Issues and Debates Flashcards
Nature vs Nurture; Gender Bias; Idiographic vs Nomothetic; Cultural Bias; Holism vs Reductionism; Ethical Implications and Socially Sensitive Research; Free Will vs Determinism
1
Q
What does ‘nature’ refer to?
A
Internal factors
The basic or inherent features, character or qualities of something
2
Q
What are some examples of ‘nature’?
A
Genetics
Hormones
Brain structure
3
Q
What is heredity?
A
Passing on of physical or mental characteristics genetically from one generation to another
4
Q
What does the nature view believe?
A
Heredity is more influential
5
Q
What is the name for the group that strongly believes in nature?
A
Nativists
6
Q
Who is an example of an nativist?
A
Descartes
7
Q
What do nativists believe?
A
Most important influence on human characteristics are innate (born pre-programmed with characteristics that will influence your behaviour)
Understand environment will influence your behaviour but believe most important is your biology
8
Q
Would nativists believe there are more universal or culturally different behaviours?
A
Universal
9
Q
Why do nativists argue there are more universal behaviours?
A
Due to biology and how the brain and body are structured
10
Q
Topic - nature
A
Genetic explanation of OCD
Genes cause OCD (candidate genes)
More scientific research
11
Q
Limitation - problems of nature
A
Problems of twin studies
12
Q
What does ‘nurture’ refer to?
A
External factors
Upbringing, education, environment contrasted with inborn characteristics as an influence on or determinant of personality
13
Q
What is environment?
A
The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal or plant lives or operates
14
Q
What is the name for the group that strongly believes in nurture?
A
Empiricists
15
Q
What does the nurture view believe?
A
Learning, environment and reinforcement is more influential
16
Q
Who is an example of an empiricist?
A
John Locke
17
Q
What does empiricists believe?
A
We are born as blank slates
Understand biology influences behaviour but believe most important influence is your environment
18
Q
Do empiricists believe that are more universal or culturally different behaviours?
A
Culturally differences
19
Q
Why do empiricists believe there are more culturally different behaviours?
A
Due to different experiences
20
Q
Topic - nurture
A
Little Albert study
Classical conditioning as an explanation of phobias
21
Q
Limitation - problems of nurture
A
Less scientific in research method and data
Confounding variable of nature
22
Q
Rank the approaches from most nativist to most empiricist
A
Nativist
- biological
- evolutionary
- psychodynamic
- cognitive
- humanistic
- SLT
- behaviourist
Empiricist
23
Q
What is the compromise between nature and nurture?
A
Interactionist approach
24
Q
What is the interactionist approach?
A
The view that both nature and nurture work together to shape human behaviour
25
Topic - interactionist approach
Diathesis-stress model of OCD/SZ
26
What is gender bias?
Showing a preference to one sex over another
27
What is alpha bias?
Exaggerating the differences between men and women
28
What are the differences typically in alpha bias?
Deterministic
Devalue women
29
Topic - alpha bias
Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation
Exaggerates differences as says only females can be primary caregivers and males cannot
Which is incorrect
30
What is beta bias?
Minimising the differences between men and women
31
What do beta bias theories usually assume?
Male findings can apply equally to females
32
Topic - beta bias
Milgram study
Assumed females would show the same obedience levels as males
Sheridan and King puppies
- 100% of females shocked puppies
- 54% of males shocked puppies
33
AO3 - equality - avoiding beta bias
Hare-Mustin and Marecek
Point out that asking for equality for men and women will ignore individual sexes needs
Equal parental leave from work could ignore the physical demand that women have from childbirth
34
What is androcentrism?
Making male behaviour the norm
35
What is oestrocentrism?
Making female behaviour the norm
36
What is gender universality?
Creating a theory which explains both male and female behaviours
37
AO3 - evolution
Darwin's theory of natural selection states that men will have biological drive to mate with more than one female, whereas women should only mate with one male
DNA evidence supports good adaptive strategy for females is to mate with more than male
38
What are the solutions for gender bias?
Use both males and females in sample
When reporting, in results, say "it's only to explain male/female behaviour and cannot be generalised"
39
Limitation - problem of using gender bias research
Can lead to devaluation of women and discrimination
Can lead to discrimination of men in child custody cases
40
Limitation - universal research/real differences
Evolutionary explanations of aggression
Explains why males are physically aggressive when females are verbally aggressive
41
What sort of sample does a nomothetic approach have?
Large sample
42
What sampling is used in nomothetic reserach?
Involve a method of sample selection to give representativeness of a larger problem
Random, stratified
43
Would the researchers use a testable hypothesis in nomothetic research?
Yes
44
How much data would collected in a nomothetic approach?
Large amount
45
What will the analysis involve in a nomothetic approach?
Quantitative methods (statistical methods)
46
What conclusions are drawn in nomothetic research?
