Describe the contribution of a biological perspective to our understanding of behaviour

Biological processes attempt to achieve homeostasis. While drugs such as anti-depressants attempt to return chemical imbalances to normal levels, others such as cocaine have been used for recreational purposes to achieve states of euphoria by creating chemical imbalances. While this is a purely biological explanation, the initial taking of the drug often belies psychological influences arising from environmental factors such as peer group pressure or concomitant work stresses. Once an individual has experienced a ‘high’, this is subsequently followed by a ‘down’ which is the body’s ‘displeasure response’ to a deviation from the homeostatic norm that cocaine had reset to (Toates, 2002, p. 258). In turn, an evolutionary survival response is then triggered for an individual to negate the ‘down’ feeling by replacing cocaine levels. While individuals adapt to environments in order to achieve a biological homeostasis, in the case of drug-abuse this is often manifest in maladaptive behaviour which results in psychological changes in behaviour e.g. an addict may lose concentration abilities and lose a job and may subsequently be drawn into crime to obtain further supplies. This in turn by altering their environment may reciprocally affect their behaviour further.

The examples above of drug addiction and depression have concentrated upon the physiological mechanisms involved in respect of a biological perspective. However, while the genetic contribution is poorly understood when compared with conditions such as Schizophrenia (Gottesman and Moldin, 1998), further research, perhaps using data from the Human Genome project, is required to assess a genetic link with the susceptibility of individuals to these mental illnesses. This research will of course be limited ethically as epidemiological data may only be collected as individuals may not be e.g. randomised into drug and non-drug taking groups.

Cerebral lesions arising from trauma or other physiological processes such as a stroke have been noted to alter behaviour in humans. For example, the literature reports the case of Phineas Gage who suffered trauma to his left frontal lobe resulting in an alteration in his behaviour with no change in his linguistic or intellectual abilities. (Toates, 2002, p. 266). These types of abnormalities in the brain cause dysfunction and by understanding the limitations in physical, cognitive, psychological or social behaviour the damaged area may be located. By using techniques such as PET (positron emission tomography) scanning, psychologists have been able to analyse areas of brain activity or inactivity (Toates, 2002, p. 268). Thus, they have used inductive thinking to associate a behaviour pattern with an area of brain inactivity and link this to the biology. However, while PET scanning is a revolutionary tool for brain imaging, the inferences made are not free of scientific scrutiny. For example, brain injuries are often unique and therefore a case series may not be arrived at. Further, injuries are not likely to occupy one clear functional segment of the brain and the effect of damaging adjacent brain areas may confuse any subsequent interpretations and also restorative neuronal growth may occur. Contrastingly, such injury rather than damaging a functional brain element may be actually disrupting brain connections (Toates, 2002, p. 267). While such outsider evidence exists, complimentary insider findings are harder to arrive at. Although, PET scanning may be used while participants are asked questions, ethical considerations mitigate against replicating many animal experiments. With time, the advent of future investigative technologies may improve researcher’s abilities to facilitate such insider scenarios.

In conclusion, behaviours may have a genetic basis to alter physiology and the functioning at the synapses of the brain. Although, impairments between the links of these synapses may be crucial for human behaviour it cannot exclude the psychological and social factors completely. As highlighted above, stressful life events have been shown to exacerbate mental illnesses such as depression and drugs used to treat depression are not universally efficacious. Many of these behaviours require a social context for altered behaviours. Thus, while a biological perspective is important in interpreting aspects of behaviour, it appears that interactions involving psychological and social factors such as life events and environments are also involved.

References

Gottesman, I.I. and Moldin, S.O. (1998) Genotypes, genes, genesis and pathogenesis in Schizsophrenia, in Origin and pathogenesis in Schizophrenia (eds) American Psychological Association, Washington, p.5-26.

Holsboer, F. and Barden, N. (1996) Antidepressants and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical regulation. Endocrine reviews (17), p. 187-205.

Miell, D., Phoenix, A. and Thomas, K. (2002) Mapping Psychology 1, Milton Keynes, The Open University.

Toates, F. (2002) Biological processes and psychological explanation, in Miell, D., Phoenix, A. and Thomas, K. (eds) Mapping Psychology 1, Milton Keynes, The Open University.