What is the central assumption of the Biological approach in psychology?

• A. The mind and brain are completely separate; biology does not influence behaviour
• B. Thoughts, feelings, and behaviours have a physical basis in the brain, nervous system, genes, hormones, and neurochemistry, with behaviour explained by biological processes.
• C. Behavior cannot be studied scientifically.
• D. Behavior is solely the result of learning from social environment.

Answer: (B)

The central idea is that thoughts, feelings, and behaviours have a physical basis in the brain and other biological systems, and that behaviour can be explained by biological processes such as brain activity, neural pathways, genes, hormones, and neurochemistry. This means explanations look to how the body’s biology shapes how we think and act, and how changes in biology (like neurotransmitter levels or brain structure) can alter behaviour. For example, disorders like depression are understood in terms of imbalances in brain chemicals and altered brain circuits, which is why treatments often target neurochemistry with medication.

Other options don’t fit because they deny biology’s influence or the scientific study of it, or they attribute behaviour entirely to learning from the social environment. Saying the mind and brain are completely separate ignores the brain’s role in mental processes, and claiming behavior can’t be studied scientifically contradicts how the biological approach uses experiments and measurements. Saying behaviour is solely the result of social learning overlooks the underlying biological mechanisms that researchers examine to explain why those learning processes produce particular behaviours.