Debates

Question 1

What is the nature - nurture debate about ?

Answer 1

an argument about the extend to which behaviours are due to the influence of ( biology/heredity/genetics) or (experiences/learning/environment)

Question 2

Who is the nativist for the (nature debate ) ?

Answer 2

Descartes

Question 3

What did Descartes argue ?

Answer 3

that human charactersistics and some aspects of knowledge r innate , as a result of heredity and nature

Question 4

Which empiricist argued the nurture debate

Answer 4

• John locke

Question 5

What did john locke argue ?

Answer 5

argued knowledge comes from experience n observation rather than being inborn

the mind is a blank slate (tabula rasa)

all knowledge + understanding is gained via the environment .

Question 6

which theories support the nature perspective ?

Answer 6

• genetic explanation for OCD
• Bowlby’s monotropic theory

Question 7

Theories closer to the nurture perspective ?

Answer 7

Cupboard love theory

SLT

Cognitive theories (ppl acquire schema )

Question 8

What is interactionism ?

Answer 8

• it suggests that genes and the environment actively interac and influence each other

Question 9

what does the diathesis stress model argue ?

Answer 9

both a agentic predisposition and an approprite environmental trigger r recquired for a mental disorder to happen (supports nature and nurture)

Question 10

What is parsimony ?

Answer 10

• the argument that the best explnation is the simplest one that fits the evidence .

Question 11

what is reductionism ?

Answer 11

studying complex phenomena by breaking them down into smaller constituent parts.

Question 12

What is Biological reductionism ?

Answer 12

a form of reductionism which attempts to explain social and psychological phenomena ata lower biological level ( genes , hormones ,brain chemistry)

Question 13

what is Environmental reductionism ?

Answer 13

the attempt to explain all behaviour in term of stimulus and response links that have been learned through experience .

Question 14

what is Machine reductionism ?

Answer 14

includes the computer analogy that the brain functions like a computer’ cpu

input > process > output

oversimplifies complex mental processes by ignoring the roleof emotions and irratonality

Question 15

what is Holism ?

Answer 15

proposes that it only makes sense to study an indivisile system rather than its constituent parts .

Question 16

Which psychogist are the most holistic ?

Answer 16

humanistic psychologists

Question 17

what do humantic psychologists argue ?

Answer 17

They argue that we can only understand behavior by studying the whole person ( thru the use of case studies , interviews etc)

Question 18

what are Levels of explanation

Answer 18

• different ways of viewing the same phenomena , but some r more reductionist than others .

Question 19

example of levels of explanations …(aggression)

Answer 19

Social - aggr due to cultural factors : individuals grew up in envrinments where aggression is valued

Cognitive - individual has developed schemas that bias their interpretation of situations , leading to aggressive responses

Behaviourism - due to consequence of reinforcement of past aggressive behavior

Biological - results from interaction of brain structures / inheritance

Question 20

For - reductionism points ?

Answer 20

• scientific - enables objective testing of specific variables in controlled environments > help establish causation > eg measuring neurotransmitters.

-practicall > upports development of empirical testing > treatments like ssris for ocd

(against point (inverted))

Question 21

Against - reductionist points

Answer 21

• over simplistic > loss of meaning > loss of face validity

incomplete explanation > loss of trust + understanding > no treatments

(for points for holim (inverted))

Question 22

Way forward ?

Answer 22

interactionist approach
combination is more effective
with reductionism offering specific measurable measurement and holism a complete understanding.

Question 23

Nomothetic approach meaning ?

Answer 23

attempts to study human behaviour throught he develepment of general principles and universal .

making inference about a broader population based on sample

Question 24

Idiographic approach meaning ?

Answer 24

an approach to research that focuses more on the individual case

as a means ofunderstanding behaviour

rather than formulating general laws

Question 25

nomothetic > nomos > meaning ?

Answer 25

ancient greek , meaning law

Question 26

idiographic > ideo (meaning )

Answer 26

individual /own/private

Question 27

Nomothetic (A03)

Answer 27

+experimental techniques ( controlled) +quantitative (numerical data is collected +scientific (high reliability bt less validity > subjective bias removed ) +generalisation -misinterpretation -ignore subjecive difference

Question 28

Idiographic (A03)

Answer 28

+ non experimental techniques (indepth case studies ) +qualitative + - unscientific > unreliable > case studies will always differ > more valid (truthful) - time consuming - subjective bias .

Question 29

Nomothetic examples in Psychology

Answer 29

- SSRIs for OCD bcz low serotonin > depression > ssri to increase serotonin . operant + classical conditioning in humans ( systematic desensitisation practical applicationist.)

Question 30

Idiographic examples in psychology ?

Answer 30

humanistic approach client centered therapy

Question 31

ways to move forward ? (idio vs nomo)

Answer 31

allows combination of both strenghts providing a more holistic understanding .

Question 32

What are implicatios of research ?

Answer 32

- consequences of constructing theories and conducting research both for ppts and groups they represent.

Question 33

What could be possible implications ?

Answer 33

- Lack of protection from harm - -ve stereotypes reinforcemnt abt a minority grp or organisation -self fufilling prophecy

Question 34

Aspects in the scientific research that raise ethical implications

Answer 34

The research questions The methodology used The Institutional context Interpretation and Application of findings

Question 34

What is socially sensitive research

Answer 34

- defined by Siebar and Stanley "studies in which there are potential consequences or implications , either directly for the ppts in the research or for the class ofindividuals represented by the research

Question 35

Ethical Considerations when dealing with socially sensitive research

Answer 35

Privacy Confidentiallity Sound and Valid method Deception Informed Consent Scientific freedom Ownership of data Cost / benefit analysis

Question 36

Examples of social senstive research

Answer 36

Bowlby - leads to women rather than men sacrifice careers to take care of babies >inequality in society > gender pay gap Defining abnormality > really hgh iq ppl may nedd support > not given it bcz theyr considered smart already.