Issues And Debates Flashcards
What is determinism
The argument that human behaviour is controlled by internal and external factors
What is free will
The arguments that we have freedom to act as we want at all times and therefore are in control and responsible of our actions
What is a strengths of determinism
It means we can predict behaviour and come up with interventions
What is a weakness of determinism
It can be used to justify bad behaviours
What is a strength of free will
It recognises freedom of choice - used by legal system
What is a weakness of free will
It is hard to make predictions of behaviour
What is reductionism
Behaviours being explained by a single factor
A strength of reductionism
It allows for scientific research
What is a weakness of reductionism
Oversimplifies complex human behaviours - unlikely that one single factor can explain something
What is Holism
The idea that behaviour can be and should be explained by looking at all the factors involved
What is a straight of holism
It provides a more complete picture of human behaviour and more detail
What is a weakness of holism
It can over complicate behaviour
And makes it more difficult to research
What is nature
The idea that behaviours is caused by innate factors such as genetics and our biology
What is nurture
The idea that behaviour is caused by environmental factors
What is a strength of nature
We can use it to identify inherited behaviours and provide treatment / interventions
What is a weakness of nature
It is deterministic - assumes we are defined by our biology - leaves no room for change in the environment resulting in change in behaviour ie genes can’t be changed
What is a strength of nurture
It has practical applications - useful - the environment can be changed to change behaviour
What is a weakness of nurture
It is reductionist - it ignores the role of other factors in influencing behaviour
What are the 3 things to do with socially sensitive research
Stigma
Harm
Political consequences
What is stigma
Individuals or groups experiencing feelings of shame and exclusions due to sensitive research
What are political consequences
Outcome of research having implications for government policy change
What is harm
Some issues researched being controversial as they are too private or cause distress
What is a weakness of socially sensitive research
It can cause stigma, harm or political consequences
What are 2 strengths of socially sensitive research
Raises awareness of differences which can allow us to challenge prejudice
Provides insight into minorities - used to create interventions to help
What is individualism
Actions and behaviours are unique to each individual and down to personal factors
What is situational
Behaviours and actions are a result of the immediate environment
What is an advantage of individualism
It shows how individuals make choices - can make changes
What is a weakness of individualism
It can create labels and / or stigma
What is a strength of situational
Allows predictions of behaviour to be made (deterministic)
What is a weakness of situational
It can be reductionist because it doesn’t look at other factors
Also can be used to justify bad behaviour
What is the difference between unscientific and scientific research
One uses HMC SQUIDFORCE
What is a strength of scientific research
Usually provided research that is high in validity and can be replicated easily
What is a weakness of scientific research
The research can end up being low ecologically valid and
Not all research us good scientific
What is useful research
Research that has practical applications ie for practitioners, teachers, general public, government, etc
What are 2 things that can reduce usefulness of research
Low population validity
Low ecological validity
