Here are two criticisms of the biological approach to psychopathology: 1. It is reductionist - it reduces complex mental disorders down to simple biological components alone. This ignores other potential contributing factors like environment and life experiences. 2. It is deterministic - it suggests we have no free will and are solely determined by our biology. This ignores the role of psychological and environmental factors in developing mental illness.

1. Approaches to
The term Psychopathology
used by
psychologists Biological
to refer Psychodynamic
to the
Behavioural
study of
mental Cognitive
disorders

2. Definitions – WHAT
i.e. WHAT makes an individual abnormal
Approaches – WHY
i.e. WHY they are abnormal (the causes
etc…)

3. 4 Approaches to Psychopathology
NOT
• Biological
psychological
• Psychodynamic
Psychological
• Behavioural
Approaches
• Cognitive

4. Biological Approach to
Psychopathology
What do you think?
• Physical problems
• Brain or body
• Mental illness is diagnosed in the same
way as physical illness

5. Main Ideas
Abnormalities are
caused by physical
Your biology... problems with
brain or body

6. Main assumptions
The biological approach believes that
mental illnesses are caused by
1. Brain differences
OR
2. Genetics

7. Main Assumptions
1. Brain Differences
Abnormalities are because of changes in
structure - (e.g. size) or function of
the brain (e.g.neurotransmitters/
hormones) of the brain
2. Genetics
Abnormalities are have a genetic
component and so are inherited – pass
through family lines

8. Brain Differences
Brain Structure Imbalance of biochemicals
•Abnormality caused by •Abnormality caused by an
changes/problems with the brain imbalance of chemicals in the brain
as a physical entity
e.g. Too much or too little of a
e.g. Brain shrinkage, enlarged hormone or neurotransmitter,
ventricles which can affect mood
Genetics
•Genetic inheritance
•Passed through family lines by biological parents
Concordance rate
A percentages that represents the likelihood of 2 twins sharing a
disorder

9. How would the biological approach
investigate abnormality?
Twin Studies
Why would the biological
approach used twin studies?
Twin studies are used to investigate a genetic basis for
many disorders.
(Basically looking to see if one twin has a disorder what
the likelihood is that the other will develop the same
disorder – known as a concordance rate)
The higher the concordance rate the more likely both
twins will suffer from the same disorder

10. Biological Approach – A02
1. Modern technology has identified
biological aspects of many
psychopathologies
2. Kendler – familial incidents of
schizophrenia
An argument/theory which reduces
3. Reductionist complex factors to a set of simple
principles
An argument/theory which
proposes that behaviour is
4. Deterministic established by factors other than
one’s free will

11. Modern technology
Modern technologies have identified biological aspects to
many disorders
e.g. brain scans have provided evidence for tissue loss in
sufferers of schizophrenia
This is positive because it provides
evidence that there is, to some extent,
This is a strength as it provides to some
a biological component strong evidence of a
physical component of many disorders, thus supporting
abnormalitiesapproach to psychopathology
the biological

12. Kendler et al (1985)
Findings from Kendler et al 1985 support the biological
approach
e.g. Kendler found that relatives of SZ sufferers were
18times more likely to develop the disorder
This is a strength as it shows that there is likely to be an
inherited/biological aspect for mental disorders such as
SZ

13. Is it likely that
Reductionist depression is
caused by low levels
of serotonin alone?
The biological approach to psychopathology is reductionist
e.g. it reduces complex mental disorders to biological
components only
This is a problem because it means the
biological approach to psychopathology
This istoo simplistic
is a weakness because it ignores other factors that
could contribute to the development of mental disorder
such as our environment

14. Deterministic
The biological approach is deterministic
e.g. it suggests that an individual is biologically pre-
programmed to develop a mental illness
This is a weakness as it suggests we’re solely ruled by our
biology and ignores the concept of free will

15. Key terms / Buzz words
Deterministic Twins Dopamine
Body (schizophrenia)
Genetics Reductionist
Structure Function
Brain Kendler et al 1985
Serotonin
Inherited Monozygotic (depression)
Physical
Medical
Neurotransmitters
Concordance
Brain scans
rate Dizygotic
(PET, MRI)

16. Biological approach - questions
1. Outline the key features of the
biological approach to psychopathology
(6 marks)
2. Explain two criticisms of the biological
approach to psychopathology
(2 + 2 marks