Issues and debates definitions

Question 1

Universality

Answer 1

The view that the values, concepts, and behaviour characteristics of diverse cultures can be viewed, understood, and judged according to universal standards. Such a view involves the rejection, at least in part, of cultural relativism.

Question 2

Determinism

Answer 2

The view that our behaviour is caused by internal or external forces outside of our control and is also the result of coercion.

Question 3

Interactionist approach

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Diathesis stress

Answer 4

The explanation that a disorder or behaviour trait is the result of an interaction between a genetic predisposition vulnerability and a stressor, usually caused by life events and factors.

Question 5

Gender bias

Answer 5

Differential treatment and misrepresentation of behaviour or characteristics between males and females based on stereotypes and not genuine differences

Question 6

Culture bound syndrome

Answer 6

Groups of syndromes classified as treatable illnesses in certain cultures that are not recognised in other cultures

Question 7

Holism

Answer 7

Studying and valuing human experiences as a whole, considering meaning, feeling, personal experience and context. Only when studying the whole can we truly understand human experience.

Question 8

Androcentrism

Answer 8

When psychological theories assume and represent a male point of view.

Question 9

Hard determinism

Answer 9

The belief that internal and external forces outside a person’s control are responsible for all behaviour as a result of coercion, which is completely incompatible with free will.

Question 10

Reductionism

Answer 10

The belief that human behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into its constituent parts

Question 11

Alpha bias

Answer 11

A type of bias where differences between groups (men and women) are exaggerated or overstated.

Question 12

Beta bias

Answer 12

A type of bias where differences between groups (men and women) are understated or under-emphasised.

Question 13

Biological reductionism

Answer 13

The view that that all behaviour can be reduced to biological functions and structures like neurones, neurotransmitters, genes etc.

Question 14

Ethnocentrism

Answer 14

Type of cultural bias which involves judging other cultures by the standards of your own culture

Question 15

Environmental reductionism

Answer 15

The notion that complex behaviour can be broken into simple stimulus-response links that are measurable within a laboratory

Question 15

Free will

Answer 15

The notion that humans are self-determining individuals who can make choices which are not determined by biological or external forces.

Question 16

Cultural relativism

Answer 16

The idea that a behaviour can only be properly understood and only makes sense in the context of the norms and values of the society or culture in which it occurs

Question 17

Soft determinism

Answer 17

According to soft determinism, behaviour is constrained by the environment or biological make-up, but only to a certain extent

Question 18

Emic approach

Answer 18

An insider’s perspective, which looks at the beliefs, values, and practices of a particular culture from the perspective of the people who live within that culture.

Question 18

Idiographic approach

Answer 18

Idiographic approach focuses on the individual and emphasises the unique personal experience of human nature.

Question 19

Biological determinism

Answer 19

Biological determinism refers to the idea that all human behaviour is innate and determined by genes.

Question 20

Nomothetic approach

Answer 20

Nomothetic approaches seek to identify universal traits and patterns of behaviour to be able to establish universal laws or principles of behaviour.

Question 21

Etic approach

Answer 21

Studying behaviour across many cultures to find universal human behaviours

Question 22

Imposed etic

Answer 22

A test, measure or theory devised in one culture that is used to explain behaviour in another culture

Question 23

Environmental determinism

Answer 23

The idea that behaviour is the direct result of external environmental stimuli we cannot control as a result through coercion

Question 24

Social sensitivity

Answer 24

Studies in which there are potential consequences or implications for the participants in the research or for the class of individuals represented by the research

Question 25

Individualist culture

Answer 25

Individualistic cultures, such as those found in Western societies, tend to value independence and autonomy.

Question 26

Psychic determinism

Answer 26

Psychic determinism claims that human behaviour is the result of childhood experiences in the unconscious mind and innate drives (ID, ego and superego).

Question 27

Collectivist cultures

Answer 27

Refers to a cultural orientation where individuals prioritise the needs and goals of the group or community over their own individual needs and goals, emphasising social cohesion

Question 28

Nature approach

Answer 28

The view that behaviour is the product of innate biological or genetic factors

Question 29

Free will

Answer 29

he concept that individuals have the capacity to make choices independently of biological or external factors, suggesting that humans can determine their own thoughts and actions, rejecting external influences as the masters of their own destiny. It asserts that individuals have the autonomy to choose their paths and are ultimately responsible for their actions.

Question 30

Nurture approach

Answer 30

Approach focussed on the external factors that impact human growth and development, such as personal experiences, social influences, cultural surroundings, and environmental conditions, which contribute to shaping an individual’s behaviour, beliefs, and values.

Question 31

Bias

Answer 31

Attitudes, behaviours, or beliefs, that interfere with the validity of research, impacting the integrity of the results.