issues and debates

Question 1

when do ethical implications arise

Answer 1

when there is a conflict between psychologys need for valid and valuable results whilst trying to uphold the rights and dignities of the participants

Question 2

how are ethical implications resolved

Answer 2

ethical guidelines established

Question 3

socially sensitive research

Answer 3

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

Question 4

who identified a number of concerns that psychologists should be mindful of when conducting socially sensitive research

Answer 4

Sieber and Stanley 1988

Question 5

implications (seiber and stanley)

Answer 5

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

Question 6

uses/public policies (seiber and stanley)

Answer 6

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

Question 7

validity of the research (seiber and stanley)

Answer 7

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

Question 8

evaluation

benefits of socially sensitive research

Answer 8

studies of underrepresented issues may increase the sensitivity and understanding thus helping to reduce prejudice and encourage acceptance

Question 9

evaluation

framing the question

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

evaluation

who gains?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

idiographic approach

Answer 11

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

Question 12

which approaches demonstrate the idiographic approach

Answer 12

humanistic and psychodynamic

Question 13

nomothetic approach

Answer 13

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

Question 14

which approaches demonstrate the nomothetic approach

Answer 14

cognitive, behaviourist and biological

Question 15

case for idiographic

Answer 15

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

Question 16

case against idiographic

Answer 16

narrow and restrictive nature, generalisations cannot be made, least scientific

Question 17

case for nomothetic

Answer 17

more scientific due to standardised procedures, enables norms too be established, greater scientific credibility

Question 18

case against nomothetic

Answer 18

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

Question 19

holism

Answer 19

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

Question 20

reductionism

Answer 20

analyses behaviour by breaking it down into constituent parts. based on scientific principle that all phenomena should be explained using the most basic principles

Question 21

levels of explanation in psychology

Answer 21

different ways of viewing the same phenomena in psychology some more reductionist than others. in the science hierarchy lower levels are more reductionist

Question 22

biological reductionism

Answer 22

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

Question 23

environment stimulus

Answer 23

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

Question 24

case for holism

Answer 24

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

Question 25

case against holism

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

case for reductionism

Answer 26

allows operationalisation so allows reliable experiments to take place. gives psychology greater scientific credibility

Question 27

case against reductionism

Answer 27

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

Question 28

nature nurture debate

Answer 28

concerned with the extent to which aspects if behaviour are a product of inherited or acquired characteristics

Question 29

nature

Answer 29

nativists argued human characteristics are innate and the result of hereditary

Question 30

heritability coefficient

Answer 30

used to assess heredity. number between 1 and 0 and indicates the extent to which a characteristic is genetic. 1=100% genetic

Question 31

nurture

Answer 31

mind is a blank slate at birth which learning and experience comes from the environment

Question 32

the interactionist approach

Answer 32

the idea that nature creates nurture and so heredity and environment interact

Question 33

diathesis stress model

Answer 33

need a biological vulnerability which is only expressed after an environmental stress acts as a trigger.

Question 34

epigenetics

Answer 34

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

Question 35

evaluation

implications of nativism and empiricism

Answer 35

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

Question 36

evaluation

shared and unshared environments

Answer 36

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

Question 37

evaluation

constructivism

Answer 37

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

Question 38

free will

Answer 38

the view that humans are self determining and free to chose their own thoughts and actions

Question 39

determinism

Answer 39

idea that free will has no place in explaining behaviour

Question 40

hard determinism

Answer 40

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

Question 41

soft determinism

Answer 41

suggests there is some room for manoeuvre in that people do have some mental control over the way we behave

Question 42

biological determinism

Answer 42

the belief that behaviour is caused by biological influences that we cannot control.