ID area evaluation

Question 1

Strengths

Answer 1

1. Practical applications - research can be aimed at developing techniques and resources designed to help those affected & help improve their ability to interact socially. E.g. Hancock, Freud to treat phobias
   2.Different types of data is used. Research in this area varies in relation to the type of data used which gives researchers the advantage of obtaining comparable, measurable results as well as exploring the meaning of certain aspects of the enquiry.
2. Uses quant data e.g. Baron-Cohen- able to measure differences between 3 groups more accurately allowing for comparisons + increasing reliability as they could compare these results to future studies or other tasks e.g. Strange stories

Question 2

Weaknesses

Answer 2

1. Methodology is sometimes subjective and thus open to bias (Freud). Subject to experimenter bias as he wanted to support his initial ideas + he took a reductionist approach by stating that LH was going through the psychosexual stages of development, hence afraid of father, instead of providing a logical explanation
   However, these techniques may be the only methods available for studying some forms of ID
2. Ethical issues in this area. When measuring ID or studying disorders, researchers may be working with socially sensitive topics. (Gould’s criticism of Yerkes - he argues that measuring differences in psychology can be used for highly unethical purposes, such as to support discriminatory social policies.

Question 3

Source of bias- unrepresentative sample

Answer 3

Gould- androcentric, mainly USA recruiters
Freud- only 1 child
Hancock- only Canadian men, all committed the same crime

Question 4

Source of bias- unreliable method

Answer 4

Gould- not standardised due to time constraints
Freud- subjective interpretation + didn’t meet the child in person

Question 5

Source of bias- invalid design

Answer 5

Gould- socially sensitive + promoted racist ideology against POC

Question 6

Source of bias

Answer 6

-ve: Cultural- Gould
+ve: Gender- B-C
-ve: Experimenter- Freud
+ve: Social desirability- Hancock (as it was double-blind process)