Outline principles that define the biological level of analysis and explain how these principles may be demonstrated through research.

The first 200 words of this essay...

1 & 2. Outline principles that define the biological level of analysis and explain how these principles may be demonstrated through research.

The three principles that define the biological level of analysis are:

1. There are biological correlates to behaviour, cognition and emotion

2. Animal research can give us an insight into human behaviour

3. Behaviour can be inherited.

These three principles can be demonstrated and have been confirmed in research.

Firstly, biological correlates to behaviour, cognition and emotion have been established through mainly the use of case and correlational studies. For example in cognition, Baker et al (1999) examined 18 ordinary children and 26 children diagnosed as having ADHD and found that Phenylethylamine levels were much lower in the ADHD subjects. Later studies done by T. Matsuishi et al (1999) and A. Kusaga (2002) have also shown this and it is now believed that the neurotransmitter Phenylethylamine is a biological correlate to ADHD. The first principle, that "there are biological correlates to behaviour" can be demonstrated by finding the link between a hormone/body part/neurotransmitter to a certain behaviour in the human population.

Secondly as experimenting on humans is often ethically