Issues and Debates Flashcards
Nature
Characteristics determined by genes or biological processes (present at birth or later in life).
Nurture
Behaviour acquired through interactions with the environment- the psychical or social world, referred to as experience.
Determinism
Cognition and behaviour is determined by an unbroken chain of prior occurrences. Nothing is mysterious or random.
Free Will
Individuals can choose how they want to behave and so have responsibility for their own behaviour.
Reductionist
The nature of complex things can be reduced to a lower level of explanation. (one component)
Holism
Different levels of the explanation and at each of the levels the ‘emergent properties’ cannot be reduced to one.
Individual
Disposition or personality.
Situational
Anything in the environment, including other people’s behaviour.
Usefulness-Moral Dimension
Who is the research useful for?
Usefulness-Practical Dimension
Does the research have a practical benefit?
Usefulness-Knowledge Dimension
Does the research give us new insights into behaviour and experience?
Ethics
The rules and principles that distinguish between right and wrong, and guide our behaviour. Includes: Respect, Competence, Responsibility and Integrity.
Morals
Guide our behaviour based on socially agreed principles.
Socially sensitive research
Have the potential to have a negative impact on specific groups of people or society generally.
Psychology as a science
Is the research objective, falsifiable and replicable.
Respect-informed consent
Participants are given information confirming the nature and purpose of the study and their role in it and have agreed.
Respect-right to withdraw
Told that they can stop participating if they are uncomfortable.
Respect-confidentiality
Participant’s right to have personal info protected through withholding their name or keeping their info safe.
Respect-privacy
Refers to a person’s right to control flow of info about themselves.
Responsibility- protection
Participants should not experience negative psychological effects or negative physical effects as a result of the study.
Responsibility- debriefing
Post-research interview designed to inform about the true nature of a study. Restore to the state that they came in.
Integrity- deception
Occurs when a participants is not told the true research aim or not told what they are required to do.
Ethics committee
Groups of people who approve a study before it begins.
Presumptive consent
Method of dealing with inform consent/ deception. Would they agree to take part?
