Evaluations

Question 1

What is evaluation?

Answer 1

• weighing up the strengths and limitations, the positives and negatives of something

Question 2

How do we evaluate?

Answer 2

• you need to know what critical questions to ask of a theory/therapy/method/piece of research
• you need an evaluation toolkit

Question 3

What are the 6 critical questions we can ask of each psychological approach?

Answer 3

DRANES!!!

• D = is the approach’s explanation of behaviour DETERMINISTIC?
• R = is the approach’s explanation of behaviour REDUCTIONIST?
• A = does the approach have useful practical APPLICATIONS?
• N = does the approach fall on the NATURE OR NURTURE side of the debate or is it interactionist?
• E = does the approach have much supporting EVIDENCE?
• S = is the approach considered SCIENTIFIC?

Question 4

What is determinism?

Answer 4

• all behaviour has a cause BEYOND THE CONTROL of the individual
• humans are therefore unable to choose how to behave
• therefore humans do not have free will
• choice is an illusion
• we are puppets

Question 5

What is reductionism?

Answer 5

• complex behaviours are broken down and understood in terms of their component parts / building blocks
• some psychologists argue that taking this approach is an over-simplification of what it means to be human, and overlooks the complexity of behaviours
• taking human behaviours and breaking them down to look at individual pieces (IDENTIFY CAUSE)
• without everything together there is no meaning

Question 6

What are applications?

Answer 6

• can the approach be used as a form of therapy?
• has it made any positive contributions to the way society is run?
• this is important because one of the main goals of psychology and other sciences is to improve society for everyone
• does the theory have practical and theoretical applications?

Question 7

What is nature, nurture or interactionism?

Answer 7

• nature = innate factors are more important than social factors
• nurture = social factors are more important than innate factors
• interactionism = behaviour is caused by innate and social factors working together and BOTH play a role
• nature and nurture are reductionist
• interactionism is a more complete explanation

Question 8

What is evidence?

Answer 8

• are the explanations of behaviour derived from this approach backed up by (supported by) solid evidence?
• important because the more evidence an explanation has to support it, the more credible the explanation is

Question 9

What is scientific?

Answer 9

• are the explanations of behaviour derived from the approach objective and open to being tested experimentally?
• important because data can be gathered to support the ideas
• the more supporting evidence that exists, the more credible the explanation
• or are they subjective?
  ie could they be interpreted in many different ways by different people?
• we want to avoid this because we are unable to draw valid, meaningful conclusions about behaviour from subjective ideas

Question 10

How do you write up an evaluation?

Answer 10

• paragraph structure is key for top marks
• making a statement that’s backed up by examples, then explained in terms of its relative strengths/weaknesses is the way to go
• use the sandwich structure

Question 11

What is the sandwich structure?

Answer 11

1.) Bread slice
- make your point
- state theme of evaluation
- say whether strength or weakness

2.) Meat
- explain
- why is your theme strong/weak in the light of the information you are evaluating?
- what is good or bad about it?

3.) Cheese
- give an example
- use some specific information/knowledge to back up what you’re saying

4.) Bread slice
- link back to question
- summarise point/theme you are evaluating (mini conclusion)
- do this by stating whether this theme of evaluation is more or less important that the other themes for the research/approach/explanation/therapy