Issues and debates Flashcards
androcentrism
when normal behaviour is judged on a male standard - female behaviour may be looked at as deficient.
Describe what is meant by a idiographic approach to research
- research that mostly focuses on the individual, the findings of which are not generalized to a population to formulate general laws of behavior.
Describe what is meant by the nomothetic approach to research
aims to study laws through generalisation, which can then be applied to individual scenarios.
Name ways to study idiographically
- case studies
- qualitative data
Give an example of an approach that makes use of idiographic research.
- Psychodynamic approach, eg the case study of Little Hans and the Oedipus complex - this was a generalisation made FROM a case study, and could be used to explain why his phobia developed.
Give an example of a method to investigate nomothetically
- quantitative research
- eg structured questionnaires
State and explain one key difference between the idiographic and nomothetic approaches.
- idiographic is much more subjective whereas nomothetic is much more objective.
- This might be because the method of assessment for a nomothetic approach is very structured and ensures true replication (good reliability) among multiple trials/samples.
- However, for an idiographic approach, there is subjectivity due to its methods of assesment -eg open interviews are viewed as important as it takes unique context of the individual into account.
Give an example of an approach that makes use of the nomothetic approach
- biological approach - eg split brain research is clearly empirical, and provided the basis of understanding for hemispheric lateralisation
Give the pros and cons of a nomothetic approach
+: scientific and quantitative data, so easier to identify trends and make unbiased conclusions.
-: may lack detail and individuality - may make conclusions to quickly or lack patient focused approaches.
Give pros and cons for the idiographic approach
+: can prompt ideas for further research
+: can collect qualitative data, so very rich and detailed which prevents jumping to conclusions.
-: not standardised and may be very subjective, so cannot be generalisable to entire population (eg with case studies)
Define alpha bias
Theories that exaggerate difference between men and women
Define beta bias
Research that minimises or ignores the difference between men and women
Define Gender Bias
- Differential treatment or representation of males and females based on stereotypes and not real evidenced differences
Give an example of study/research/theory that implemented beta bias
- research on fight or flight responses in male mic - research was generalised to females, but did not account for speed or extent of the fight or flight response.
Give an example of study/research/theory that implemented alpha bias
- Freud’s argument that the differences in complexes is due to females being inferior to males and developing weaker superegos than males.
- Or Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theories - where a lot of mother blaming is done, and the role of the father is ignored.
Give pros and cons of gender bias in research
-: sometimes go unnoticed when significant contributions of the research have been made
+: beta bias may have actually helped women gain access to occupational and educational opportunity - eg equal parenting and role of the father studies allowed them to go back to work
-: but this ignored biological demands of pregnancy and recovery from birth.
-: gender biases from research - eg female pps nay be viewed as irritable and irrational when unable to complete complex tasks - may have contributed to real life stereotypes.
+: conversations triggered by gender bias research have been positive.
Give 4 methods to reduce gender bias in research
- involve both female and male researchers to avoid androcentrism
- take a feminist view point
- take reflective approaches, eg calling yourself out when showing gender bias
- Be sensitive to both male and female standards when carrying out research.
Cultural relativism
- idea that a behaviour can only be meaningfully understood in the context of the norms and values of the society or culture in which it occurs.
Give topics in which culture bias is seen.
Ainsworth’s strange situation holding attachment to an ‘American standard’
Sz research - eg hearing voices considered Sz in western countries, but considered ancestors speaking to you in other cultures.
Give pros and cons of Culture bias
- -: may amplify culture stereotypes - eg amplify stigma for sz by eastern countries, considered a ‘western’ disease
+: increased understanding about the subject now, eg helping the us of more indegenous psychologists,
Define social sensitivity
studies where there are potential social consequences for the pps, group of people represented or related to the research.
Define ethical issues
- an issue that may bring systems of morality and principles into conflict.
Name Stanley and Seiber’s 4 aspects as to what could make research socially sensitive.
- The questions
- The methodology
- the institutional context (eg who’s funding research)
- Interpretation and application of findings
Name some examples of studies with ethical issues
- Milgram - distress, deception, protection from harm can be explored here
- Zimbardo: distress after the experiment, psychological harm.
- Bowlby: (on wider population) - suggests women’s full responsibility over children etc.
Give pros and cons of socially sensitive research
+: can be highly useful and contribute significantly to society, eg role of the father research of EWT.
-: can have harmful impacts on society: eg Bowlby’s maternal dep. theory may have had negative implications in parent blaming and discrimination towards fathers in being PAFs.
+: can challenge prejudice and stigma - eg research into Gender identity disorder may be able to promote underrepresented populations and heighten understanding of gender.
Briefly outline the nature-nurture debate in psychology
- the extent to which nurture (external factors) and Nature (biology) have the power to both influence behaviour
- suggested also by an interactionist approach - eg the diathesis stress model.
Give pros and cons of the nature-nurture debate
support for nature:
- Gottesman DZ and MZ twin OCD concordance rate.
- adoption studies - for SZ and IQ
INTERACTIONIST approach - eg diathesis stress model where nurture has the ability to impact nurture or an environmental trigger leads to disorder manifesting when a person already had genetic vulnerability (eg lac operon model)
Support for nurture:
- Double bind theory for Sz. (disordered communication withing family)
Define Hard determinism
- the view that free will is an illusion and that behaviour is controlled by factors outside of our control
Define soft determinism
view that behavoiur is controlled by environmental or biological forces, but only to a certain extent (an element of free will involved)
Name some approaches that make use of determinism
- biological
- psychodynamic
- behaviourism
Name some approaches that make use of some free will
- humanistic (Fully free will)
- Cognitive approach (eg in cognitive therapy that requires choosing to change thoughts)
- SLT: level of choice whether to imitate or not.
Give some pros and cons of free will vs determinism
+: determinism is consistent with scientific methods unlike free will. - eg manipulation of variables, allows objectivity in research. However, impacts of free will may be seen in research - demand characteristics may in fact be pps choosing to use the ‘screw u’ effect etc.
-: Free will and humanism is a quite non-empirical approach (might be an illusion) - supported by Libet and his idea that brain regions become active before a person registers conscious awareness.
Define reductionism
when an approach ignores the complex interaction of several other factors.
Give pros and cons of reductionism and holism
+: reductionism is much more scientific but not Holism - so allows for more objective study and empirical support - so may be useful in developing treatments and drugs– eg biological determinism helping come up with SSRIs for depression.
-: but just determinism may ignore context - it may result in a more incomplete understanding of behaviour.
Define Parsimony
the idea that complex behaviour should always be explained in its simplest parts.
Describe the different levels of explanation for reductionism vs holism
- Highest: Social and cultural explainations (eg post event discussion of leading questions)
- middle: Psychological explanations, eg cognitive, behaviourcal and environmental
- Lowest: fully reductionist explanations eg biological approaches and action of SSRIs.
