issue and debates Flashcards
alpha bias
exaggerate differences between men and women. the consequence is that theories devalue one gender in comparison to the other
beta bias
ignore or minimise differences between men and women.
androcentrism
centred or focused on men, often to the neglect or exclusion of women
gender bias
the differential treatment or representation of men and women based on stereotypes rather than real differences
universality
develop theories that apply to all people, which may include real differences
cultural bias
judge all people in terms of your own cultural assumptions.
cultural relativism
behaviour cannot be judged properly unless it is viewed in the context of the culture in which it originates
culture
the rules, custom, morals, childrearing practices that bind a group of people together and define how they are likely to behave
ethnocentrism
seeing things from the point of view of ourselves and our social group. evaluating other groups of people using the standards and customs of one’s own culture
determinism
behaviour is controlled by external or internal factors acting upon the individual
free will
individuals have the power to make choices about their behaviour
hard determinism
all behaviour can be predicted and there is no free will. the two are incompatible
soft determinism
allows for some element of free will
emic
investigation of a culture from within the culture itself
etic
study of a culture from the perspective of another culture
psychic determinism
Freud’s psychoanalytic theory suggests that personality is determined by innate drives and early experience
biological determinism
human genome research suggests that some of our behaviours are genetically determined. genes also influence brain structure and neurotransmitters implicated in behaviour
environmental determinism
behaviourists believe that most behaviour is learned and unlearned via classical and operant conditioning
humanistic approach
free will is necessary in order to take responsibility for and change behaviour, without self determinism e.g. self growth cannot occur
moral responsibilty
individuals exercise free will over their actions. ‘normal’ adult behaviour is viewed as self-determined
environment
everything that is outside our body, which includes people, events and the physical world
heredity
traits are passed from parents to their offspring, usually referring to genetic inheritance
interactionist approach
the view that the processes of nature and nurture work together rather than in opposition
nature
behaviour is seen as a product of innate factors
