Strength Of Biological Approach

One of the strength of the biological approach is that it is very scientific. This is strength because the experiments used are measurable, objective and can be repeated to test for reliability. Also, the researcher has more control over the variables which is evident in Selye’s study of rats which led to him developing the theory of General Adaptation Syndrome. Another strength of the biological approach is that it is deterministic. This is a strength because it increases the likelihood of being able to treat people with abnormal behaviour and provides explanations about the causes of behaviour. This understanding can then be used to improve people’s lives. Another great strength of the approach is that it has made a positive contribution

As a result, the symptoms of depression were reported to be reduced. Therefore, this is known as strength because it helps the sufferers of depression alleviate their symptoms and lead a happier life. One weakness of the biological approach is that it 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. One weakness of the biological approach is that it is nomothetic. This is a weakness because 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. The other weakness of this approach is also reductionist as our behaviour is explained by physical things and there is no room to study the impact of the environment on our

Not all treatments are as scientific, for example, there is no certainty how electric charge treatment (ETC) works, and several drugs have become available first as a treatment for something else before people notice that it helps mental illnesses. The fact that a drug works on one patient, and not on the next, means that the approach is far from being conclusive. Some of these drugs have very bad side effects, which can lead to further problems such as addiction or dependency. It’s reductionist, because it ignores the other approached. It ignores the role of environmental factors and those such as experiences and feelings. Cause & effect can’t always be determined, e.g. does a disorder cause higher levels or a neurotransmitter, or do high levels of a neurotransmitter cause a disorder?. The use made of animals in experiments is concerning, both scientifically and ethically. Scientifically because a number of Psychologists argue that there are vast differences between people and animals (e.g. use of language and social