Aleena Ahmed
Year 13 ready work
Biological Approach
1. Describe 3 assumptions of the biological approach [4+4+4]
P: One assumption of the biological approach is neurotransmitters.
E: Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers which pass signals from the presynaptic neuron to the
post synaptic neuron. In order to cross the synapse (the gap between the neurotransmitters), the
electrical signal must be converted into a chemical signal. Once it has reached the postsynaptic
neuron, the neurotransmitter is absorbed and the chemical signal is changed back into an electrical
signal and this process is repeated continuously.
B: An example which can be used to describe how neurotransmitters work is through the use of drug
therapy. Individuals with depression have low levels of serotonin so anti-depressants work by
increasing the low levels of serotonin. Serotonin is an example of a neurotransmitter and is
responsible for controlling our motor skills and emotional responses.
P: A second assumption of the biological approach is the evolutionary influences assumption.
E: Charles Darwin constructed the theory of evolution, he stated that humans survive due to the
process of natural selection. This is when species who are able to adapt to their environment survive
and are able to produce offspring compared to the species that aren’t able to adapt to the same
environment so they do not survive and fail to produce offspring. The species with the best
characteristics and who have evolved the most carry the strongest genes and they go on to mate
with others who carry the same strong genes as them. They then produce offspring who have the
characteristics/genes needed to survive in that environment. This process is known as survival of the
fittest.
B: An example that can be used to explain this is Trivers theory. He suggested that women are more
invested in a child so they look for men who are high earners and can provide shelter. Men don’t
invest much time at all so they just look for youthful, fertile women who have wide hips and large
breasts.
P: The final assumption of the biological approach is the localisation of brain function.
E: This assumption states that there are different functions of the brain (four lobes / each
hemisphere). The cerebral cortex covers the brain and is the area of the brain which is responsible for
higher order cognitive functions. The cerebral cortex is divided into two hemispheres – right and left.
The two hemispheres are connected via a bundle of nerve fibres called the corpus callosum to allow
both hemispheres to communicate with each other. There are four lobes: frontal lobe which is
responsible for problem solving, decision making and motor skills. The parietal lobe is responsible for
sensory processes such as pain and touch. The occipital lobe is responsible for interpreting visual
stimuli and information. The temporal lobe is responsible for auditory information such as sounds
and different languages.
B: An example of this would be language. There are specific areas of the brain which are linked to
processing information. French neurosurgeon Paul Broca studied 8 participants with language
problems and found that they had a damage to their left hemisphere. This is now called the Broca’s
area and it’s located in the frontal lobe.
,Aleena Ahmed
2. Apply your knowledge of evolutionary influences to 2 behaviours [4+4]
S: Evolutionary influences suggest that our biological characteristics that have been evolved through
millions of years has had a role in determining our relationship formations, more specifically our
romantic relationships.
E: This is due to the belief that males and females within the human species carefully select which
mate they would like to procreate and have offspring with. Evolutionary psychologist Trivers claimed
that the formation of romantic relationships is driven by evolution, specifically by how each sex has
different levels of investment in ensuring their offspring survives to pass on the strong family genes.
E: Females carry their offspring and thus have the larger investment in terms of the risks to their
health and changes to their life when carrying and looking after a baby. Therefore, females are very
particular in choosing a mate. The male must have lots of resources for her and her child. In modern
society, this means a female would prefer a male with ambition, shelter and a high earning capacity.
The female also looks for a male who is older than her because he is more likely to have such
resources. However, men do not invest much time in their offspring. They can have many children
with many different women in a very short space of time. Once the male impregnates the female,
there are no risks to him because he us not physically involved in the pregnancy.
S: Another behaviour we can use the evolutionary influences assumption to explain is the formation
of phobias in humans.
E: Evolutionary psychologists state that our behaviour is due to our biological characteristics and are
driven by our human instinct to survive. They believe that all of our behaviour is coded into our genes
biologically. The evolutionary influences assumption states that adaptive characteristics from
100,000 years ago in the EEA is where the brain evolved. This explains how people develop phobias
of feared creatures. Our ancestors would avoid and fear any harmful species and this fearful trait to
stay away from those species is then passed down to us through our gene pool.
E: This can explain how human beings have developed as Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection
points out that our genes will be passed on to the next generation. An individual’s chances of
surviving are all naturally selected. Natural selection takes place at the level of the genes. For
example, when parents demonstrate altruistic (protective) behaviours the theory of natural selection
would say altruism is an inherited, adaptive trait because saving an offspring enhances the survival
of that individual’s gene pool. Any genetically dominant species will win against its others due to the
survival of the fittest.
