Issues and debates Flashcards
What is universality?
A characteristic of human beings that is capable of being applied to everyone despite differences of experiences and cultures.
What is gender bias?
A tendency to treat one individual or group in a different way than others. E.G Not representing women or men.
What is androcentrism?
Male-centred. The “norm” behaviour is judged according to a male standard.
What is alpha bias?
Research that focuses on differences between males and females and therefore tend to exaggerate the differences.
What is beta bias?
Research that focuses on similarities between men and women and therefore minimises the differences.
What is cultural bias?
Interpreting all phenomena through the lens of ones own culture, ignoring the effects that cultural differences might have on behaviour.
What is ethnocentrism?
Believing one’s own cultures standard and norms are superior. May lead to prejudice and discrimination.
What is cultural relativism?
Idea that norms and values as well as ethics and moral standards can only be meaningful and understood within specific social and cultural contexts.
What is free will?
The notion that humans can make choices and their behaviour/thoughts are not determined by either internal or external factors.
What is determinism?
The view that an individuals behaviour is controlled by internal or external factors rather than their own will
What is hard determinism?
The view that all behaviour is caused by something so free will is an illusion
What is soft determinism?
The view behaviour may be predictable but there is also room for personal choice from a limited range of possibilities.
What is biological determinism?
The belief that behaviour is caused by biological (genetic/hormonal/evolutionary) influences we cannot control
What is environmental determinism?
The belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment (e.g rewards and punishment).
What is psychic determinism?
Belief behaviour is caused by unconscious psychodynamic conflicts that we cannot control.
What is the nature nurture debate?
The extent to which aspects of behaviour are a product of inherited or acquired characteristics.
What does heredity mean?
The genetic transmission of both mental and physical characteristics from one generation to another.
How does the environment link to the nature/nurture debate?
Any environmental influences e.g prenatal, foods you may eat, your upbringing etc.
What would an interactionist approach believe?
A way to explain behaviour in terms of both biological and psychological factors.
E.G Both heredity and the environment may impact behaviour.
What is holism?
An argument that proposes it only makes sense to study the whole person rather than its constituent parts.
What is reductionism?
The belief that human behaviour is best understood by studying the smaller constituent parts.
What are levels of explanation?
The idea there are several levels that can be used to explain behaviour.
What are the levels of explanation from highest to lowest?
Social & Cultural explanations.
(influence of social groups)
Psychological explanations
cognitive/behavioural/environmental)
Biological explanations
neurochemical, genetic etc
What is biological reductionism?
A form of reductionism which attempts to explain behaviour at the lowest biological level. E.G Genes/hormones.
What is environmental reductionism?
Attempt to explain all behaviour in terms of stimulus-response links that have been learned through experience.
What does idiographic mean?
An approach to research that focuses more on the individual case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than trying to formulate general laws.
What does nomothetic mean?
Aims to study human behaviour through development of general principles and universal laws.
What approach may lend itself to being more idiographic?
Humanism.
What approach may lend itself to being more nomothetic?
Biological/behaviourism etc.
What are ethical implications?
Consequence of any research in terms of the effects on individual participants or the way in which certain groups of people are regarded.
What is social sensitivity?
Studies in which there are potential consequences or implications, either directly for participant in research or for class of individuals represented by the research.
