Issues And Debates

Question 1

What is the nature vs nurture debate

Answer 1

Whether our behaviour is due to our genetics (nature)
Or influenced from our environment, up bringing and life experiences (nurture)

Question 2

What is an ‘issue’

Answer 2

A topic that creates conflict and should not be ignored
e.g gender bias

Question 3

What are examples of issues in psychology

Answer 3

Gender bias
Cultural bias
Ethical implications

Question 4

What is a ‘debate’

Answer 4

An academic discussion of a topic where both sides of an argument are presented
e.g nature - nurture

Question 5

What are examples of debates in psychology

Answer 5

Nature v Nurture
Free will v determinism
Holisim v reductionism
Idiographic v nomothetic approaches

Question 6

What is universality and how is it challenged in gender bias

Answer 6

It means that what is found can apply to all people. The belief some behaviours are the same for everyone.
This is challenged as gender differences in behaviour tend to be ignored or exaggerated. Researcher must show similarities and differences between females and males without devaluing genders.

Question 7

Define the environment

Answer 7

Everything outside the body which can include people, events and the physical world

Question 8

Define heredity

Answer 8

Genetic inheritance
The process in which traits are passed down from one generation to the next

Question 9

What is the basic assumptions of the nativist argument

Answer 9

• biological approach
  Behaviour is innate and determined by brain structures, genetics and DNA.
  Humans are a production of evolution

-OCD
- Lorenz

Question 10

What is the basic assumptions of the empiricist argument

Answer 10

behaviourist
All behaviour is learnt through environment, we are born a blank slate. Learn through experiences mostly in childhood.

Pavlova dog

Question 11

What is gender bias

Answer 11

The term used to suggest a persons views are distorted in some way, and evidence the gender is presented in a biased way. Bias leads to differential treatments of the genders based on stereotypes not real differences. This distortion could be
Alpha bias
Beta bias

Question 12

What is the interactionist approach

Answer 12

Hereditary (nature) and environment (nurture) influence each other

Question 13

What is an example of the nature debate

Answer 13

OCD
Baillargeon
Lorenz
Aggression (MAOA-L gene)

Question 14

What is an example of the nurture side of the debate

Answer 14

Psychopathology ( phobias )
Work place stress
Bowlbys bobo doll

Question 15

What is alpha bias

Answer 15

The exaggeration of the difference between men and women’s behaviours.
e.g Freud argued girls do not identify with their mothers as strongly as boys do with their fathers so develop weaker superegos

Question 16

Explain nature v nurture debate for aggression

Answer 16

Nature - innate drives, MAOA gene, hormones

Nurture - SLT, de-individuation

Question 17

Explain nature v nurture debate for psychopathology

Answer 17

Nature - genetics and neurochemicals

Nurture - development of phobias, PTSD

Question 18

What is beta bias

Answer 18

The assumption men and women are the same, ignores differences between them which leads to one gender being misrepresented. Usually focuses on male behaviour and draws conclusions for females.

e.g research for fight or flight was carried out on male animals because they had fewer variation hormones than females. It was assumed fight or flight response same for both genders however Taylor found women actually ‘tend and befriend’ Beta bias meant stress response was not really understood as gender difference ignored

Question 19

Evaluate gender in psychology

Answer 19

Gender biased research may lead to misleading assumptions about female behaviour used to support discrimination. e.g Darwin’s theory of sexual selection may lead to employers to assume women are less competitive than men, providing a scientific justification to deny women certain opportunities at work.

Strength of discussing gender bias, it helps to raise awareness of gender bias in research. Led to psychologists developing theories that emphasise the value of women. e.g Cornwell noted females tend to be better at learning as they are more attentive and organised, emphasising positive attributes of women. This type of research helps challenge gender stereotypes which can have positive consequences in everyday life.

