Biological approach pros and cons: Psychology

On this page we will explore the Biological approach pros and cons in the field of Psychology. Biological approach in Psychology is often referred to as biopsychology or physiological psychology. This branch of psychology has grown tremendously in recent years and is linked to other areas of science including biology, neurology, and genetics. The biological perspective is essentially a way of looking at human problems and actions.

What is Biological Approach

Biological approach pros

It is very scientific because the experiments used are measurable, objective and can be repeated to test for reliability.
It is deterministic because it increases the likelihood of being able to treat people with abnormal behaviour and provides explanations about the causes of behaviour.

Biological approach cons

Focuses too much on the ‘nature’ side of the nature/nurture debate. It argues that behaviour is caused by hormones, neurotransmitters and genetics. One theory is that schizophrenia is genetic, however, twin studies show that it is not completely genetic and the environment has a part to play.
It develops theories about disorders and generalises them to apply to everyone. It does not take into account the view that humans are unique. An example of this is that General Adaptation Syndrome assumes that everyone responds in the same way to stress but does not take into account that some people have more support than others.