3. Apply your knowledge of localisation of brain function to 2 behaviours [4+4]
S: The localisation of the brain assumption explains how each part of the brain has a specialised
function and this can be used to explain speech production.
E: Our brains four main lobes are frontal, temporal, occipital and parietal which each play a different
role. Our temporal lobe is in charge of our speech production and if the temporal lobe gets damaged,
it will result in loss of speech and cause poorer language. The Wernicke’s area is involved in
understanding language whereas the Broca’s area helps with the production of speech and written
language. A damaged Broca’s area can lead to a type of aphasia. This is when you find it difficult to
speak but your understanding of other speech is good. People with Broca’s aphasia are non-fluent
and speak using broken words. Wernicke’s aphasia leads to poor comprehension of speech and
written language. Individuals with Wernicke’s aphasia can speak but their response is impaired.
,Aleena Ahmed
E: An example of these types of aphasia occurring would be a case study conducted by psychologists
on an individual known as Phineas Gage – his frontal lobe was damaged by a traumatic brain injury
and as a result of this he changed into a far more aggressive and domineering character. Both his
Wernicke’s and Broca’s area was damaged due to the incident.
S: An assumption of the biological approach that can be used to explain the formation of
relationships is the localisation of the brain assumption.
E: Within the frontal lobe of the brain the OFC (orbitofrontal cortex) is responsible and involved in
impulse control and response inhibition. The OFC part of the brain is activated when humans are
presented with visually appealing faces in terms of sexual stimulus. This can be in response to mate
selection and whether they are seen as desirable. The OFC decides if it is beneficial for a person who
is exposed to a sexual stimulus as there can be potential rewards provided when having a partner
e.g., producing offspring.
E: An example displaying this activity would be psychologist Ishai’s study. Ishai found that observing
beauty in members of the opposite sex raises the action of the OFC for both genders. This is evidence
between the link of localisation of brain function does play a role in the formation of romantic
relationships. Males and females show action in the OFC when they are shown beautiful faces. It is
rewarding from a mate selection point of view.
4. Apply your knowledge of neurotransmitters to 2 behaviours [4+4]
S: A biological assumption that can be applied to explain mental health disorders is the
neurotransmitters assumption.
E: Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers which travel down neurons and control our feelings
and human behaviours. There are many different neurotransmitters which include serotonin,
dopamine, oxytocin etc. These neurotransmitters control different things. For example, serotonin
controls mood, sleep, appetite etc. Dopamine controls our positive feelings towards rewards and
reinforcement.
E: For example, serotonin is used in antidepressants and they allow people who are suffering from
depression to slowly heal and get better mentally. However, an issue that often occurs is that the
receptor cells in the post synaptic neurons don’t absorb all the neurotransmitters in the synapse.
This leads to depressive symptoms such as low mood. SSRIs and SNRIs are types of anti-depressants
which work on chemical messengers in our brain (e.g., serotonin and norepinephrine) which play a
role in mental health disorders such as anxiety.
S: The neurotransmitters assumption in the biological approach can be applied to explain the
formation of mother and child relationships. Specifically, when a mother first gives birth to their
child.
E: The oxytocin hormone acts as a chemical messenger in the brain that is linked to pregnancy. Birth
behaviours such as contractions and breast milk production are associated with the hormone
oxytocin. Scientists have discovered that females with high levels of oxytocin are more nurturing to
their offspring than those with lower levels of oxytocin.
E: An example of this would be, when a new born is place on its mother’s chest after birth oxytocin is
released. The skin-to-skin contact enables new borns and mothers to learn each other’s unique scent,
this forms the first bond. Oxytocin causes a new born baby to seek out and latch on to its mother’s
, Aleena Ahmed
breasts; oxytocin floods the body during breastfeeding which further strengthens the formation of
the relationship between mother and baby.
5. Explain why a psychologist following the biological approach would consider drug therapy [5]
A psychologist following the biological approach would consider using drug therapy as we can apply
the third assumption of the biological approach (neurotransmitters) to drug therapy. Causes of
normal behaviour arises when an individual has the right level of neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine,
serotonin, GABA). Having these right/baseline level of neurotransmitter causes a low risk of having
mental illnesses. Within patients who have mental health disorders, they will have irregular levels of
neurotransmitters. E.g., high levels of dopamine (schizophrenia), and low levels of serotonin
(depression). Antipsychotics are prescribed to patients who display positive symptoms of SZ. These
drugs decrease levels of dopamine neurotransmitter in the brain. SRIs are prescribed to patients who
have depression. SSRIs work by blocking the transporter mechanism that reabsorbs serotonin.
