Discuss one strength and one limitation of the biological approach (4 marks)

The biological approach takes a deterministic stance, explaining all human behaviour as controlled by some component of the person's physiology, such as genetics or neurotransmitters. It is therefore consistent with the aims of science, as determinism assumes behaviour to be orderly, predictable and consistent with laws. However, presenting human behaviour as biologically determined is incompatible with the legal system in which individuals are held morally accountable for their own actions. For instance, in 1991 Stephen Mobley's defence team argued that his criminal acts (including assault and murder) were biologically determined, as the previous four generations of his family had committed similar crimes. Thus, although the biological approach may have ramifications for the current legal system by providing a potential excuse for criminal behaviour, its deterministic stance is perhaps beneficial in raising the status of psychology as a science.