EVALUATING the Biological Approach | AQA Psychology | A-level

This video evaluates the Biological Approach as part of the AQA A-level Psychology course - we will be exploring the strengths and limitations that includes supporting evidence, debates, and practical applications.

//RESOURCES//
FREE COMPARISON Essay (Behaviourism & Biological Approach):

***Recommend Reading***

APPROACHES PLAYLIST

*Studies Mentioned in the Video*
Phineas Gage
Harlow JM. Recovery after severe injury to the head. Bull Massachus Med Soc. 1848. Reprinted in Hist Psychiat. 1993;4(14):274-281. doi:10.1177/0957154X9300401407
Tuvling et al. (1994)
Tulving, E., Kapur, S., Craik, F. I., Moscovitch, M., & Houle, S. (1994). Hemispheric encoding/retrieval asymmetry in episodic memory: positron emission tomography findings. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 91(6), 2016-2020.
Nestadt et al. (2010)
Nestadt, G., Grados, M., & Samuels, J. F. (2010). Genetics of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatric Clinics, 33(1), 141-158.

*Images*

RECOMMENDED READING
After some book recommendations to explore Psychology further?

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0:00 - Intro
00:20 - Supporting Evidence - Brain Structures
02:09 - Supporting Evidence - Genetics
03:06 - Research Methods
05:25- Application to Real Life
06:20 - Debates

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[itsme-jbeb]

i really appreciate how your using evaluations from all over the spec rather than new evaluations specifically for this topic, its rly helpful thanks

[yumnabarhamji]

Extremely helpful and detailed A* evaluation thank you so much please continue making videos for psychology AQA

[stephenacquah]

Hello, I am new to teaching Psychology in a school. I really enjoy your assured and relaxed approach to sharing knowledge - it is excellent indeed. I have also recommended my students to watch your videos. Excellent stuff, well done and thank you

[nawafpsy]

Thanks, I'm happy to find this beneficial channel🌹

[MaryLudwig-qq]

Two main comments: 1. All will is constrained by : a. Biological capacities and incapacities as shown by the case of Phineas Gage, whether inborn, altered by disease or trauma, or fetal developmental history.
B.physical environment. Was the individual well fed or starved, subjected to exposure to disease or toxins, or social stressors like neglect, crime, war, etc.
C.social and cultural environments. What are the behaviors that society permits and forbids.
Will or volition is like a horse in a corral--the horse is free to move anywhere and in any manner within the fencing of the corral, but not outside it.
2. Nature (biology) and nuture (the external environment) are one indivisible unit, each being one facet of the whole. There are no fish without water, no zebras without grasslands. Ultimately, the environment determines the sort of life that arises. Proximally, through epigenetics, it influences how life adapts when the environment changes.
Thank you for exploring this topic. I think the biological, scientific approach to not only psychology but sociology holds the greatest hope for reducing human suffering and increasing human thriving that has yet been proposed. Please present more of this topic!

[Kyrani]

The example of Phineas Gage is commonly cited as purely biological. But take into account his behavior could have been in reaction to harassment. He would have been used as a laughing stock by anyone inhumane that made his life difficult from then on..

[AS-pbrk]

love your videos but I respectfully disagree with some of arguments made against biological approach. If it does consider nurture and nature then it cannot be deterministic since it acknowledges natures influence. The only pessimism would be if the biological markers ie. neurotransmitter levels are deemed unchangeable. A flaw I would agree on is that it disregards the cognitive aspects and social/environmental factor ie. thoughts themselves are not accounted for. Ex. you are in an abusive environment but your depression is because of serotonin levels and not the blatant environmental issues. With regards to the morality argument, the another argument would be using biology as a determining factor for crime, if you have x genes we should preemptively remove you from society before you commit a crime.
The limiting factor would be the over reliance on pharmaceuticals as solutions ex. ssri etc. and potentially epigenetic gene modulations for identified problematic genes expression. (Due to the belief the cause is strictly biological and can only be treated biologically)
None the less loved this series. Hope you put more content! Finished a lot of it!