Issues and debates

Question 1

Underlying characteristics that are capable of being applied
to all, despite differences in upbringing or experience, is a
description of?

Answer 1

Universality

Question 2

Name the Implications for gender bias?

Answer 2

• Creates misleading assumptions about female behaviour.
• Fails to challenge negative stereotypes
• Validates discriminatory practices

Question 3

Define alpha bias.

Answer 3

Alpha bias research focuses on the differences, thus exaggerating difference.

Question 4

Define beta bias.

Answer 4

Beta bias is research that focuses on the similarities of men and women. Presenting a view that ignores/ minimises difference.

Question 5

What is cultural relativism?

Answer 5

The idea that norms and values as well as ethics and moral
standards can only be meaningful and understood within a
specific social and cultural context.

Question 6

What is ethnocentrism?

Answer 6

Judging other cultures by the standards and values of
one’s own culture. In extreme forms the belief of
superiority of one’s own culture which may lead to
prejudice and discrimination towards other cultures.

Question 7

What is cultural relativism?

Answer 7

The idea that norms and values as well as ethics and
moral standards can only be meaningful and
understood within a specific social and cultural
context.

Question 8

Give a strength of research in to culture bias
research

Answer 8

• Using emic approaches researchers are more
  mindful of culture bias and take steps to avoid it.
• World is no longer divided into individualistic and
  collectivist cultures, so it is possible to apply
  research to other cultures.

Question 9

Define determinism?

Answer 9

The individuals behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external forces

Question 10

What is hard determinism.

Answer 10

• Sometimes referred to as a fatalism, which suggests that all behaviour has a cause.
• Should be possible to identify the causes.
• Compatible with the aims of science

Question 11

What is androcentrism?

Answer 11

When behaviour is judged by male standards, female behaviour is often judged as abnormal or deficient.

Question 12

Give a strength of research into gender bias?

Answer 12

There may be biological differences but we should be mindful of exaggerating the effect they may have on behaviour, eg multitasking in females.

Question 13

Define soft determinism

Answer 13

View that behaviour may be caused by internal or
external factors but there is also room for personal
choice.

Question 14

State a limitation of determinism

Answer 14

The legal systems position on responsibility. States
that people have free will.

Question 15

Cultural Relativism: norms and ethics only make sense in their cultural context. True or false?

Answer 15

True

Question 16

Cultural Bias: 68% of research participants from the US, 80% are students. True or false?

Answer 16

True

Question 17

Briefly explain what is meant by the term heredity.

Answer 17

The genetic transmission of both mental and physical
characteristics from one generation to the next.

Question 18

What is meant by the term niche-picking

Answer 18

People create their own nurture by actively selecting
environments that are appropriate to their nature.

Question 19

What is a strength of the nature-nurture debate?

Answer 19

Use of adoption studies, epigenetic markers have been found, real world application of genetic counselling.

Question 20

What is a strength of determinism/limitation of free will

Answer 20

Brain scan research does not support free will (but supports determinism), our experiences of free will are determined by our brain before we are aware of them

Question 21

What is reductionism?

Answer 21

The idea that human behaviour can be understood by breaking it into its constituent parts.

Question 22

What is the least reductionist approach in Psychology?

Answer 22

Humanistic

Question 23

What is the diathesis stress model?

Answer 23

Suggest that behaviour is caused by a biological or environmental vulnerability, which is only expressed when coupled with a biological or environmental trigger

Question 24

What is universality in psychology?

Answer 24

A characteristic of human behaviour that could be applied
to all, despite differences of experience and upbringing.

Question 25

What are the 5 types of determinism?

Answer 25

Hard, soft, biological, psychic, environmental

Question 26

What does the idiographic approach focus on?

Answer 26

The individual

Question 27

Name an approach that uses the nomothetic
approach

Answer 27

Behaviourism, biological or cognitive

Question 28

What is meant by the term nomothetic approach
in psychology and give an example of an area of
psychology which uses the idiographic approach.

Answer 28

Studying behaviour through the development of
general principles and universal laws. Behaviourism
or Biological approach.

Question 29

What type of data is used in nomothetic
approaches?

Answer 29

Quantitative

Question 30

What is a strength of reductionism?

Answer 30

The approach relies on the scientific approach

Question 31

What does socially sensitive research mean?

Answer 31

These are research studies in which there are potential
consequences or implications, either directly for the
participants in the research or for the group of
individuals they represent.

Question 32

Which 3 areas of the research process need to be considered
when conducting research in social sensitive areas.

Answer 32

• The research question
• Dealing with participants in and out of the study
• Results of the research

Question 33

What is a limitation of holism?

Answer 33

Holistic approaches are hard to practically use, the more
complex the explanation for behaviour becomes the more
difficult to know which is influential.

Question 34

What is alpha bias in gender?

Answer 34

Research that exaggerates differences between men and
women.