Biological Medical Model in Abnormal Psychology or Biological Model Perspective approaches . A paradigm in psychology is a distinct way of describing, observing, understanding, and predicting any given psychological phenomena. The professionals, as well as students, in order to conceptualize and organize the available information, need a model or paradigm. Also, it is required because it is used to test hypotheses and for conducting research work in order to testify the validity of assumptions. Includes assumptions about what drives human behavior, how disorders develop, and treatment prescriptions
Biological Medical Perspective
Based on the assumption of Materialism i.e., all behavior has a physiological basis
• An understanding of biochemical processes will give an understanding of psychological and social phenomena
• Physical structures and hereditary processes determine behavior or behavior potential
• Physical/physiological interventions can alter mental processes and behavior
• Root cause of abnormalities and disorders lies in biology and requires medical intervention
Historical Background
The historical roots of biological model are very old, dating back to at least the time of Hippocrates. There are a number of great names that contributed to this approach, of which the more important ones will be discussed.
Hippocrates (460-377 B.C)
• Greek physician/philosopher
• Regarded as the “Father of Medicine”
• Talked about basis for medical problems
• Believed that rational knowledge could serve a path for understanding psychological problems.
Galen (129-199 A.D)
• Born to Greek parents in Asia Minor
• Great physician with an empirical approach who rejected the old doctrine and relied on his observation and research.
• Correctly identified various parts of the nervous system and had an accurate grasp of how nervous system functions.
• Known for anatomical studies on animals and observations of human body functions
Julien Offroy De La Mettrie (1709-1751 Ad)
• French priest turned physician
• Noticed that his fever and the resulting physical condition affected his mental state as well as his physical state
• Body is like a machine and the soul is no different from mind
• Mind was a part of the body
Cabanis
• French physician
• Consciousness was a function of brain and was proved by the fact that guillotine victims were not conscious after beheading
Philippe Pinel (1745-1826 Ad)
• French physician
• Believed that abnormal behavior is caused by some hereditary defects or nervous system defects.
Wilhelm Griesinger (1817 – 1868 Ad)
• German psychiatrist
• Believed that the best way to understand mental disorders is to assume that they are caused by brain pathology
Paul Broca (1824-1880)
• French surgeon and anthropologist
• His main contribution is with reference to the localization of function; specific areas of brains are responsible for specific functions
• Discovered speech center in brain
Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926 Ad)
• German psychiatrist
• Stressed the likely physical cause of mental illness, and gave the first classification system of mental disorders
Charles Darwin: (1809-1882 Ad)
• British scientist
• Author of the revolutionary “The Origin of Species” (1859)
• According to Darwin, variations among individuals of a species would occur by chance, but could in turn be passed on to the future generations
• Gave the concept of “Survival of the Fittest” only those variations which helped the
Individuals survive long enough to breed would sustain, and be passed on
