Issues and Debates

Question 1

What is determinism?

Answer 1

The general idea that traits and behaviours are outside of our control, due to factors either internal or external over which we have no control

Question 2

Within determinism, what could internal factors include?

Answer 2

Biological factors, such as genes, neurochemicals, neurophysiological, cognitions

Question 3

Within determinism, what could external factors include?

Answer 3

Environmental factors such as learnt associations and stimulus-response links (behaviourism), imitating role models (SLT)

Question 4

What is free will?

Answer 4

Free will suggests that individuals have an active role in controlling their behaviour as are not controlled by biological or external forces.

Question 5

What is hard determinism?

Answer 5

Hard determinism doesn’t allow for any element of free will. It suggests that traits and behaviours are entirely out of the individuals control

Question 6

What is soft determinism?

Answer 6

Soft determinism suggests that traits and behaviours are determined by external or internal forces but an individual can still exercise some control, e.g. via thought processes

Question 7

What is biological determinism?

Answer 7

The idea that traits and behaviours are governed by internal biological factors like genes, neurochemistry, brain structure and function - biology is destiny

Question 8

What is environmental determinism?

Answer 8

The idea that traits and behaviours are governed by external forces such as experiences, upbringing, learning, schools, parents, peers, etc

Question 9

What is an example of environmental determinism?

Answer 9

Operant conditioning - learning through consequences or could be the influence of those around us as proposed by the social learning theory

Question 10

What is psychic determinism?

Answer 10

The idea that traits and behaviours are governed by unconscious instincts and drives, the cause of behaviour is rooted in childhood experiences

Question 11

Explain the difference between hard determinism and soft determinism

Answer 11

Hard determinism is the view that all behaviour is caused by forces outside a person’s control/behaviour caused by coercion whereas soft determinism is the view that behaviour is still caused by coercion/external factors but by their own wishes/conscious desires

Question 12

What does the idiographic approach aim to do?

Answer 12

Explain the nature of individuals

Question 13

What does the idiographic approach argue?

Answer 13

People should be studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations, values that contribute to individual development

Question 14

What type of data is the idiographic approach associated with?

Answer 14

Qualitative

Question 15

What methods of investigation does the idiographic approach use?

Answer 15

Case studies
Unstructured interviews
Thematic analysis

Question 16

Give an example of the idiographic approach

Answer 16

Freud’s use if case studies. Freud conducted very detailed investigation into the lives of his patients in an attempt to understand and help them overcome their psychological disorders

Question 17

What is the main aim of the nomothetic approach?

Answer 17

To produce general laws of human behaviour. These provide a benchmark against which people can be compared, classified or measured. From this, future behaviour can be predicted and even controlled

Question 18

According to Rardford and Kirby, what are the three general laws in psychology that have been produced by the nomothetic approach?

Answer 18

1. Classifying people into groups
2. Establishing principles of behaviour that can be applied to people in general
3. Establishing dimensions along which people can be placed, compared, measures

Question 19

What type of method is the nomothetic approach associated with?

Answer 19

Scientific