Conclusions in relation to a wider population
Making general laws of behaviour
47
Approach - nomothetic approach
Biological
Behaviourist
48
Topic - nomothetic approach
Van Ijzendoorn
Able to generalise
More scientific/objective
49
Limitation of nomothetic approach - loss of individual experience/cannot explain individual differences
Nomothetic approach focuses on general laws and may "lose the whole person" within psychology
Knowing about a 1% lifetime risk of SZ says little about disorder - might be useful for therapeutic ideas
In its search for generalities, nomothetic approach may sometimes fail to relate to "experience"
50
What kind of sample is used in the idiographic approach?
Small sample
Case studies
51
What sampling method is used in the idiographic approach?
Volunteer
Opportunity
52
Does the researcher have a testable hypothesis in an idiographic approach?
No
53
What data is collected in idiographic research?
Large amount of detailed data
54
What does analysis involve in the idiographic approach?
Qualitative data (self-report methods)
55
What conclusions are drawn in idiographic research?
Conclusions and assumptions about one person
56
Approach - idiographic approach
Humanistic
Psychodynamic
57
Topic - idiographic approach
Case studies
Clive Wearing - update theory of LTM
Multiple factors/more detailed
58
Name case studies that have been studied
KF
HM
Clive Wearing
Little Albert
Little Hans
Phineas Gage
Romanian orphans
Jeany
Czech twins
Kim Peake
59
Limitation of idiographic approach - problems with case studies
Lack of practical application as the theory is only for that person
Unhelpful as has no usability
Cannot be replicated
Cannot be generalised
Less scientific
60
What is the compromise for nomothetic vs idiographic?
1. nomothetic approach
2. averages - general law/theory
3. anomalies - case studies/idiographic approach
4. update theories to explain anomalies
61
What is cultural relativism?
Appreciating that behaviour varies between cultures
62
What is ethnocentrism?
Making one culture's behaviour the norm
63
Topic - ethnocentrism
Asch's study
Believed all countries should act the same way
36.8% conformity
Smith and Bond
- found differences in cultural differences in conformity
- Belgium = 14%
- Fiji = 53%
64
What is cultural holism?
Considering all aspects of experience, including culture
65
What is cultural universality?
Believing that some behaviours are the same for all cultures
66
Topic - cultural universality
Authoritarian personality
67
What is cultural alpha bias?
Exaggerating the difference between cultures
68
What is cultural beta bias?
Minimising the difference between cultures
69
Topic - cultural bias - Strange Situation
Ethnocentrism - Takahashi "disproves"
Babies were very distressed when mothers left, they were all insecure-resistant
Japanese babies aren't left alone for first 3 years
Problematic method - not culturally diverse
70
Counterpoint cultural bias - Strange Situation
Van Ijzendoorn
Meta-analysis did find universal result (secure)
71
Limitation - showing universal research
Takano and Osaka
Reviewed 15 studies that investigated differences in results from US studies and Japanese replications
Found no difference
72
Limitation - problems with cultural bias research
Can lead to discrimination - mental health diagnosis
Cochrane and Sashidharan
- In America, African-Caribbean immigrant 7x more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness
73
What are the solutions for cultural bias?
Don't attempt extrapolate findings/theories to cultures not represented in research sample
Use researchers native to culture being investigated
Carry out cross-cultural research
Don't assume universal norms/standards across different cultures
Be sensitive to cultural norms/standards when designing research/reporting findings
Study single culture to under that culture (emic approach)
Taking a reflexive approach (i.e. constantly reflecting on own biases when carrying out research)
74
What is holism?
Exploring the WHOLE behaviour in the CONTEXT of the situation
75
What is the holistic view?
Cannot predict how whole system will behave just from a knowledge of the individual components
Understand complexities in human behaviour (Gestalt psychologists look at perception through holistic approach)
76
Approach - holism
Humanistic
77
Topic - holism
Diathesis stress model of OCD/SZ - genes and environmental trauma cause OCD/SZ
Social influence - Asch/Zimbardo
78
Limitation of holism - less scientific
Less scientific in their methods of research
Can lead to abstract ideas which have not been thoroughly tested
79
Strength of holism - group behaviour
Cannot be explained at an individual level
Effects of conformity cannot be understood by studying individuals
Milgram, Asch, Zimbardo
80
What is reductionism?
Explaining a phenomenon by breaking it into simpler parts and studying the underlying elements
81
What are the two types of reductionism?
Biological
Environmental
82
What is biological reductionism?
Human behaviour can be reduced down to a physical level (neurons, hormones, neurotransmitters, etc)
83
Topic - biological reductionism
Biological explanations of OCD
84
What is another name for environmental reductionism?
Stimulus-response reductionism
85
What is environmental reductionism?