Drug therapy creates normal behaviour in reducing positive/negative symptoms within SZ patients
using antipsychotics and increasing serotonin levels to reduce depression.
6. Describe the main components of drug therapy [10]
The first main component within drug therapy is antipsychotics. Antipsychotics are usually prescribed
to individuals who have psychosis/schizophrenia disorder. These mental illnesses are caused by high
levels of dopamine. There are positive and negative symptoms associated with these mental
illnesses. There are two types of antipsychotics drugs prescribed; these are typical and atypical drugs.
Typical antipsychotics work by permanently block the dopamine receptors in order for levels of
dopamine to be reduced. These reduce positive symptoms such as delusion and hallucination
amongst patients. Atypical antipsychotics drugs work by temporarily occupying dopamine receptors
which allow normal dopamine activity.
The second component of drug therapy is antidepressants. These drugs are prescribed to individuals
who suffer from depression and tackle the symptoms. Depression is a result of low levels of serotonin
produced within the individual. SSRIs are forms of antidepressants reduce the rate of reabsorption by
blocking the enzyme MOA which breaks down. An example of SSRIs of Prozac, it blocks transporter
mechanism that reabsorbs serotonin leaving more serotonin neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft.
This will reduce depressive symptoms within the patient.
The third component of drug therapy is antianxiety. Anti-anxiety drugs are usually prescribed who
may suffer from anxiety and stress. These mental disorders can be as a result of environmental
situations. Beta-blockers (BBs) is on example of anti-anxiety drugs. BBs work by binding onto the
heart cells which reduces the rate of heart activity which results low blood pressure leading to
calmness and reduce levels of stress. BZ is another anti-anxiety drugs, which slows the activity of CNS
which enhances the natural neurotransmitter associated with lowering anxiety called GABA.
7. Evaluate drug therapy [12]- 2 PEEL on effectiveness, 2 PEEL on ethical consideration and
conclusion:
P: There has been positive effectiveness within drug therapy regarding to drugs vs placebo.
Year 13 ready work
Biological Approach
1. Describe 3 assumptions of the biological approach [4+4+4]
P: One assumption of the biological approach is neurotransmitters.
E: Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers which pass signals from the presynaptic neuron to the
post synaptic neuron. In order to cross the synapse (the gap between the neurotransmitters), the
electrical signal must be converted into a chemical signal. Once it has reached the postsynaptic
neuron, the neurotransmitter is absorbed and the chemical signal is changed back into an electrical
signal and this process is repeated continuously.
B: An example which can be used to describe how neurotransmitters work is through the use of drug
therapy. Individuals with depression have low levels of serotonin so anti-depressants work by
increasing the low levels of serotonin. Serotonin is an example of a neurotransmitter and is
responsible for controlling our motor skills and emotional responses.
P: A second assumption of the biological approach is the evolutionary influences assumption.
E: Charles Darwin constructed the theory of evolution, he stated that humans survive due to the
process of natural selection. This is when species who are able to adapt to their environment survive
and are able to produce offspring compared to the species that aren’t able to adapt to the same
environment so they do not survive and fail to produce offspring. The species with the best
characteristics and who have evolved the most carry the strongest genes and they go on to mate
with others who carry the same strong genes as them. They then produce offspring who have the
characteristics/genes needed to survive in that environment. This process is known as survival of the
fittest.
B: An example that can be used to explain this is Trivers theory. He suggested that women are more
invested in a child so they look for men who are high earners and can provide shelter. Men don’t
invest much time at all so they just look for youthful, fertile women who have wide hips and large
breasts.
P: The final assumption of the biological approach is the localisation of brain function.
E: This assumption states that there are different functions of the brain (four lobes / each
hemisphere). The cerebral cortex covers the brain and is the area of the brain which is responsible for
higher order cognitive functions. The cerebral cortex is divided into two hemispheres – right and left.
The two hemispheres are connected via a bundle of nerve fibres called the corpus callosum to allow
both hemispheres to communicate with each other. There are four lobes: frontal lobe which is
responsible for problem solving, decision making and motor skills. The parietal lobe is responsible for
sensory processes such as pain and touch. The occipital lobe is responsible for interpreting visual
stimuli and information. The temporal lobe is responsible for auditory information such as sounds
and different languages.
