Biological explanations for anorexia nervosa, including genetic and neural explanations
Biological explanations argue that genes and brain chemistry make some people vulnerable to anorexia nervosa — a serious disorder involving extreme food restriction and distorted body image.
Real World
Holland et al.'s twin study found around 56% MZ concordance for anorexia nervosa — far above chance but well below 100%, indicating that genes increase vulnerability without being fully deterministic.
Exam Focus
Always note that MZ concordance below 100% is evidence for environmental factors — this shows evaluation not just description.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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