Issues and Debates Flashcards
Milgrams study issues and debates
Ethical issues negative:
Deception
Distress
Feeling of no right to withdraw
Shocks
Freud’s psychodynamic theory issues and debates
Reductionism negative:
Does not consider biological factors
Cognitive psychology issues and debates
Scientific issues positive;
Mainly conducted in laboratory with controlled extraneous variables
Types of issues
- ethical issues
- practical issues in the design
- comparing explanations
- cultural and gender issues
- how psychological understanding developed over time
- use of social control
- use of psychological knowledge in society
- socially sensitive research
Types of debates
- reductionism
- psychology as a science
- nature-nurture
Ethical issues
Protection of humans and animals involved in research
Public face of psychology
BPS code of ethics and conduct
Respect
Competence
Responsibility
Integrity
Ethics in animal research
Scientific procedures
Home office regulations
The 3 R’s
Justifying animal research
The 3 R’s
Replacement
Reduction
Refinement
Practical issues in research
- validity
- reliability
- generalisablity
Reductionism
Taking every variable into account to create a conclusion that is not reductionist or reductionist when necesary
Advantages of reductionism
- simplicity: helps understand better
- led to great discoveries
- easier to study
Disadvantages of reductionism
- ignores interactions
* overlooks complexities
Comparing explanations
Comparing different explanations for the same topic
Example: Aggression, Memory, behavior in social context, Reward
Comparing explanations: memory
- multi-store model of memory, working memory model, episodic semantic memory, case studies, dyslexia, alzheimers
- building up of memory depending on development of synapses
- learning theories
- key question social psychology
Psychology as a science
Must contain:
Replicability Reliability Validity Reductionism Falsification Hypothesis testing Controls Credibility Empiricism Objectivity Predicability
Cultural and gender bias
When giving diagnosis, psychologist must think of cultural differences and gender
Gender issues studies
• bandura et al 1961 • brendgen et al 2005 • milgram 2961 • tajfel et al 1971 “Sherif et al 1954-1961
Nature- nurture
Is it due to nature or nurture or both?
How psychological understanding developed over time
Important to take into account when making conclusions or trying to understand the circumstances of a study
Use of social control
Regulation of individual or group behaviors as a method of enforcing conformity and compliance to establish norms or expectations
Use of psychological knowledge in society
Can ve used to help or educate people, example key questions
Issues related to socially sensitive research
Ensure research doesn’t offend the public, have a negative impact in society or affects the face of psychology