B: An example of this would be language. There are specific areas of the brain which are linked to
processing information. French neurosurgeon Paul Broca studied 8 participants with language
problems and found that they had a damage to their left hemisphere. This is now called the Broca’s
area and it’s located in the frontal lobe.
,Aleena Ahmed
2. Apply your knowledge of evolutionary influences to 2 behaviours [4+4]
S: Evolutionary influences suggest that our biological characteristics that have been evolved through
millions of years has had a role in determining our relationship formations, more specifically our
romantic relationships.
E: This is due to the belief that males and females within the human species carefully select which
mate they would like to procreate and have offspring with. Evolutionary psychologist Trivers claimed
that the formation of romantic relationships is driven by evolution, specifically by how each sex has
different levels of investment in ensuring their offspring survives to pass on the strong family genes.
E: Females carry their offspring and thus have the larger investment in terms of the risks to their
health and changes to their life when carrying and looking after a baby. Therefore, females are very
particular in choosing a mate. The male must have lots of resources for her and her child. In modern
society, this means a female would prefer a male with ambition, shelter and a high earning capacity.
The female also looks for a male who is older than her because he is more likely to have such
resources. However, men do not invest much time in their offspring. They can have many children
with many different women in a very short space of time. Once the male impregnates the female,
there are no risks to him because he us not physically involved in the pregnancy.
S: Another behaviour we can use the evolutionary influences assumption to explain is the formation
of phobias in humans.
E: Evolutionary psychologists state that our behaviour is due to our biological characteristics and are
driven by our human instinct to survive. They believe that all of our behaviour is coded into our genes
biologically. The evolutionary influences assumption states that adaptive characteristics from
100,000 years ago in the EEA is where the brain evolved. This explains how people develop phobias
of feared creatures. Our ancestors would avoid and fear any harmful species and this fearful trait to
stay away from those species is then passed down to us through our gene pool.
E: This can explain how human beings have developed as Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection
points out that our genes will be passed on to the next generation. An individual’s chances of
surviving are all naturally selected. Natural selection takes place at the level of the genes. For
example, when parents demonstrate altruistic (protective) behaviours the theory of natural selection
would say altruism is an inherited, adaptive trait because saving an offspring enhances the survival
of that individual’s gene pool. Any genetically dominant species will win against its others due to the
survival of the fittest.
3. Apply your knowledge of localisation of brain function to 2 behaviours [4+4]
S: The localisation of the brain assumption explains how each part of the brain has a specialised
function and this can be used to explain speech production.
E: Our brains four main lobes are frontal, temporal, occipital and parietal which each play a different
role. Our temporal lobe is in charge of our speech production and if the temporal lobe gets damaged,
it will result in loss of speech and cause poorer language. The Wernicke’s area is involved in
understanding language whereas the Broca’s area helps with the production of speech and written
language. A damaged Broca’s area can lead to a type of aphasia. This is when you find it difficult to
speak but your understanding of other speech is good. People with Broca’s aphasia are non-fluent
and speak using broken words. Wernicke’s aphasia leads to poor comprehension of speech and
written language. Individuals with Wernicke’s aphasia can speak but their response is impaired.
,Aleena Ahmed
E: An example of these types of aphasia occurring would be a case study conducted by psychologists
on an individual known as Phineas Gage – his frontal lobe was damaged by a traumatic brain injury
and as a result of this he changed into a far more aggressive and domineering character. Both his
Wernicke’s and Broca’s area was damaged due to the incident.
S: An assumption of the biological approach that can be used to explain the formation of
relationships is the localisation of the brain assumption.
E: Within the frontal lobe of the brain the OFC (orbitofrontal cortex) is responsible and involved in
impulse control and response inhibition. The OFC part of the brain is activated when humans are
presented with visually appealing faces in terms of sexual stimulus. This can be in response to mate
selection and whether they are seen as desirable. The OFC decides if it is beneficial for a person who
is exposed to a sexual stimulus as there can be potential rewards provided when having a partner
e.g., producing offspring.
E: An example displaying this activity would be psychologist Ishai’s study. Ishai found that observing
beauty in members of the opposite sex raises the action of the OFC for both genders. This is evidence
between the link of localisation of brain function does play a role in the formation of romantic
relationships. Males and females show action in the OFC when they are shown beautiful faces. It is
rewarding from a mate selection point of view.
4. Apply your knowledge of neurotransmitters to 2 behaviours [4+4]
S: A biological assumption that can be applied to explain mental health disorders is the
neurotransmitters assumption.
