloninger’s biological model of personality will further explain the biological effect on personality.

    Read More

  • The Collapse In Fatherhood In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    1289 Words  | 3 Pages

    of having intimate or inadequate parenting skills can have a nurturing or depriving effect on a child 's

    Read More

  • Personality: a Neurobiological Model of Extraversion

    1112 Words  | 3 Pages

    Underlying the question of whether brain equals behavior is the possibility that one's personality may be understood on a neurobiological level. Personality affects how a person will behave in certain situations. Peoples' attitudes towards their environments, their dispositions, personal preferences and dislikes all help determine their everyday actions. If behavior is controlled by the nervous system, these factors which make up a person's personality must also fall under its direction. This does not refer to whether one's personality is a result of environment or genomic make-up. It has already been proposed that personality is 50%-70% hereditary and that home environment has little impact on child development (1,2). Here, nature vs. nurture is largely irrelevant; regardless of where one's personality comes from, it reflects chemical and electrical processes occurring within the nervous system.

    Read More

  • Key Perspectives of Psychology

    792 Words  | 2 Pages

    The biological approach to psychology makes the assumption that all behaviours are associated with changes in the brain function and that psychopathology will be caused by a disorder within the brain, neuroanatomy. Many biological psychologists tend to assume that most behaviours, normal and disordered, involve an inherited component from the biological parents. In theory this suggests that all behaviours can be related to changes in brain activity.

    Read More

  • Personality Traits In The Police Officer

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    Personality traits are the habitual patterns of behavior, though and emotion that are different and always exclusive to a specific individual, in very rare occasion do we find two people share similar traits even when they are a brother and sister or twin siblings. However there are those traits that are common among people at in such instances the differences between one personality and the other is the degree to which the trait affects them like in the case of aggression and even concentration. Trait in a person has been realized to be the major source of behavioral influence, as such chaotic behaviors could be caused by the trait of aggression on the other hand ability to have a better understanding could be influenced by the trait of patience

    Read More

  • The Biological Perspective

    450 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Biological Perspective provides us in a unique way, because it seeks the relationships between the brain, hormones, heredity, behavior, and mental processes on the other. It is proof that our brains play a big part in our thoughts and our actions. Our brain is what makes our body function. Have you ever tried to wake up from a good night’s rest and couldn’t get up? Your body was awake, but your brain wasn’t. Once your brain awakens, your body functions properly. You are then able to think. Your hormones are an example of what makes up your moods. Your moods are what make up your behavior. Your behavior then puts focus on your mental processes. Heredity comes from something you could have picked up a family member, which can play a part in the person that you are today.

    Read More

  • Self Control Essay

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    The development of the human brain is largely based on relationships acquired during the first few months of life. Traits that a child is born with differ from the ones that he or she gains from an outside environment. The types of things that affect the acquisition of these traits are the environment that the guardian provides, and the interaction between baby and guardian in that environment. A household containing a newborn can be quite a hectic place, but when the parent handles themselves correctly, the baby soothes faster and quietly. When a child is in the mist of throwing a tantrum and you do not give up on the situation until it is completely resolved, it affects the social and emotional development of the child.

    Read More

  • Theories Explaining Delinquent Behavior In Children Essay

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to their research, a person’s life experiences impact the traits a person exhibits in their personality through the development of the brain over time. Even though they support this link between nature and nurture, they also point out that studying this link is often complex and difficult and that past research sometimes favors one point over the other (McCrae, Costa & Hrebickova, 2000). One issue in understanding the impacts of the biological and the social is that past theories sometimes support one of these factors and disregard the other. Science is not always holistic in studying things like human

    Read More

  • Charles Darwin's Theory Of Personality

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    Environmental factors interact with genetics to form personality. The biological approach is just one of many that explains why we are the way we are. Some psychologists, such as Carl Jung, Hans Eysenck, and B.F. Skinner developed theories emphasizing the genetic influences on personality. Charles Darwin was the first who introduced that evolution mixed with genetics play a role in the behavior of humans. By looking at our personality with a biological approach, psychologists understand exactly how and why the brain influences the way people act, feel, and think and new treatments are made from studying this approach to psychology. Mental illnesses are a big part of psychology and change our personality because of the differences in the brains

    Read More

  • Emotional Development Essay

    1113 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order for a child to properly develop emotionally they must have the skills and support

    Read More

More about Biological Approach

Open Document