Biological Approach is a core part of IB Psychology. Revise the key concepts and common mistakes below, then lock them in with the free games.
Key concepts
Frontal lobePlanning, decision, personality
Parietal lobeTouch and spatial awareness
Temporal lobeHearing and memory
Occipital lobeVision processing
AmygdalaEmotion and fear processing
HippocampusLong-term memory consolidation
Twin studyMZ vs DZ to estimate heritability
Heritability% variance from genes in a population
GenotypeGenetic make-up
PhenotypeObserved traits — genotype × environment
EpigeneticsGene expression altered by environment
NeuroplasticityBrain rewires with experience
NeurotransmitterChemical messenger at the synapse
DopamineReward, movement, motivation
Common mistakes to avoid
Questions where students often pick the tempting wrong answer — make sure you know the right one:
What does the behaviourist approach study?✗ The unconscious mind and dreams. ✓ Observable behaviour and how it is learned.
Do all psychological approaches explain behaviour the same way?✗ Yes, all approaches agree on causes. ✓ No — they differ (e.g. behaviourist, cognitive, biological, psychodynamic).
Practise Biological Approach — free games
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