issues and debates Flashcards
individual-situational explanations
this is the debate about the relative influence or interaction of a person’s unique physiology or personality (individual) and factors in the environment (situational) on thinking and behaviour
an individual explanation
is when it is a feature of the person that is used to explain the behaviour, for example, a personality trait, an inherited characteristic etc.
a situational explanation
is when something about the situation or environment is used to explain behaviour, for example, education, social group, upbringing etc.
nomothetical approach
focuses on the wider picture, seeking to make generalisations about behaviour and can be said to be macro-centric. Psychologists who adopt this approach are mainly concerned with studying what we share with others (i.e. similarities between people). Therefore, the nomothetic approach involves establishing laws or generalizations that apply to all people. Uses quantitative methods.
idiographic
focuses on the individual rather than the group. Idiographic study is micro-centric in this way. It focuses on understanding individuals in their unique contexts. Uses qualitative methods.
nature versus nurture debate
a debate which considers whether we have the characteristics we do because of nature (genetics) or nurture (experiences and influences after conception).
nature
innate, genetic factors which influence behaviour
nurture
environmental influences on behaviour
culture
a set of ideas and beliefs which give people sense of shared history and can guide our behaviour within society. Culture manifests itself in our language, art, daily routines, religion and sense of morality, among other forms, and is passed down from generation to generation.
reductionism
relates to the extent to which a psychological phenomenon (such as a feature of our emotion, thinking or behaviour) is explained by a theory or concept in terms of its most basic elements. In practice this means ‘reducing’ explanations to biological factors such as the actions of neurotransmitters or genes. There’s a huge focus on identifying specific areas of the brain or individual genes as ‘responsible’ for certain behaviours
holism
relates to psychological theories which views things as a whole; and argues that behaviour cannot be understood in terms of each individual part
determinism
the extent to which a psychological phenomenon, such as a feature of our emotions, thinking or behaviour, is governed by processes that are beyond our control. A ‘deterministic’ view suggests that we have little free will to choose how we feel, think or behave and that ew are the product of biological, social or other environmental influences.
freewill
the argument that people have a choice in how they behave. A ‘free-will view’ suggests that that to a greater or lesser extent humans can act freely, which also means they are responsible for their action.
