Issues and debates ao3 Flashcards
strength of gender issues
it has led to contemporary psychologists looking for ways to reduce it and increase value of women in society. Cornwell et al (2013) found females showed advantages in learning emphasising positive attributes of women. This type of research helps to overcome sexist attitudes and bias in research publications.
limitation of gender bias (presence of sexism)
Presence of sexism leading to androcentrism. Murphy et al (2014) argues research is more likely to be conducted by males as there is a lack of women appointed at senior research positions in universities. This may disadvantage females which means that the institutional structures and methods of psychology may produce findings which are gender biased.
limitation of gender bias (not published)
Gender bias research often not published. Formanowicz (2018) analysed 1000 articles relating to gender bias and found that such research is funded and featured less in prestigious journals. This stayed true when gender bias was compared to ethnic bias which suggests that gender bias may still not be taken as seriously as other types of bias
limitation of gender bias (fixed and enduring)
Gender differences are fixed and enduring. Maccoby and Jacklin (1974) concluded that girls have better verbal ability and boys have better spatial ability due to hardwired biological brain differences. However, Joel et al (2015) used brain imaging and found no such gender differences. This suggests that we should be cautious in accepting research as biological factors when it might be better explained as social stereotypes.
Describe how the emergence of cultural psychology is a positive change in psychology
Strength is emerge of cultural psychology. Cohen (2017) defined this as the study of how people shape and are shaped by their experience. This takes an emic approach, conducted from inside a culture. This suggests that modern psychologists are mindful of the changes of cultural bias and are taking steps to avoid it.
Given an example of how classic studies in psychology may be culturally biased
Limitation is that many classic studies are culturally biased. Asch and Milgram original studies were conducted with middle class US participants. Replications of these studies in different countries produced different findings. Much higher rates of conformity in Asch like studies in collectivist cultures. This suggests our understanding of topics should only be applied to individualist cultures.
How can cultural bias lead to ethnic stereotyping?
Limitation is that there is ethnic stereotyping. Gould (1981) explained how the first intelligence tests led to eugenic social policies in America. During WW1, psychologists gave IQ tests to 1.75 million army recruits. Many test items were ethnocentric, so subjects from other cultures scored lowest and deemed genetically inferior. This illustrates how cultural bias can be used to justify prejudice and discrimination towards ethnic and cultural groups
What biological evidence is there to support determinism?
Limitation of free will is that there is evidence to support determinism. Libet et al (1983) found activity in motor areas of the brain before the person had conscious awareness of the decision to move their finger. Follow up studies have confirmed activity in the pre frontal cortex up to 10 seconds before a person was aware of their decision to act. This indicates that even our most basic experiences of free will are decided and determined by our brain before we become aware of them.
To what extent does the legal system recognise determinism?
Strength of free will is that there is face validity. Everyday experience gives the impression that we are constantly exercising free will through the choices we make on any given day. Roberts (2000) demonstrated that adolescents with a strong belief in fatalism that their lives were decided by events outside if their control were at significantly greater risk of developing depression. This indicates that people who have internal LOC believing that they have a high degree of influence over events and their own behaviour, tend to be more mentally healthy. This suggests that even if we do not have free will, by having the perception that we do it van have useful real life application in improving mental well-being.
What are the challenges of separating nature/nurture?
P- limitation of the debate is impossible to separate nature and nurture.
E- hebb argues that trying to do this was the same as asking whether length or width of a rectangle was more important when working the area of the rectangle- they both contribute
E- twin studies impossible to separate nature and nurture. E.g. if identical twins have high concordance rates, on the surface it may appear that behaviour is a result of nature. However, identical twins are also the same second maubbe treated by parents similar.
How does the nature/nurture debate apply to mental illness?
P- strength – real world application to mental health disorders
E- Nestat et al (2010) put the heritability rate of OCD at .76. This research can inform genetic counselling as it is important to understand that high heritability doesn’t mean it is inevitable that the individual will develop the disorder.
E- people with high genetic risk of ocd due to family background can receive advice about the likelihood of developing the disorder and how they might prevent this by managing stress. Shows importance of interactionist approach.
L- shows that the debate is not just theoretical but also practical to understand the difference of nature and nurture.
