Issues And Debates

Question 1

What is bias?

Answer 1

Occurs when a psychologist’s pre existing beliefs and viewpoints influence their theories and data

Question 2

What is gender bias?

Answer 2

When researchers stereotypical views about male and female behaviour effect their theories

Question 3

What is cultural bias?

Answer 3

Interpreting and judging human behaviour based on cultural norms and experiences. Often stems from ethnocentric perspectives

Question 4

What is universality?

Answer 4

Certain observed behaviours apply to all humans

Question 5

What is sampling bias?

Answer 5

Significant amount of accepted research is uk/us based

Question 6

What is androcentrism?

Answer 6

Reflect and support a male centric view of the world, psychologist who developed these theories are male

Question 7

What is beta bias?

Answer 7

Assumption that there are no differences between male and females

Question 8

What is an example of beta bias?

Answer 8

• Milgram, 40 male pp and male authority figure
• Zimbardo, all male pps

Question 9

What is alpha bias?

Answer 9

Exaggerating the differences between males and females

Question 10

Example of alpha bias?

Answer 10

• bowlbys monotropic theory
• emphasis on mother as the primary caregiver, implied less emphasis on male caregivers

Question 11

What is an example of ethnocentrism?

Answer 11

Mary Ainsworth “strange situation”. Based on the US other cultures may raise children differently

Question 12

What is cultural relativism?

Answer 12

Human behaviour should be understood within the context of the specific culture

Question 13

How to deal with bias in research?

Answer 13

• increase diversity
• indigenous psychology
• reflexive approach

Question 14

What is indigenous psychology?

Answer 14

Understanding the human mind and behaviour that is developed from a different culture

Question 15

What is hard determinism?

Answer 15

Behaviour are set by forces outside of our control with no role for free will

Question 16

What is soft determinism?

Answer 16

Behaviour is, to an extent, determined by internal/external forces. However we do have some control over behaviour through conscious thought

Question 17

What type of determinism is environmental?

Answer 17

• hard determinism
• our experiences in the world shape our behaviour can be fully explained through stimulus and response

Question 18

What type of determinism is social learning theory?

Answer 18

• soft determinism
• also environmental
• accept learning from experience, but also accept cognitive internal mental processes

Question 19

What type of determinism is cognitive psychology?

Answer 19

• soft determinism
• accepts the influence of biological factors, however they also believe in a significant role of cognitive processes
• CBT shows that changing thought patterns can alter behaviour

Question 20

What type of determinism is biological?

Answer 20

• hard determinism
• our behaviour is set by our genetics and biological processes e.g hormone levels, neurotransmitter

Question 21

What type of determinism is psychic determinism?

Answer 21

• soft determinism
• Freud believed that innate drives are shaped by childhood experiences determine our behaviour
• however through psychoanalytic therapy patients can become aware of unconscious feelings and have control over

Question 22

Who are the only psychologists that believe in free will?

Answer 22

Humanists

Question 23

Evaluation of free will

Answer 23

• has face validity, we are aware we have free will
• by accepting cause and effect we can see imbalances in neurotransmitters cause illness and have made effective treatments for it
• idea of one factor determining behaviour is too simplistic

Question 24

what is interactionism?

Answer 24

Suggests that genes and the environment actively interact with each other

Question 25

What is the diathesis stress model?

Answer 25

individuals may inherit a genetic predisposition for a mental health disorder. But the disorder doesn't happen until it is triggered by the stresser

Question 26

Psychological theories closer to the nature perspective

Answer 26

Ainsworth attachment style, behaviourist theories on phobias, social learning theory

Question 27

Psychological theories closer to the nurture perspective

Answer 27

genetic explanation for OCD, Bowleys monotropic theory

Question 28

Evaluation of the nature nurture debate

Answer 28

- nurture argument means criminals with a genetic predisposition to a disorder may get a reduced sentence as they are less responsible for their actions -

Question 29

What is reductionism?

Answer 29

- studying complex things and putting them in their simplist form -

Question 30

What is biological reductionism?

Answer 30

- reduces complex behaviour to basic biological elements

Question 31

What is environmental reduction ism?

Answer 31

explains behaviour through simple stimulus response mechanisms

Question 32

What is holism?

Answer 32

- Argues a valid explanation of behaviour needs to include the whole person. - including, biological, environmental, social and cultural factors

Question 33

What is levels of explanation?

Answer 33

- different perspectives used to understand a behaviour, ranging from the most reductionist (biological) to the most holistic (social and cultural)

Question 34

What is the highest level of explanation?

Answer 34

holism

Question 35

What is the lowest level of explanation?

Answer 35

- biological determinism

Question 36

Evaluation of holism and determinism?

Answer 36

- holistic, unscientific can't isolate individual variables - reductionism is scientific, objectively tests variables in controlled environments - Reductionism supports the development of drug therapies - reductionism is over simplistic, cannot account for complex human behaviour

Question 37

What is nomothetic research?

Answer 37

uses a large and representive sample of participants - produces new laws of behaviour or supports existing ones - Inferences are made about the population based on the sample

Question 38

What is quantitative data?

Answer 38

- numerical

Question 38

What are some of the nomathetic approaches?

Answer 38

- behaviourism - social learning theory - biological

Question 39

What is idiographic research?

Answer 39

- studies individuals subjective experiences - no attempt to generalise as individuals are seen as unique -

Question 40

What are the idiographic research techniques?

Answer 40

- in depth case studies - content analysis - attempt to understand cultural, social and enviournmental context

Question 41

Is idiographic scientific?

Answer 41

- no - unreliable as two cases will always differ - However, data is arguably more valid in it's description of behaviour

Question 42

Evaluation of nomothetic vs idiographic

Answer 42

Nomothetic - generalisation - easy to replicate - statistical data Idiographic - Rich, detailed data - time consuming - using both provides a more holistic approach

Question 43

what is reflexivity?

Answer 43

- researchers should carefully consider their own personal bias, beliefs etc

Question 44

What methods are used to prevent ethical implications?

Answer 44

- reflexivity - care in forming questions - peer review

Question 45

Examples of socially sensitive research?

Answer 45

-

Question 46

reductionist paragraph of 16 marker

Answer 46

- Based on scientific principle of parisomy - everything should be in its simplist form - levels of explanation - biological reductionism - environmental reductionism, behaviour is just S-R, backbone of behaviourism

Question 47

Holism paragraph of 16 marker

Answer 47

- Can't predict how a whole system will behave you can't look at an individual component - humanism is the only holistic approach - understands that humans can be influenced by multiple factors

Question 48

Strength of reduction ism?

Answer 48

- forms basis for a scientific approach, gives psychology greater credibility.

Question 49

Weaknesses of reductionism?

Answer 49

- May oversimplify complex phenomena - some behaviours can only be understood at a higher level -