Gender bias can work against males. e.g women more likely to be diagnosed with depression and given treatment. May be because more women suffer from depression or could be diagnostic system is more biased to finding depression in women. Expectation men should ‘pull themselves together’ may highlight an issue of gender bias with the diagnostic systems for mental disorders

Question 20

What is ethnocentrism

Answer 20

Making judgements based on one’s own cultural perspective and believing this is both normal correct and superior.
Ethnocentrism is a lack of awareness that other ways of seeing things can be as valid as one’s own e.g AINSWORTH

Question 21

What is cultural relativism

Answer 21

Human behaviour only understood within specific cultural context from which it originates. We have to understand particular views, values and norms of a culture before we can evaluate and understand the behaviour individuals that belong to that culture

Question 22

Evaluate culture in psychology

Answer 22

Culturally biased research can have significant real world effects. E.g by amplifying and validating damaging stereotypes. The US army used an IQ test before WWI which was culturally biased to the white majority. test showed African Americans were at the bottom of the IQ scale and this had a negative effect on the attitudes of Americans towards this group of people which highlights the negative impact that culturally biased research can have

Researchers are beginning to recognise the effect that cultural bias can have on their work as researchers travel more than they used to which allows them to exchange ideas with other psychologists from other cultures. This will help reduce ethnocentrism and increase understanding of cultural relativism shaping future positively

Awareness of cultural bias had positive impact in diagnosing mental disorders. Early Americans DSM ignored mental disorders that are found in non American cultures. DSM IV later established acknowledging the inadequacy of that approach

Question 23

What is meant by determinism

Answer 23

Free will is an illusion

Behaviour is due to internal factors

No control over behaviour

Question 24

What is free will

Answer 24

We are free to make whatever choice we want and do as we please

Question 25

What is hard determinism

Answer 25

No choice

Question 26

What approaches are hard determinist

Answer 26

Biological

Behavioural

Question 27

What is soft determinism

Answer 27

Element of choice but only to a certain extent

Question 28

What approach is soft determinist

Answer 28

Cognitive

Question 29

What is biological determinism

Answer 29

Human behaviour is innate
Determined by genes

Question 30

What is an example of biological determinism

Answer 30

Nestadt
1st degree relative with OCD 5x more likely to suffer

Question 31

What is environmental determinism

Answer 31

Behaviour caused by forces outside the individual caused by previous experiences

Question 32

What is an example of environmental determinism

Answer 32

Psychopathology
Phobias are acquired though classical and operant conditioning

Question 33

What is psychic determinism

Answer 33

Behaviour due to childhood experience and innate drives

Question 34

What is an example of psychic determinism

Answer 34

Psychodynamic oedipus and electra complex in children in the phallic stage

Question 35

Evaluate the use of determinism in psychology

Answer 35

Strength - deterministic approaches easily generate research evidence e.g brain scans and twin studies, lab experiments and case studies

Deterministic views implies there is always a cause for behaviour. Led to scientific methods such as experimental methods which is good because it allows researchers to be more objective and precise which enables studies to be replicated to see if findings are reliable

Question 36

What are ethical implications

Answer 36

The impact of consequences that psychological research could have on people.

Question 37

Explain ethical implications for participants

Answer 37

Ethical implications include the consequences of deceiving or psychologically harming participants as well as the impact of not ensuring confidentiality of participants data

Question 38

What is a study you can link to ethical implications

Answer 38

Milgram
Participants may feel embarrassed and not want to take part in researxh again.

Milgram did not protect them from harm - they have to live with the feeling they could kill someone

Question 39

What is meant by socially sensitive

Answer 39

Refers to psychological research which tends to be particularly controversial, could have severe consequences for people in wider context.

Socially sensitive research is often hard to predict and control

e.g Raine research within cognitive neuroscience, suggested frontal lobe activity was a marker for violent criminality and we should screen children’s brains

e.g male aggressive because of sexual jealousy towards women as gives men ready made excuse to their aggression

Question 40

What are examples of ethical implications beyond the research setting

Answer 40

Effect of publishing research on the wider public (Bowlby)

Economic implications, such as funding for further psychological research. Findings that demonstrate drug therapy is effective for depression may take cost away from other causes such as relationshop breaking down

Potential bias against certain people/cultures/race

Question 41

What four issues did seiber and Stanley raise about social sensitivity

Answer 41

Research question - ‘are there racial differences in IQ’ ‘is intelligence inherited’ may be damaging to a particular group

Methodology - research techniques resulted in participants being treated unfairly, confidentiality

Institutional context - how the data is being used, who is funding it, why are they funding it and what they intend to do with the findings

Interpretation and application - how research can be applied to real world, could their data used to inform policy

Question 42

How can researchers deal with the issues of social sensitivity

Answer 42

Before research, consider social sensitivity in all four aspects of the research process as suggested by sieber and Stanley

Undertake cost benefit analysis

Submit research proposals to ethical comittees

Take steps to avoid prejudice and biased findings in media.

After research - sensitively debrief participants

Take care when publishing findings, disclosing results and when assuring confidentiality

Question 43

Give an example of a study that was socially sensitive

Answer 43

Burt used twin studies to support view intelligence was inherited which came to the creation of the 11+ entry exam for grammar schools

Generations of children were affected by this even though it was found Burt had falsified his results

Question 44

Evaluate ethical implications/socially sensitive research

Answer 44

Focus on ethical implications has forced psychologists to be aware of the need to safeguard individuals affected by research. Includes all protected groups and those excluded from research but may be harmed by conclusion and application

Research with potential ethical implications should still be conducted if the research will have desirable and beneficial impact on society. Research examining use of child witnesses found young children can be reliable witnesses if questioned in a timely and appropriate manner. Research with potential ethical implications resulted in procedures being introduced to improve accuracy and validity of child eye witness. Research in ethical implication may play valuable role in society

Some argue socially sensitive research should not be conducted because it can be used as a means of social control. Legislation introduced in US that led to compulsory sterilisation if they deemed to have low intelligence or suffer mental illness ‘unfit to breed’. Using socially sensitive research to validate discrimination is one of the compelling arguments for abolishing results

Question 45

What is the idiographic and nomothetic debate about

Answer 45

Whether psychologists should investigate behaviours and generate laws to explain them which apply to everyone or whether they should focus on the unique experience of the individual

Question 46

Explain the idiographic side of the debate

Answer 46

Emphasise unique experiences of individual, they do not wish to draw conclusions about large samples of people

Favour qualitative research methods such as unstructured interviews

Question 47

What approaches are idiographic

Answer 47

Humanistic

Psychodynamic (other than psychosexual stages)

Question 48

What are idiographic case studies

Answer 48

HM

Little Albert

Question 49

What is the nomothetic side of the debate

Answer 49

Views the role of psychology as one concerned with the generation of laws - they explain all behaviours

Prefer to study large groups of people as prefer quantitive data such as unstructured interviews with closed questions

Question 50

What approaches are nomothetic

Answer 50

Behaviourist

Biological

Question 51

What have nomothetic approaches looked at establishing as general laws of behaviour

Answer 51

Learning theory

Drug therapy

Question 52

Evaluate idiographic approaches

Answer 52

It is difficult to produce general predictions or laws. Severely limits the usefulness of idiographic approaches for understanding the cause of treatment of psychological disorders such as OCD

Unscientific, methods used such as Cade studies often heavily rely on subjective interpretation meaning conclusions drawn are open to bias. Problem as use of idiographic approaches to explain behaviours questions the credibility of psychology as a scientific discipline

Some argue approach is more valid than those with statistical methodologies that are more scientific. This is because the use of qualitative methods provides an in depth and more complete account of an individual, meaning idiographic approaches could reveal important insights which contribute to our understanding of behaviour

Question 53

Evaluate nomothetic approaches

Answer 53

Useful for predicting and controlling behaviour. Social psychologists such as Milgram used a nomothetic approach to create general conclusions about human behaviour - that situational factors are responsible for both obedience and conformity. Biological psychologists typically pinpoint biological factors such as neurotransmitters to be responsible for such disorders and use biological therapies (drug) to treat patients

However as drug treatments not successful for all patients, some psychologists argue alternative treatments based on idiographic approach are more suitable for treating individuals with such conditions as they seek to understand and explain the disorder from a patients point of view, questions the value of research based on a nomothetic approach

Generally scientific, use of quantitative methods and controlled measurements are all seen as strengths, controlled methods allow for replication to examine the reliability of findings which has helped psychology establish itself as a science