issues and debates Flashcards
nature - nurture AO1
nature - innate influences, all behaviour product of biological/genetics
- family, twin, adoption studies
- schiz = 48 v 17
nurture - env influences, behaviour due to learning
- explained in terms of experience & how we have learnt (CC, OC, SLT)
nature - nurture AO3
role of diathesis-stress model (bio vulnerability e.g., gene but only develops if there’s a stressor) > importance of taking an interactionist approach
nature can affect nurture (innately aggressive child, mentally ill parent) > show how nature can affect nurture so 2 cannot be separated
nurture can affect nature (Maguire posterior hippocampus) > shows how experience affects brain structure, coded for by genes
interactionist approach (PKU genetic disorder but if identified, can be given restricted diet to avoid BD) > importance of taking interactionist approach
discuss ethical implications of research studies and theory including reference to social sensitivity AO1
SSR - studies where there are potential social consequences or implications for participants or class of individuals represented by research - Sieber & Stanley 1988
ethical issues:
- deceptions - shouldn’t be misled > stress due to unexpected nature > affect self-esteem
- privacy & confidentiality - protect identity & personal info > less willing to give info so future research compromised
e.g., Milgram study into obedience (why Nazis obeyed & committed genocide) > all Germans obedient to point they would commit genocide
- 83.7% glad they took part, benefits outweigh ethical implications
discuss ethical implications of research studies and theory including reference to social sensitivity AO3
divides in society > discriminatory practices (1920s america, low intelligence & mentally ill sterilised on grounds of being feeble minded) > ssr may need to be avoided as it leads to groups being marginalised
findings from SSR neg consequences for society (gov, shape educational policies) - Burt genetic component to intelligence, 11+ test (made up most of it & ignored env effects) > remained for years > neg policies if misconducted
societal benefits (aids publics understanding of controversial societal topics) Sandra Scarr studies of underrepresented groups & issues promotes greater sensitivity > prejudice & encourage acceptance, highlighting importance of SSR
gender and cultural bias AO1
g - gender bias, alpha & beta bias, androcentrism, universality
c - cultural bias, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism
gender and cultural bias AO3
g - research methods in psych may be biased (m&f not different but methods used to test or observe biased e.g., Rosenthal male experimenters) > serious issues w/way data collected creates false pic of m-f differences
g - gender-biased assumptions in theories (Darwin’s theory of sexual selection) > importance of challenging gender research to ensure valid pic of women
c- culturally biased research creates /reinforces stereotypes (US army IQ test before WW1, AA) > profound effect on attitudes held by Americans towards other groups of people, highlighting danger or culturally biased research
c - evidence of cultural bias in research methods (Smith & Bond textbooks on social psych, 66, 32, 2) > psychological research severely unrepresentative & can be improved by using samples from diff cultural groups
holism - reductionism AO1
h - humanistic approach (affected by subjective experience, individual level, unique + motivated to achieve full potential)
- lack of identity/wholeness > incongruence
r - rose 4 levels (most holistic to parts of individual)
- biological (internal bodily activity > genetically predisposed)
- env (blank slate, learn from env (CC, OC, SLT)
- experimental (based on principle of cause & effect, predictions can be objectively tested by manipulating IV)
holism - reductionism AO3
h - explains complex behaviours - social behaviours (effects of de-individuation in stanford) > holistic explanations more useful in explaining behaviour
r - oversimplifies complex behaviour - focuses on one level (reducing ADHD to biological symptoms = drug therapies, but also possesses env causes) > question validity of taking reductionist approach as leads to incomplete understanding of behaviour
r - practical applications (drug therapies e.g., anti-depressants used to balance neurotransmitter levels) > reductionist approach beneficial as led to decrease in no people being hospitalised for depression
interactionist approach - behaviour best explained by considering all factors (holism) but in some cases can only treat by using reductionism (e.g., drug therapy) > importance of taking interactionist approach when explaining & treating MHD
idiographic - nomothetic AO1
i - individual cases as a means of understanding behaviour (emphasises uniqueness)
- study of individuals & insights each individual gives
- qualitative as focuses on gaining insight by studying individuals > unstructured interviews, case studies & thematic analysis
n - focus on studying groups & generating general laws of behaviour
- summarises differences through generations
- large no people & making generalisations to develop law/theories about behaviour so quantitative as attempts to establish cause & effect relationships (graphs so measures of central tendency, dispersion & Stats can be done)
idiographic - nomothetic AO3
i - focus on individual - Allport (nom causes psychologists to lose sight of meaning behind behaviour) - too much emphasis on generalised measurements as only by knowing person can we predict behaviour > focus on individual = more complete understanding
n - scientific e.g., standard procedures which can be assessed for validity & reliability and analysed by stats test > important to understand general laws (e.g., 1% of pop have schiz) > taking nom gives psych scientific credibility
i - time-consuming (large amounts of data ab 1 person, nom = large amount of people). Once you have a questionnaire, data generated quickly > idio is less efficient when it comes to data collection
interactionist approach best when conducting research - important to know general laws e.g., 1% of pop have schiz but also, symptoms may vary between patients so, need to look at each individual to gain more detailed understanding > importance of interactionist
free will - determinism AO1
f (humanistic & cognitive)
- h (subjective experience, qualitatively different, self-determined)
- c (subjective experience, individual choices & free will based on moral responsibility)
society is based on moral responsibility where humans are accountable for own actions regardless of other factors (self-determined + Society requires free will)
d - 4 types
s - all behaviour has a cause & effect
b - internal bodily activity
e - external env experiences
p - unconscious instincts, drives & unresolved childhood conflicts inc. distribution of libido for ID, ego & superego
free will - determinism AO3
d - excuse of immoral behaviour (Stephen Mobley) > hard determinism undesirable in real life settings as may lead to issues of criminal responsibility
f - illusion & culturally relative concept, Skinner (illusion, choices determined by previous reinforcement history) + only relevant in individualist societies as collectivist emphasise group needs > experience of free will product of socialisation not universal
f - cognitive area challenges, Libet (activity in motor are before conscious awareness of decision to move finger) > readiness to act
interactionist - individuals behaviour best explained by both free will & env events affecting these > importance of interactionist approach when considering free will & determinism as cannot be separated
