The Contribution of a Biological Perspective to our Understanding of Behaviour

The Contribution of a Biological Perspective to our Understanding of Behaviour

The importance of Biology within the field of psychology has been

and continues to be widely debated. Some scientists such as Francis

Crick, believe that explanations for psychological differences can

only be

found by the means of studying the biology of the brain and genes,

this

belief is known as reductionism. However most psychologists now

believe that biology and psychology go hand in hand and that both need

to be considered; the biology and the social context, to be able to

come to

a more accurate explanation. In this essay I will look at how biology

contributes to understanding behaviour and look at examples of this.

Depression is a key example of how biology and psychology

inter-linked can be the cause of changes in mood and behaviour.

Depression is an illness that makes a person feel very ‘low’ in mood

and

often tired, irritable, anxious and antisocial. It causes a change in

their

behaviour; they isolate themselves from other people and it can cause

behaviours such as self harm, obsessive behaviours and suicidal

behaviours. Biology seems to show that depression is caused by

abnormalities in neurotransmission at synapses. Neurotransmitters are

specific chemicals released from a neuron, which travel across neuron

synapses to specific receptor sites. Low levels of neurotransmitters

at

synapses, have been found to cause low mood and depression. The re-

uptake of the neurotransmitter into the synapse causes the

neurotransmitter to become inactive. This means the level of the

chemical messen...

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...red such as social context and the environment. In this essay I

have given examples to show how biology can be significant in

affecting

behaviour, but how it is not the only factor. The contribution

that biology offers is likely to change over time, as scientific and

psychological knowledge and understanding increases. As we learn more

about the biology of the brain, it is likely biology will become more

and

more relevant, yet it is unlikely it will ever explain all situations.

(1098 words)

References:

Mapping Psychology 1, Exploring Psychology, The Open University, 2002,

Dorothy Meill, Ann Phoenix and Kerry Thomas

http://www.angliacampus.com/schools/org2823/science/humans/hstasis.html

http://www.alanpriest.f2s.com/Depression%20Medication%20p5.htm

http://web.isp.cz/jcrane/IB/Bio.html