Compare and contrast biological and behaviourist explanations of personality

Psychology is the scientific study of human mind and behaviour which uses different approaches in
order to explain the complexity of the personality. The biological approach is based on the
assumption that some aspects of the human behaviour are associated with specific areas of the
brain and also with the heredity, the biological transmission from one generation to another of
certain characteristics which affect the human way of acting and reacting whilst the behaviourist
approach is based on the idea that the environmental stimuli are most important in explaining
humans reactions. This essay will focus on the similarities and differences between the two
approaches.
Whilst the biological approach” views man as a biological organism” (Glassman and Hadad, 2009),
the behaviourist approach views human behaviour as acts that can be conditioned by environment
stimuli. Also the biological explanations of personality have as foundations the concept of
“materialism- the assumption that all behaviour has a psychological basis”(Glassman et al, 2009) and
“heredity-the biological transmission of characteristics from one generation to another”(Glassman et
al, 2009) whilst the behaviourist approach have its foundation in “learning-a change in behaviour
which occurs as the result of experience”(Glassman et al, 2009) and “parsimony-which in the
philosophy of science is the principle that one should always seek the simplest possible explanation
for any event”(Glassman et a, 2009). The biological approach uses clinical observation as a method
to study the workings of the brain. In the ‘20’s were used for the first time the
electroencephalograph EEG- “a device for recording the electrical activity of the brain by means of
electrodes placed on the scalp.”(Glassman et all, 2009) and in the ‘50’s ESB electrical stimulation of
the brain which are “artificial stimulation of neurones by means of a current applied through an
implanted electrode. .”(Glassman et all, 2009). Recently, more other techniques have been
developed such as computerised imaging, positron emission tomography PET and magnetic
resonance imaging MRI. Behaviourists uses lab experiments and animal research based on “stimulus-
in general, any event, situation, object or factor that may affect behaviours, for the behaviourists a
measurable change in the environment”(Glassman et al, 2009) and “response-any restriction to a
stimulus, wether overt or mental, for the behaviourists, a measurable change in
behaviour.”(Glassman et al, 2009). Responses can be distinguished in two: “reflexes-an unlearned
response that can be triggered by specific environmental stimuli”(Glassman et al, 2019) and
voluntary responses-“a response which is controlled by the individual rather than being triggered
“(Glassman et al, 2009) by stimuli. There are two types of studies of learning: classical conditioning
which involves reflex responses who’s father is the Russian psychologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov(1849-
1936) who , while researching on psychology of digestion, he noticed “psychic salivation-a dog would
salivate before it was actually given food”(Glassman et al, 2009) and operant conditioning which
shows how a voluntary response can change as a function of its consequences. For example, if a
child uses a fork and gets hurt by it, they may not use the fork next time. The father of operant
conditioning is John Watson (1878-1958) who said that psychologists should concentrate on “what
people do, rather than what people experience”(Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, Hood, 2016).. Skinner
(1904-1990) is as important as Watson in pioneering the operant conditioning.
When it comes to genetic research and studies of animal behaviour the behaviourist approach is
supporting the biological underpining of traits.(Schacter et al, 2016). They both are very important
when, for example, explaining the identical twins personality: identical twins share 100% the same
genes, the consequences being that they are most likely to be similar to each other in personality.
“Genetics seem to influence most personality traits and current estimates place the average genetic
component of personality in the rang of 0,4-0,6.”(Schacter et al, 2016), the other half being
explained by the nurture, life experiences and other factors.
There are also similarities between the biological and the behaviourist approach. One of them is that
there is no free will. The biological approach is saying human behaviour is determined by our
genetics and the behaviourism is stating that free will “is an illusion and that when we think we are
actually responding to present and past patterns of reinforcement. We do things in the present that
have been rewarding in the past, and our sense of choosing to do them is nothing more than an
illusion.”(Schacter et all, 2016). Both biological and behaviourist approaches are based on laboratory
research, being constrained by the fact that in order to study behaviour “one trades the advantages
of control for the disadvantages of an artificial situation.”(Glassman et al, 2009) being recognised
that people react different when they know they are facing only an experiment and when they are in
a real life situation. Another similarity is that they both have successful applications that help people
to improve their lives. Biological approach is using drugs such as stimulants(caffeine, nicotine,
amphetamine, cocaine) which are reducing hunger, treating hyperactive children, depressants
(alcohol, barbiturates) which reduce the central nervous system activity, anti-anxiety drugs
(diazepam, lorazepam) which are seen as tranquillisers, antidepressant which are used to treat
severe clinical depression and hallucinogens.(Glassman et al, 2016) besides drugs, specialists use
also use surgical treatments on cerebral hemispheres or on corpus callosum,. The behaviourists are
using as treatments the relaxation training, flooding, aversion therapy, homework, social skills
training, virtual reality exposure, behavioural rehearsal and punishment, all being based on classical
and operant conditioning.
As a conclusion, the biological approach is the only one in psychology “which tries to explain
behaviour in terms of the physical system”(Glassman et al, 2016), being focused on the internal
processes of the physiological system and heredity, the complexity of this system being one if the
greatest challenges considering the countless numbers of neurones, connections and chemical
interactions which exists at the brain levels, while the behaviourists approach although many
criticised its restrictions, the classical and operant conditioning have a great influence to the
psychology, helping a lot in understanding the behaviour.

References:

William E. Glassman and Marilyn Hadad, “Approaches to Psychology”, Fifth Edition, 2009
Daniel Schacter, Daniel Gilbert, Daniel Wegner, Bruce Hood, “Psychology”, Second European Edition,
2016: