Issues And Debates

Question 1

Alpha bias

Answer 1

EXAGGERATING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN

& WOMEN

Question 2

Beta bias

Answer 2

EXAGGERATING THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN MEN & WOMEN

• OFTEN HAPPENS WHEN FINDINGS OBTAINED FROM MEN AND APPLIED TO WOMEN WITHOUT ADDITIONAL VALIDATION

Question 3

Androcentrism

Answer 3

TAKING MALE THINKING/BEHAVIOUR AS NORMAL, REGARDING FEMALE THINKING/BEHAVIOUR AS DEVIANT, INFERIOR, ABNORMAL, ‘OTHER’ WHEN IT IS DIFFERENT

Question 4

Free will

Answer 4

We are able to control and choose our course of action. We can make our own decisions and act in unconstrained ways

Question 5

Determinism

Answer 5

This is the philosophy that all events are predetermined and necessitated by precursor events and conditions

Question 6

Hard determinism

Answer 6

Our behaviour and traits is caused by factors over which we have no control. Therefore we should be able to identify the causes of behaviour.

Question 7

Soft determinism

Answer 7

Our behaviour and traits are caused by internal or external factor but we can still exercise a limited amount of choice over our actions.

Question 8

Biological determinism

Answer 8

Our behaviour and traits are governed by internal, biological factors such as hormones, neurochemicals and our genes

Question 9

Environmental determinism

Answer 9

Our behaviour and traits are governed by external forces such as experiences, peers and learning.

Question 10

Psychic determinism

Answer 10

Our behaviour is governed by unconscious instincts and drives as well as early childhood experiences

Question 11

Causal determinism

Answer 11

Whether X causes Y, or whether the independent variable causes changes in the dependent variable.

Question 12

Nature nurture debate

Answer 12

Nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest debates in psychology. It centres on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development and behaviour.

Question 13

Nature

Answer 13

Behaviour is caused by internal or innate factors

Question 14

Nurture

Answer 14

Behaviour is caused by external, environmental factors

Question 15

Heredity

Answer 15

The process in which traits are passed down genetically from one generation to the next

Question 16

Environment

Answer 16

The environment is seen as everything outside the body, which can include people, events and the physical world.

Question 17

Interactionist approach

Answer 17

An interactionist approach argues that several levels of explanation are necessary to explain a particular behaviour, ranging from lower (biological) to higher levels (social and cultural).

Question 18

Gender bias

Answer 18

A gender bias is the differential treatment and/or representation of males and females, based on stereotypes and not on real differences.

Question 19

Culture bias

Answer 19

A cultural bias is the tendency to judge people in terms of one’s own cultural assumptions.

Question 20

Universality

Answer 20

when a theory is described as universal, it means that it can apply to all people, irrespective of gender and culture.

Question 21

Ethnocentrism

Answer 21

Ethnocentrism means seeing the world only from one’s own cultural perspective, and believing that this one perspective is both normal and correct.

Question 22

Cultural relativism

Answer 22

The idea that cultural norms and values are culture specific and no-one culture is superior to another culture