Explain the interactionist approach to explaining mental disorders.

The biological approach to explaining mental disorders would suggest that arise as a result of genetic vulnerability combined with an environmental 'stressor' event which triggers the expression of such genes. Evidence supporting this idea is derived from the fact that in monozygotic (identical) twins, concordance rates (where one twin has OCD, the occurrence rate of the other twin also having OCD) consistently tend to fall around 50% in most studies of this. As monozygotic twins share 100% identical DNA, the fact that concordance rates of OCD are only 50% suggests that OCD is not entirely determined by genetics, and also partially influenced by environmental influences.

KE

Related Psychology A Level answers

All answers ▸

Outline and evaluate the biological explanation of aggression (16 marks)


How to effectively structure a 16 mark question


Milgram’s work into obedience provided us with valuable insights into why people obey, even though it was carried out in a laboratory. Outline two explanations of why people obey.


What is the point of having a control group in a Psychological experiment?