THE BIOLOGICAL APPROACH

TO BEHAVIOR
INTRO

• There are some issues when it comes to identifying causes in human sciences.
• Human behavior is complex and multi-determined.

• Dilemma: we understand that behavior is influenced by multiple factors

simultaneously – but to study it scientifically, we have to isolate factors one by one.

• Holism vs reductionism
IB PSYCHOLOGY IS REDUCTIONIST IN
NATURE

• Looking at complex phenomena from different angles; biological, cognitive

and sociocultural.

• The truth lies somewhere in between.

THE PRINCIPLES OF
THE BIOLOGICAL
APPROACH
1) Behavior is the product of
physiology

The structure and function of the

endocrine and nervous systems
2) Behavior can be genetically
inherited
3) Animal research may inform our
understanding of human behavior
TOPIC ONE IN
BIO:
LOCALIZATION
WHAT IS LOCALIZATION OF FUNCTION?
BRAIN STRUCTURE: PRESENTATION OF AN
AREA OF THE BRAIN

3DBrain app.
Different groups deal with different areas of the brain;

• investigate, read one of the studies that show something about localization of function of your area.

• Make a presentation; where is this area located? What is it associated with? How does the study
support that?

• App 5 min. To be presented next SL class.

AREAS FOR INVESTIGATION
• Thalamus (Amalia, Freja, Sara)
• Hypothalamus (Fe, Freja Rytter, Signe)
• Hippocampus (Chloe, Karlina, Sille)
• Brain stem (Dani, Kristine, Sine)
• Corpus callosum (Laura, Somaria, Josefine)
• Frontal lobes (Emma, Luila, Tristan)
• Parietal lobes (Emma-Maria, Malgorzata, Patricia)
• Occipital lobes (Esther, Victoria, Ana-Patricia)
• Temporal lobes (Evelina, Mia, Meshal)