Human behaviour can be reduced down to a "response"
A simple relationship between behaviour and event
86
Topic - environmental reductionism
Little Albert
Behavioural explanations of phobias
87
Limitation of reductionism - complexities of behaviour
Misses complexity of many behaviours and fails to take into account context of behaviour
Wolpe
- treated a women with a phobia of insects with SD however her phobia never improved
- no classical conditioning
- placed fear of husband onto fear of insects
88
Rank the sciences from reductionist to holistic
Reductionist
- molecules and atoms (physics)
- cells and neurotransmitters (chemistry)
- organs (biology)
- behaviour of individuals (psychology)
- behaviour of groups (sociology)
Holistic
89
What is the compromise for reductionism vs holism?
Levels of explanation
90
What are levels of explanation?
Explanations vary from those at a lower or fundamental level focusing on basic components or units to those at a higher more holistic multivariable level
91
What can you NOT talk about in ethical implications and socially sensitive research?
DO NOT MENTION ETHICAL ISSUES
92
What are the ethical implications that need to be considered?
Implications
Uses/public policy
Validity of the research
93
What does implications mean?
Wider impacts after PUBLISHING research
94
What is meant by the uses/public policy or research?
What is the research going to be used for?
Could it be used by the wrong people?
95
What is meant by the validity of the research in ethical implications?
Are there any biases?
Any chance of fake results?
96
What is socially sensitive research?
Any psychological research that has ethical implications that go beyond the research situation and affect people or groups in the wider society
97
What people/groups might potentially be affected by socially sensitive research?
Participants who took part in the research
Families or other people close to participants
Subgroups or cultures within society (ethnic minorities etc)
Researchers and their institutions
98
Topic - EI and SSR - Bowlby's monotropic theory
Cost
- told fathers they didn't mean anything
- custody case bias against fathers
- parental responsibility
- mothers blamed for things
- working mothers blamed
Benefit
- patient-family accommodation
- waiting times in hospitals
99
Topic - EI and SSR - genetic explanation of OCD
Cost
- blames parents
Benefit
- can do gene screening for quicker diagnosis
100
Topic - EI and SSR - aggression gene
Cost
- discrimination and legal system
Benefit
- can offer therapy
- help support
101
Limitations - problems of SSR
Eugenics
In 1920s, large number of US states enacted legislation that led to compulsory sterilisation of many of its citizens
People judged to be feeble-minded and a drain on society (low intelligence, drug/alcohol addicts, people with mental health disorders)
Some psychologists argued people unfit to breed
For social control
102
Limitations - problems if we don't have SSR
Stanley and Sieber
- SSR research is a necessity
- researchers need to take more responsibility
Peer reviews continuously update is needed to help increase understanding
103
What are the solutions for ethical implications and socially sensitive research?
Anonymity
Peer reviews
Checking ethical committees and guidelines
104
What is free will?
Where a person has 100% control over their behaviour
The power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion
The idea we have options, choices
105
Approach - free will
Humanistic
106
Topic - free will
Rotter - internal locus of control
We make all our own decisions
Robert et al
- adolescents with ILOC are less likely to develop depression and more likely to have better mental health compared to those with an ELOC
107
Limitation of free will - testing free will
Very hard to test free will
Libet's experiment didn't show proof of free will
108
What is (hard) determinism?
The general idea that traits and behaviours are outside our control, due to factors either INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL over which we have no control
109
What is biological determinism?
The idea that traits and behaviours are governed by internal factors like genes, NEUROCHEMISTRY, BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Biology is destiny
110
Topic - biological determinism
Biological explanations of OCD
111
What is environmental determinism?
The idea that traits and behaviours are governed by external forces such as experience, UPBRINGING, LEARNING, schools, parents, peers, etc
112
Topic - environmental determinism
Behavioural explanation of phobias
113
What is psychic determinism?
The idea that traits and behaviours are governed by UNCONSCIOUS INSTINCTS and drives
The cause of behaviour is rooted in CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES
114
Topic - psychic determinism
Oedipus/Electra complex
115
Limitation of determinism - legal system
Legal system doesn't believe in determinism
116
What are causal explanations?
Establish cause and effect
Controlled environment - reduced extraneous variables
Change of IV impact on DV
117
Topic - causal explanations
Loftus and Palmer
Cause = leading questions
Effect = affect accuracy of EWT (reduced)
Controlled = lab study, same distractor questions, same critical question just with different verbs, same video, same leading question in a group
IV = critical verb used (smashed, bumped, contacted, collided, hit)
DV = estimated speed of car in mph
118
What is the compromise in free will vs determinism?
Soft determinism
119
What is soft determinism?
The idea that behaviours/traits/actions are to an extent governed by internal/external forces but, despite this, we still have some element of control over our behaviours/actions/traits