E: Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers which travel down neurons and control our feelings
and human behaviours. There are many different neurotransmitters which include serotonin,
dopamine, oxytocin etc. These neurotransmitters control different things. For example, serotonin
controls mood, sleep, appetite etc. Dopamine controls our positive feelings towards rewards and
reinforcement.
E: For example, serotonin is used in antidepressants and they allow people who are suffering from
depression to slowly heal and get better mentally. However, an issue that often occurs is that the
receptor cells in the post synaptic neurons don’t absorb all the neurotransmitters in the synapse.
This leads to depressive symptoms such as low mood. SSRIs and SNRIs are types of anti-depressants
which work on chemical messengers in our brain (e.g., serotonin and norepinephrine) which play a
role in mental health disorders such as anxiety.
S: The neurotransmitters assumption in the biological approach can be applied to explain the
formation of mother and child relationships. Specifically, when a mother first gives birth to their
child.
E: The oxytocin hormone acts as a chemical messenger in the brain that is linked to pregnancy. Birth
behaviours such as contractions and breast milk production are associated with the hormone
oxytocin. Scientists have discovered that females with high levels of oxytocin are more nurturing to
their offspring than those with lower levels of oxytocin.
E: An example of this would be, when a new born is place on its mother’s chest after birth oxytocin is
released. The skin-to-skin contact enables new borns and mothers to learn each other’s unique scent,
this forms the first bond. Oxytocin causes a new born baby to seek out and latch on to its mother’s
, Aleena Ahmed
breasts; oxytocin floods the body during breastfeeding which further strengthens the formation of
the relationship between mother and baby.
5. Explain why a psychologist following the biological approach would consider drug therapy [5]
A psychologist following the biological approach would consider using drug therapy as we can apply
the third assumption of the biological approach (neurotransmitters) to drug therapy. Causes of
normal behaviour arises when an individual has the right level of neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine,
serotonin, GABA). Having these right/baseline level of neurotransmitter causes a low risk of having
mental illnesses. Within patients who have mental health disorders, they will have irregular levels of
neurotransmitters. E.g., high levels of dopamine (schizophrenia), and low levels of serotonin
(depression). Antipsychotics are prescribed to patients who display positive symptoms of SZ. These
drugs decrease levels of dopamine neurotransmitter in the brain. SRIs are prescribed to patients who
have depression. SSRIs work by blocking the transporter mechanism that reabsorbs serotonin.
Drug therapy creates normal behaviour in reducing positive/negative symptoms within SZ patients
using antipsychotics and increasing serotonin levels to reduce depression.
6. Describe the main components of drug therapy [10]
The first main component within drug therapy is antipsychotics. Antipsychotics are usually prescribed
to individuals who have psychosis/schizophrenia disorder. These mental illnesses are caused by high
levels of dopamine. There are positive and negative symptoms associated with these mental
illnesses. There are two types of antipsychotics drugs prescribed; these are typical and atypical drugs.
Typical antipsychotics work by permanently block the dopamine receptors in order for levels of
dopamine to be reduced. These reduce positive symptoms such as delusion and hallucination
amongst patients. Atypical antipsychotics drugs work by temporarily occupying dopamine receptors
which allow normal dopamine activity.
The second component of drug therapy is antidepressants. These drugs are prescribed to individuals
who suffer from depression and tackle the symptoms. Depression is a result of low levels of serotonin
produced within the individual. SSRIs are forms of antidepressants reduce the rate of reabsorption by
blocking the enzyme MOA which breaks down. An example of SSRIs of Prozac, it blocks transporter
mechanism that reabsorbs serotonin leaving more serotonin neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft.
This will reduce depressive symptoms within the patient.
The third component of drug therapy is antianxiety. Anti-anxiety drugs are usually prescribed who
may suffer from anxiety and stress. These mental disorders can be as a result of environmental
situations. Beta-blockers (BBs) is on example of anti-anxiety drugs. BBs work by binding onto the
heart cells which reduces the rate of heart activity which results low blood pressure leading to
calmness and reduce levels of stress. BZ is another anti-anxiety drugs, which slows the activity of CNS
which enhances the natural neurotransmitter associated with lowering anxiety called GABA.
7. Evaluate drug therapy [12]- 2 PEEL on effectiveness, 2 PEEL on ethical consideration and
conclusion:
P: There has been positive effectiveness within drug therapy regarding to drugs vs placebo.
