Issues and Debates Alevel YR13 Flashcards
Universality (Gender)
The aim to develop theories that apply to all people despite gender.
Androcentrism
The tendency to be centered or focused on men, often to the neglect or exclusion of women. Most of psychological research has been male dominated.
Alpha bias (Gender)
A tendency to exaggerate the differences between men and women.
Example of alpha bias (Gender)
Freudian theory - Freud argued that because girls do not suffer the same oedipal conflict as boys, they do not identify with their mothers as strongly as boys identify with their fathers, so develop weaker superegos.
Beta bias (Gender)
A tendency to ignore or downplay the differences between men and women.
Example of beta bias (Gender)
Fight or flight response - Taylor et al… females adopt a ‘tend and befriend’ response in stressful/dangerous situations. More likely to protect offspring and and form allies.
Evaluation of gender bias (Gender)
For - Recognising that there may be bias helps ensure research is valid. Research works hard to redress balance in research.
Againist - Difficult to remain objective.
Cultural bias
The tendency to judge all people in terms of your own cultural assumptopns. This distorts your judgement.
Bronfrenbrenner (1970)
Ecological model highlights the different levels in which an individual can be affected by their cultures.
Universality (Culture)
The findings from research will generalise globally.
Alpha bias (Culture)
Theories assume that there are real and enduring differnces between cultural groups. EXAMPLE - individualist/collectivist cultures.
Beta bias (Culture)
Theories that ignore or minimise cultural differences.
Ethnocentrism
Seeing things from the point of view of ourselves and our social group and evaluating other peoples culture using your own standards and customs.
Example of Ethnocentrism
Ainsworth’s strange situation + the variations. The behaviours that the experiment was based on were done on middle-class americian children. How is that able to apply to every culture when they are all different.
Cultural relativism
The view that behaviour cant be judged properly unless it is viewed in the context of the culture in which it originates.
Example of Cultural relativism
The meaning of intelligence in every culture. Sternberg (1985) IQ tests on black carribean individuals being tested on white american knowledge.
evaluation of culture bias
For - Acknowledging that ethnic indentity can influence the participants has been important for diagnosis.
Against - All humans have culture and this is difficult to seperate when completing research. This makes bias hard to avoid.
Free will
The view that each individual has the power to make choices about their behaviour. There are no restraints on choice from the options avaliable.
Determinism
The view that external or internal factors act upon the individual. No control or choice of action.
Soft determinism
Behaviour is determined, but humans can exercise free will if needs be. You can choose some circumstances.
Hard determinism
All behaviour is determined by outside forces, no free will
Biological determinism
Our behaviour is determined by biological causes i.e. genes, brain structures and biochemistry. Example - Localisation of function, Broca’s area
Enviromental determinism
Our behaviour is determined by enviromental influences i.e. social psychology.
Psychic determinism
Our behaviour is determined by the role of the unconscious on conscious thought - Freud
