issues and debates Flashcards
What is alpha bias?
differences between men and women are exaggerated (are seen as fixed and inevitable)
e.g. Freud with girl’s having weaker identification
What is Beta bias?
ignoring or underestimating the differences between men and women often occurs when female participants are not included in the research process but it is assumed that research findings apply equally to all sexes
e.g. taylor et al. (20000 female exhibit a tend and befriend response governed by the hormone Oxytocin and reduces the fight or flight response
what is androcentrism?
when research is male-centred
what is universality?
the theory or research findings apply to all, regardless of differences
evaluation of gender bias
- gender differences are given as fixed and enduring
- gender bias promotes sexism in the research process
- research challenging bias may not be published
what does WEIRD stand for
Westernised
Educated people from
Industrialised
Rich
Democracies
what does ethnocentrism mean?
the view that your own culture is superior
e.g. Ainsworth’s strange situation
what does cultural relativism mean?
being able to recognise that research may only make sense in their culture
Differences between an Emic and Etic approach?
Etic approach:
- looks at behaviour from outside a given culture and identifies behaviours that are universal
Emic Approach:
- functions from inside a culture and identifies behaviours that are specific to that culture
Evaluation of culture bias
- (lim) many classic studies are culturally-biased
- (str) the emergence of cultural psychology
- (lim) ethnic stereotyping
what is free-will?
suggests that humans are free to make choices, rejecting external and internal influences on behaviour
What is determinism?
Hard determinism:
- suggests that all human action has a cause, and it should be possible to identify these causes
Soft Determinism
- suggests that all human action has a cause but people have freedom to make choices within a restricted range of options
what are the three types of determinism?
- biological
- Environmental: all behaviour is the result of conditioning
- Psychic: influence of biological drives and unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood
evaluation of free will vs determinism
- (str) free will has practical value
- (lim) evidence doesn’t support free will, it supports determinism
- (lim) of determinism is the role of responsibility in law
what is the diathesis-stress model?
behaviour is caused by a biological/environmental vulnerability which is only expressed when coupled with a biological/environmental trigger