issues and debates Flashcards
gender bias definition
refers to misrepresentation in attitudes and beliefs based on prejudice or pre existing ideas concerning gender
e.g. women believed to be more nurturing then men
alpha bias
refers to theories which exaggerate the differences between men and women
may enhance or undervalue members of either sex, typically undervalue females
beta bias
refers to theories which ignore or minimise sex differences
theories assume findings from males can apply equally to females
example of alpha bias
evolutionary explanations
evolution explains human need to survive therefore reproduce
provides explanation how females and males are innately different to help their adaptation to roles to aid survival of their offspring
males tend to be more dominant
females have more empathy and parental investment to aid survival of their offspring
example of beta bias
asch
research into conformity involved all male sample
demonstrated beta bias
assumed females would respond in the same way as same’s therefore show same rates of conformity
more recent replications Mori and Arai showed gender differences in conformity rates
research ignores gender differences through assumption that females would behave the same therefore supporting the argument that research provides full support for understanding of conformity
limitation of gender bias
promotes sexism in research process
females remain underrepresented in uni departments
psychology’s undergraduate intake is mainly females, however lectures are mainly males
means research more likely to be conducted by men
men may assume women to be unable to complete complex tasks. therefore making women underperform
strength of gender bias
feminist psychologists have proposed how gender bias can be avoided
worrell and renner put forward set criteria that researchers should follow in order to avoid gender bias in research
suggest women should participate within the research instead of being objects of a study
diversity between men and women rather then comparisons
strength as this way is less gender biased than lab based research
strength of gender bias
leads to reflexibility
modern reseracher are begginning to recognise the effect their own values gace on the nature of their work (reflexibility)
embrace bias as critical and crucial aspect of research
e.g lack of women in accountancy firms
dambrin and gabbert include reflexibility on how gender related experiences influence their understanding of events
strength as may lead to greater awareness in future research
culture bias definition
refers to a tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret all phenomena through the lens of ones own culture
etic construct
looks at behaviours from outside a given culture and attempts to describe behaviours that are universal
emic construct
study tip-M means within
looks within/inside a cultures and identifies behaviours that are specific to that culture
operating under this approach allows psychologists to truly emerge themselves into a specific culture developing understanding of their research procedures
ethnocentrism
judging other cultures by the standards and values of ones own culture
example of ethnocentrism
Ainsworth SS as only reflects the norms and values of American culture
SS developed to assess attachment types
many researchers assumed SS has same meaning for the infants from other cultures as it does for American children
Ainsworth suggested that secure attachment was demonstrated in children who showed moderate levels of distress when left alone by the mother figure
SS had been describe as an imposed etic, looks into one culture and then imposed in another
challenges validity of findings and universality of the research into explaining attachment
cultural relativism definition
idea that norms, values, moral standards and ethics can only be meaningful and understood within specific social and cultural contexts
cultural relativism example
sterberg
according to view, meaning of intelligence differes within cultures
suggest coordination skills used in preliterate socity may be seen as irrelevant to now intelligent people in more devloped society
only way to understand intelligence, is taking the cultural contexts into account
nature definition
view that behaviour is a product of innate (biological and genetic) factors
nurture definition
view that behaviour is a product of environmental influences
example of nature
Bowlby
proposed that children come into the world biologically programmed to form attachments in order to survive
suggests attachment behaviours are naturally selected and passed on as result of genetic inheritance
supported by animal research, Lorenz and Harlow
example of nurture
behavioruists explain attachment in terms of classical conditioning
food (UCS) is associated with the mother (NS) and through many repeated pairings, mother becomes CS who prompts CR in child
child forms attachment with mother based on pleasured experience of being given food
measuring nature nurture
concorandce-provides ab estimate about the extent to whcih a trait is inheirted-herability
diathesis -stress model
sugegts behaviour is caused by biolical or enviromental vulnerability
only expressed if coupled up with biological or enviormntal trigger (stressor)
e.g person who inherits ganetic vulnerability may not neccasirly get the disorder themself
however, combined with a trigger, disorder may start appearing
definition of free will v determinism debate
extent to which behaviour is the result of forces over which we have no control over or whether people are able to decide for themselves whether to act or behave in a certain way
epigenetics
change in our gentic activity without changing the genes themselves
happens in life and caused by intercation with enviorment
free will
idea humans play active role
can make choices in how we behave
individuals are free to choose their behaviour and are not determined by biological or external factors
how does the humanistic approach take a free will stance in psychology
suggets we are ultimately responsible for our own behaviour (active agents) regardless of events in past or present
Maslow and rodgers claim that humans have self dertmerinsm and free will and that behaviour is not a result of one single cause
freedom is neccary to become fully functional human beings
determinism
view that an individuals behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external factors rather then an individuals will to do something
example of external force=parents
example of internal force=hormones infleucing how we beahve
what are the names of the 5 types of determinism
Hard determinism
Soft detmerminism
biological detmerinism
enviormental detmerinism
psychic detmerinism
hard determinism
implies free will is not possible
our behaviour is always caused by internal and external events beyond our control
soft determinism
view behaviour is contained by environment
or biological make up, but only to certain extent and there is an element of free will in all behaviour
biological determinsm
belief behaviour is caused by biological influenecs that we cannot control
enviromental detmerinsim
view that behaviour is caused by feautures of the environment beyond our control
psychic determinism
belief behaviour is caused by unconscoius conflicets that we cannot control
holism v reductionism definition of debate
concered with level at which is appropriate to explain human behaviour
reducisionist explanations attempt to break thoought down into the smallest, simpliest parts
wheras, holistic explanations consider the person as a whole
holism
view that behaviour can only be understood by analysing the person or behaviour as a whole rather than consistuent parts
reductionism
analysing behaviour by breaking it down into more simple components as complex behaviour is best understood in terms of simpler level of explanation
which approach is most holistic
humanistic psychology focuses on the individual experience which is something that can NOT be reduced e.g. biological units
more details are reductionism
based on the scientific principle-parisomy, that all phenomena should be explanained using the simplets principles
what are the names of all the levels of explanation to explain OCD
social cultural
psychological
physical
physiological
neuro chemical
socio-cultural
producing behaviour e.g repetitive hand washing that some people may find odd
psychological
experience of having obsessive thoughts
physical
sequence of movements involved in washing hands
physiological
hypersensitivity of the basal ganglia
neurochemical
underproduction of serotonin
levels of explanation in relation to reductionism
social and cultural explanations
psychological explanations
biological explanations
study tip:salty peanut butter
social and cultural explanations
highest level
where behaviour is explained in regards to the influence of social groups
psychological explanations
middle level
biological explanations
lowest level of explanation
where behaviour is explained in its smallest parts e.g gentics. biological structures
strength-scientific credibility
reductionist approach often forms basis of a scientific approach
in order to create operationalised variables it is necessary to break down target behaviours down into consistent parts
e.g Ainsworth SS operationalised behaviours such as separation anxiety
