Individual Differences

Question 1

Key Principle

Answer 1

• looks at why people fall out of normal range
• focuses on why people differ + reasons for these differences
• develop understanding of disorder
• concerned with how to measure differences

Question 2

Key Concepts

Answer 2

• Understanding disorders: phobias, autism, psychopathy
• measuring differences
• theory of mind

Question 3

Strengths of Individual Differences Area

Answer 3

• Studies a wide range of behaviour
• Beneficial in helping improve our understanding of mental disorders:
  suggesting treatments.
• Can help to inform the freewill-determinism (suggests the extent to which use have control over our behaviours.

Question 4

Weakness of Individual Differences Area

Answer 4

In this area, there are a lot of disagreements about why the behaviours are the way they are. Often research is socially sensitive and it could be put to harmful use. The tools used for measuring differences that are developed may not always be valid

Question 5

Measuring Differences

Answer 5

Gould and Hancock both support the individual differences area because both investigate a way in which it might be possible to measure differences between people. In Gould it was a review of heroes attempt to measure IQ. In Hancock, it was measuring language used + differences between psychopaths and non-psychopaths.