issues and debates Flashcards
when do ethical implications arise
when there is a conflict between psychologys need for valid and valuable results whilst trying to uphold the rights and dignities of the participants
how are ethical implications resolved
ethical guidelines established
socially sensitive research
some research more controversial than others, more controversial=more attention, this research is important and so psychologists have a social responsibility and should not be put off
who identified a number of concerns that psychologists should be mindful of when conducting socially sensitive research
Sieber and Stanley 1988
implications (seiber and stanley)
wider effects should be considered so they are not seen to be giving scientific credence to prejudice and discrimination. this may be difficult to predict
uses/public policies (seiber and stanley)
what is it used for and what would happen if it was misused should be considered as research may be used to make new policies
validity of the research (seiber and stanley)
findings that were thought to be subjective have turned out to be suspect and fraudulent so researchers should be open about their own biases and preconceptions
evaluation
benefits of socially sensitive research
studies of underrepresented issues may increase the sensitivity and understanding thus helping to reduce prejudice and encourage acceptance
evaluation
framing the question
way in which questions are framed may influence how data is interpreted. eg research into ‘alternative relationships’ led to ‘heterosexual bias’ where homosexual relation are compared and scrutinised again heterosexual relations. investigators must approach with an open mind and be prepared to be challenged.
evaluation
who gains?
socially sensitive research is used by the government. research that seeks to manipulate the public has ethical implications and it is difficult to know who actually gains
idiographic approach
aims to describe the nature of the individual, studied as unique entities with no attempt to compare to a larger group. produces qualitative data using case studies and unstructured interviews
which approaches demonstrate the idiographic approach
humanistic and psychodynamic
nomothetic approach
produces general laws of human behaviour, provides a ‘bench mark’ which people can be compared against using scientific experiments with large sample sizes hypotheses are rigorously tested and statistically analysed
which approaches demonstrate the nomothetic approach
cognitive, behaviourist and biological
case for idiographic
provides complete global account of the individual, may complement nomothetic by shedding light on or challenging general laws, the single case may generate further hypothesis for future study
case against idiographic
narrow and restrictive nature, generalisations cannot be made, least scientific
case for nomothetic
more scientific due to standardised procedures, enables norms too be established, greater scientific credibility
case against nomothetic
accused of ‘ losing the person’, knowing statistics about a disorder doesnt tell us anything about what it is actually like to live with it, subjective experience ignored, overlooks richness of human experience
holism
the idea that any attempt to break up behaviour and experience is inappropriate as these can only be understood by analysing the person or behaviour as a whole
reductionism
analyses behaviour by breaking it down into constituent parts. based on scientific principle that all phenomena should be explained using the most basic principles
levels of explanation in psychology
different ways of viewing the same phenomena in psychology some more reductionist than others. in the science hierarchy lower levels are more reductionist
biological reductionism
based on the premise that we are all biological organisms made up of physiological structures and processes. so behaviour can be explained through biological factors. led to practical applications such as psychoactive drugs in treating mental disorders
environment stimulus
behaviourist approach. breaks complex learning into simple stimulus response links that are measurable in the lab. analysis occurs at the physical level and ignores any cognitive factors
case for holism
some social behaviour only occurs in group situations such as conformity and so cannot be understood by only studying the individual. holism provide a more complete and global understanding of behaviour
case against holism
cant undergo rigorous scientific testing and so can become vague and speculative. higher levels consider too many factors and so it becomes difficult to establish which is most important. little application to real world problems.
case for reductionism
allows operationalisation so allows reliable experiments to take place. gives psychology greater scientific credibility
case against reductionism
accused of oversimplifying complex phenomena resulting in a loss of validity. only explains how and not why. so can only form part of an explanation
nature nurture debate
concerned with the extent to which aspects if behaviour are a product of inherited or acquired characteristics
nature
nativists argued human characteristics are innate and the result of hereditary
heritability coefficient
used to assess heredity. number between 1 and 0 and indicates the extent to which a characteristic is genetic. 1=100% genetic
nurture
mind is a blank slate at birth which learning and experience comes from the environment
the interactionist approach
the idea that nature creates nurture and so heredity and environment interact
diathesis stress model
need a biological vulnerability which is only expressed after an environmental stress acts as a trigger.
epigenetics
change in genetic activity without changing genetic code and is caused by interaction with our environment. events leave marks on DNA which may go on to influence the genetic code of our children
evaluation
implications of nativism and empiricism
extreme determinist stance of nativists has led to controversy
empiricists ideas have led to successful therapy but this may lead to people using this to control and manipulate citizens
evaluation
shared and unshared environments
research often involves siblings but the issue arises when siblings usually are brought up in the same environment so it is difficult to determine what is influencing the characteristic. the sibling may experience life events differently which would explain why mz twins do not show perfect concordance rates
evaluation
constructivism
when people actively create their own nurture by choosing environments that are most appropriate for their nature. the environment they chose then influences their development
free will
the view that humans are self determining and free to chose their own thoughts and actions
determinism
idea that free will has no place in explaining behaviour
hard determinism
suggests that all human behaviour has a cause so it should be possible to identify and describe the causes compatible with the aims of science. always assume that everything we think and do is dictated by internal or external forces
soft determinism
suggests there is some room for manoeuvre in that people do have some mental control over the way we behave
biological determinism
the belief that behaviour is caused by biological influences that we cannot control.
