Issues and Debates Flashcards
What is Alpha Bias?
- The assumption that there are significant differences in behaviour between genders, often leading to overemphasis or exaggeration of these differences
Give an example of when alpha bias is evident in psychological research.
Bowlby’s monotropic theory
What is Beta Bias?
- The assumption that there are no significant differences between the behaviour of males and females, often leading to underestimating or minimising actual behavioural differences
Give an example of when beta bias is evident in psychological research.
- Asch and Milgram’s research
What is meant by “Androcentrism”
Psychologists and theories that tend to reflect and support a male-centric view of the world. This bias is dur to the fact that most psychologists who developed these theories were male
What is Cultural bias?
Interpreting and judging human behaviour based on cultural norms and experiences
What is meant by “ethnocentrism”?
When researchers consider their own culture or ethnic group to be superior/the norm and use it as the standard for evaluating other cultures (e.g. Ainsworth’s strange situation)
What is cultural relatism?
The principle that human behaviour should be understood within the context of the culture where it occurs, taking into account that cultures norms, values and beliefs
How can bias in psychology be reduced?
- Greater diversity = more female psychologists = reduce androcentrism.
- Indigenous psychology should be encouraged (research that is conducted by individuals who are native to or deeply understand the culture under investigation
What is hard determinism?
The idea that behaviour is set by foces outside of our control, with no role for free will.
What is soft determinism?
The idea that traits and behaviours are, to an extent, dictated by internal and external forces. However, we do have some level of control (free will) over our behaviour through conscious thought processes. (cognitive psychology)
What is free will?
Individuals consciously decide their behaviour without deterministic constraints (Humanistic psychology)
What is biological determinism?
Behaviour is set by our genetics and biological processes, such as hormone and neurotransmitter levels and the functioning of brain structures.
What is environmental determinism?
Our experiences in the world shape our behaviour. We have learned to behave in certain ways based on factors like reinforcement and growing up in a certain culture. (SLT and behaviourism)
What is Psychic determinism?
Innate drives, shaped by childhood experiences, form unconscious forces that determine behaviour. (psychodynamic approach)
Free will +/-
+Has face validity, people have the conscious experience of agency, feeling like they have the ability to choose their actions. However, determinists would argue this feeling is an illusion.
- No cause and effect, so considered unscientific
Hard determinism +/-
+ Assuming the scientific principle of cause and effect, it allows for the development of drug treatments etc.
- Arguing that behaviour is due to a single determining factor is likely and oversimplification: its more accurate to consider behaviour as coming from the interplay of multiple factors (holism)
Key idea for nurture
Philosophical empiricists The mind starts as a blank slate or “tabula rasa”. Learning is more important in determining behaviour as knowledge comes from interaction with the world
Key idea for nature
Philosophical nativists such as Descartes assume biological heredity (genes) is more important in determining bnehaviour.
Psychological theories closer to nature
Genetic explanation for OCD
Bowlby’s monotropic theory and evolutionary theories.
Psychological theories closer to nurture
Cupboard love theory of attachment
Ainswortjh’s attachment styles
Social learning theory
Schemas
What is the diathesis stress model?
individuals may inherit a genetic (nature) predisposition for a mental health condition (diathesis). The expression of the disorder doesn’t happen unless it is triggered by an environmental (nature) stressor.
Briefly explain what is meant by “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
What is socially sensitive research (SSR)?
Research that has ethical implications for people beyond the researchers and participants directly involved.
What is meant by reductionism?
The scientific attempt to provide an explanation in terms of smaller, singular factors.
What is meant by holism?
The approach that studies behaviours as a collection of factors that interact together.
Evaluations of reductionism
+ In lines with the principles of science (objective, replicability, establishing cause-effect
+ Results can be used more easily for application
+ Generally the method used by most approaches as findings have more credibility
- makes complex behaviour very simplistic leading to loss of validity
- Cannot give us a full understanding of behaviour
- Some variables cannot be isolated and quantified/measured
Evaluations of holism
+ Appreciates complexity of behaviour - better validity
+ Allows for study of variables that cannot be isolated and quantified/measured
+ Considers individual differences and why behaviours happen
- Not in line with the principles of science
- Results only applicable to each individual, cant be used on a wider scale.
- Generally not the methods used by most approaches - hinders ‘progress’ of psychology
What is meant by idiographic?
Focuses on individual and recognition of uniqueness. Includes private, subjective and conscious experiences. No attempt to compare these to a larger group. Uses mainly qualitative methods of investigation.
What is meant by nomothetic?
Attempts to establish laws and generalisations about people, objective knowledge through scientific methods. Quantitative methods of investigation.
Examples of nomothetic approaches:
Behaviourism (Skinner studied the behaviour of hundreds of animals to make generalisations)
SLT (Bandura used lab experiments to study imitation and modelling)
Cognitive (learnt the structure and processes of memory by studying large samples of people in lab studies)
Biological (brain scans make generalisations about localisation of function)
Examples of idiographic approaches:
humanistic - Emphasises individual
Psychodynamic - Use of case studies
Evaluations of Idiographic :
+ Detail study presents a more accurate picture of behaviour
+ Can help with new discoveries
+ Studying difference is essential as the number of variables interacting in humans is large
+ Works well when used alongside the nomothetic approach
- Difficult to generalise
- Cannot make predictions
- Methods are subjective, open to bias and findings are not always clear
Evaluations of nomothetic:
+ Regarded as scientific
+ Has helped psychology to make predictions used in practical application
+ Unified paradigms
- Predictions can be made about groups but not individuals
- Approach has been accused of losing sight of the ‘whole person’
- Gives a superficial understanding, we cant understand ‘why’
- Extensive use of controlled lab experiments creates a lack of generalisation to everyday life (low ecological validity)
Evaluation point 1 for gender bias
Incorrect conclusions based on assumptions which can effect the validity of research and theories. e.g- Asch incorrectly generalised his theories to men and women, however research has shown that women are even more conformist than men. so his androcentric view has led to invalid conclusions
