Issues and debates

Question 1

define soft determinism

Answer 1

behaviour is determined by internal forces such as our conscious mental control as well as external forces which act upon us.

Question 2

define gender bias

Answer 2

failure to consider adequately differences between men and women

Question 3

define beta bias

Answer 3

underestimates differences between men and women

Question 4

define alpha bias

Answer 4

overemphasises differences between men and women

Question 5

what is androcentrism

Answer 5

result of beta bias -behavior is judged according to male standards therefore female needs are ignored+behaviour is misunderstood+pathalogised

Question 6

example of beta bias

Answer 6

fight or flight early RS=based on male animals as they were preferred as fem hormones fluctuate and assumed to be a universal response. HE: recently female biology= evolved to restrain the F=F response and shift attention to caring for offspring

Question 7

example of females behaviour being pathologised due to androcentricism

Answer 7

feminists object the act of PMS as it medicalises females emotions such as anger by explaining it in hormone terms. male anger=rational response to external pressures

Question 8

give an alpha bias example

Answer 8

• Wilson: explained human sexual attraction through ‘survival efficiency’
• male’s interests to try and impregnate as many females as possible to incr. the chances of his genes being passed on
• The female’s best chance to preserve her genes is to ensure the survival of few offspring that she may produce.
• Sexual promiscuity in males is naturally selected and genetically determined but if females engage in the same behaviour they are seen as going against their nature – an exaggeration of the difference between the sexes

Question 9

define culture bias

Answer 9

there is an imposed understanding of culture based on a study of one culture alone therefore differences between cultures are ignored/misinterpreted

Question 10

define ethnocentricism

Answer 10

belief in superiority of ones own cultural group

Question 11

give an example of ethnocentricism

Answer 11

• ainsworth SS
  -ideal attach type-mod sep+stranger anxiety
  -led to misinterpretation of child-rearing practices in other countries
• japanese babies=example

Question 12

define cultural relativism

Answer 12

all cultures are worthy of respect and in studying another culture, we need to try and understand the way a particular culture sees the world

Question 13

what is imposed etic

Answer 13

behaviour from inside a specific culture is described as universal

Question 14

what is emic?

Answer 14

where a certain behaviour within a particular culture iss said to be specific to that culture(recognizes cultural differences)

Question 15

eval for cultural bias: RS=less culturally bias

Answer 15

past-reference to individualist-collectivist distinction, individualist=independence+personal gain, collectivist=interdependence, needs of grp. H/E: due to incr. connectiveness-simplistic distinction, no long erapplies, 14/15 studies comp, japan+USA found no difference in C+I

Question 16

eval 4 cultural bias: berrys concept of imposed etic

Answer 16

-remind psychologists of RS culturally specific nature
-H/E cant assume all psych=culturally specific+universality=no-exsistent
- e.g ekmin: facial expressions=consistent across animal+human world
-e.g ainsowrths features of attach -synchrony=universal

Question 16

cultural bias eval: issue of RS across cultures

Answer 16

-variables under review may be experience diff.
-e.g behavioural expressions(aggresion)may give rise to diff behaviours
-e.g china-invasion of personal space=norm, west=confrontational/threatening
TF:interactions btwn researcher+ppt or between western+non-western ppts,

Question 17

define nomethic approach

Answer 17

-study a sample rather then individuals to establish gen laws of behav
-scientific methods-lab studies=quant data

Question 18

define idiographic approach

Answer 18

• RS into subjective experience in order to gain richness detail into human experience
  -quant data, case studies, unstructured data

Question 19

example of idiographic approach

Answer 19

psychodynamic approach-use of case studies to detail lives of patients (little hans)

Question 20

example of nomothetic approach

Answer 20

behaviourist
-employs scientific method, hypothesis=tested under controlled conditions, -testing rats etc to establish general laws of learning behav.

Question 21

define universality

Answer 21

aim to develop theories that apply to all despite differences in characteritistics such as experience+upbringing

Question 21

eval 4 idiographic:in depth

Answer 21

in-depth qualitative methods of investigation=complete account of an individual. Import, for nomothetic as it can challenge universal laws. E.g single case study can gen hypothesis for further study like brai-damaged individuals like Hm, findings may reveal insight into normal functioning

Question 21

eval 4 idiographic approach: narrow+restricted

Answer 21

Freud-oedipus complex(key concept)based on 1x case study(little hans). Generalization=cannot be made w/out a baseline to compare.+ methods ass/ =less scientific +conclusions=based on subjective interpreatation by researcher

Question 22

eval 4 nomethic: scientific

Answer 22

standardized conditions, statistical analysis, control e.g IQ testing~ processed have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical behav’

Question 23

determinism eval: consistent w/aims of science

Answer 23

behaviour=orderly+obeys laws
- predictions+control of human behav=RL application in treatments
-experience of MD challenges FW-no one chooses to have disorders

Question 24

determinsim eval: unfalsifiable

Answer 24

causes exist even if not found-cant prove wrong-not as scientific
+no consistent with how the legal system operates-morally accountable

Question 25

FW eval: face validity+ pos impact

Answer 25

everyday-choices-show excercising FW. +RS show those w/high int LOC=more healthy. - those w/high belief in fatalism=mor likely to get depression. idea of FW=pos impact on mind+behav

Question 26

eval 4 FW: doesnt exist

Answer 26

measured brain activity of ppt before deciding to presson a button w/ either R or L hand, found brain activity=10s before ppt aware they made the choice-underestimates FW, experience=determined before we=consciously aware