Issues And Debates Flashcards
What is gender bias?
When one gender is treated less favourably than the other
What is universality?
The idea that conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone.
What is alpha bias?
An exaggeration of the differences between males and females
What is beta bias?
Ignoring or minimising the differences between males and females
What is androcentrism?
A consequence of beta bis where if behaviours considered as ‘normal’ are drawn from all male samples, other behaviours such as those of women may be misunderstood or marginalised.
How can we reduce gender bias?
- Take a feminist perspective
- Reverse alpha bias: develop studies which emphasise the value of women
Strengths of alpha bias
- led to theorists asserting the worth of feminine qualities
- led to criticisms of values which praise bad male qualities
Weaknesses of alpha bias
- ignores the differences between women
- can sustain stereotypes and prejudices
Strengths of beta bias
- makes people see women and men as the same leading to equal treatment in legal terms
Weaknesses of beta bias
- HM & M argue that arguing for equality draws attention away from the special needs of women
Strengths of gender bias as a whole
Researches are starting to see the effect their values have on their work. DAMBRIN & LAMBERT’s study included reflection on how their gender related experiences influenced their work. This reflexivity is important and leads to greater awareness
Weaknesses of gender bias as a whole
This type of research may creat misleading assumptions about female behaviour and have damaging consequences to women’s lives
What is culture bias?
A tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret everything through the lens of one’s own culture
What is an EMIC approach?
An investigation of a culture within that culture. Applied to only one culture and so vary across cultures.
Evaluation of emic approach
Strength: higher ecological validity
Weakness: culture bias can occur if a researcher assumes that an emic construct is actually an etic construct
What is an ETIC approach
Investigation of a culture outside of that culture. These ideas are assumed to apply in all cultural groups. Assume that most human behaviour is common but cultural factors influence the display of the behaviour.
Evaluation of ETIC approach
Assuming that behaviours are universal across cultures can lead to imposed ETICS, where a construct from one culture is inappropriately applied to another
What is ethnocentrism
A belief in the superiority of one’s own cultural group.
What is cultural relativism
The principle of regarding the beliefs, values and practices of a culture from the viewpoint of that culture.
Who distinguished between EMICS and ETICS?
BERRY
What are the consequences of cultural bias
Some research may highlight cultural differences and use it as an excuse to say one culture is superior to another
How to reduce cultural bias
- encourage the use of indigenous psychologists
- encourage a worldwide psychology community
Strengths of culture bias
It may challenge our western ways of viewing the world and bring a greater sensitivity to cultural relativism. This counters the problem of ‘scientific racism’ and increases the validity of the conclusions.
Weakness of culture bias
The variables may not be experienced in the same way by all participants. In China invasion of personal space is normal whereas in the West it may be seen as confrontational.
What is free will
The notion that humans can make choices and aren’t determined by external forces
Definitions of free will
- choice
- unconstrained behaviour
- voluntary behaviour
Strengths of free will
- everyday experience gives the impression that we always exercise free will; face validity
- people with an internal LOC tend to be more mentally healthy
- ROBERTS ET AL: teens who believe in fatalism are more at risk of depression
- emphasis on the individual
- self efficacy is useful in therapies
Weaknesses of free will
- studies by LIBET & CHUN SIONG SOON ET AL show that brain activity involved in decision making may predate our knowledge of having made a choice meaning our experiences of free will are determined by our brain before we become aware of them
- may be a culturally relative concept
- untestable and unscientific
What is determinism
The view that an individuals behaviour is controlled by internal or external forces rather than their will to do something
What is hard determinism
The idea that free will is an illusion and every event and action has a cause
What is soft determinism
The idea that behaviour is determined to an extent but in the absence of compulsion people have a degree of choice
Definitions of determinism
- comes in many forms
- all behaviour has a cause and future behaviour is predictable
- fits classical science
- modern physics disputes hard determinism
Environmental determinism
- behaviour is caused by outside influence
- behaviourist approach sees behaviour as caused by reinforcement and punishment
- SKINNER: free will is an illusion; behaviour is determined by past experiences + reinforcement
Psychic determinism
- psychodynamic approach believes our personality is determined by our childhood experiences
- FREUD: free will is an illusion because the causes of our behaviour are unconscious and predictable
Biological determinism
- our biological systems govern our behaviour
- biological approach says we can predict our behaviour as a result of our
• structure and functions
• hormones
Strengths of determinism
- consistent with the aims of science; places psychology on equal footing with established sciences
- the prediction and control of behaviour has led to treatments and therapies
- society is more willing to accept its findings based on facts
Weaknesses of determinism
- the hard deterministic view isn’t consistent with the legal system where offenders are held morally accountable
- it’s unfalsifiable because it’s based on the idea that causes of behaviour will always exist even though they may not have been found
- reductionist
- doesn’t account for individual differences
