Physiological Approach - Biological Perspective

The physiological approach is based on the following ideas:

Genetic Influences

Our genetic make up, inherited from our parents, is important in determining our individual characteristics, abilities, and behavior. Genes are the messages we inherit that control aspects of our development. They are sections of strands of a chemical called DNA that is found in almost every cell in our bodies. Some individual genes can control specific behaviors, such as whether we are able or unable to roll our tongues. However, examples of single genes directly controlling particular behaviours that are of interest to psychology are rare. One example of a single-gene effect is the influence of phenylketonuria on intelligence. More typically, genes interact with one another to produce a behavioral effect. Genes may also interact with environmental factors to determine eventual behavioral outcomes as appears to be the case in schizophrenia.

The Nervous System

Physiological psychologists are primarily concerned with investigating biological activity. The central biological influence on our thinking, behavior and feelings (both normal and abnormal) is the activity of our brain and nervous system. The nervous system is built from neurones, cells that are specialized for communication. Neuronal structure is suited to their function. Neurones conveying messages around the body (unlike those in the brain) are long, sending messages along their length. All neurones have highly branched ends enabling them to pass chemical messages on to one or more others. as a consequence of this chemical stage in communication, brain activity can be influenced chemically, such as through the action of drugs. Neurones send electrochemical messages very rapidly along their length (hence we are able to detect brain activity electrically). Neurones also interact with other structures, such as muscles leading to physical behaviours, and glands, leading to the release of hormones (such as in the control of the sleeping-waking cycle). The brain itself is also organised functionally- that is, it has regions devoted to different jobs For example, the hippocampus is important in memory and the suprachiasmatic nucleas is involved in daily rhythms, This is called localisation of function.