Issues and debates in Psychology

Question 1

Which two of the following statements describe a strongly deterministic view? Write the letters of your chosen answers in your answer booklet. (2 marks)
Name two types of determinism.

Answer 1

• People’s behaviour always has a cause

- People have no choice about how to act

Question 2

Name two types of determinism. ( 2 marks)

Answer 2

• Hard determinism
• Soft determinism
• Biological determinism
• Environmental determinism
• Psychic determinism

Question 3

Briefly outline one problem associated with alpha bias in psychological research and one problem associated with beta bias in psychological research. (4 marks)

Answer 3

• In the case of alpha bias, there is a misrepresentation of behaviour researchers/theorists overestimate/exaggerate gender differences.
• In the case of beta bias, there is a misrepresentation of behaviour because researchers/theorists underestimate/minimise gender differences.

Question 4

Briefly outline what psychologists mean by ‘levels of explanation’. 2 marks

Answer 4

• How explanations vary from those at a lower
• Fundamental level focusing on basic components
• Units to those at a higher more holistic multivariable level.

Question 5

Read the item and then answer the question that follows.
A prison psychologist used an idiographic approach to study offending. He asked two offenders to record their thoughts about their childhood and their offending behaviour in a journal over a period of four weeks.
Qualitative analysis of the journals showed that the offenders often thought about sad childhood events and believed that their childhood experiences had influenced their offending.
Findings from idiographic research like the study described above are often used as a basis for other investigations.
Explain how the researcher might develop the above investigation by taking a nomothetic approach. (6marks)

Answer 5

• Taking a nomothetic approach would involve the researcher testing a larger sample of offenders.
• Sampling should involve a method of sample selection to give representativeness of a larger population, eg random sampling of the prison population.
• The researcher would probably use a testable hypothesis, eg violent offenders have more negative thoughts about childhood than non-violent offenders.
• Taking a nomothetic approach would involve the collection of a large amount of data.
• The analysis would probably involve quantitative methods, eg statistical testing and the
  drawing of conclusions in relation to a wider population.
• How idiographic investigations yield information that is rich, in-depth whereas nomothetic investigations enable the formulation of general laws, eg offenders have a more negative view of their childhood.

Question 6

What is meant by the ‘nature-nurture debate’ in psychology? 2 marks

Answer 6

• Behaviour is governed by nature (genes etc) and by nurture (eg environment, experiences etc)
• The debates were about the relative contribution of each of these influences.

Question 7

Briefly explain the outcome of the study in relation to the nature-nurture debate.
[2 marks]

Answer 7

• Support the nature side of the debate
• because the concordance rate is stronger in the identical twins where there is greater genetic relatedness (or nurture must also play a role – not 100% concordance).

Question 8

Which of the following statements best describes a nomothetic approach in psychology? (1 mark)

Answer 8

• Study groups of people

- Formulate general laws

Question 9

Depression often runs in families, but many depressed people have serious social problems or have experienced traumatic events in the past. However, many people find ways to cope. What we need is the will to overcome our problems.
With reference to the item above, explain what is meant by ‘determinism’. Refer to three types of determinism in your answer. (6 marks)

Answer 9

• determinism – understanding that behaviour is controlled and we do not exercise free will over our own behaviour
• biological determinism – behaviour is controlled by aspects of biology eg genes, chemicals etc – depression ‘runs in families’ implies biological determinism
• environmental determinism – behaviour is controlled by external influences eg parents, society etc – ‘serious social problems’ implies environmental determinism
• psychic determinism – behaviour is controlled by unconscious fears, desires etc – ‘experienced traumatic events in the past’ implies psychic determinism

Question 10

Depression often runs in families, but many depressed people have serious social problems or have experienced traumatic events in the past. However, many people find ways to cope. What we need is the will to overcome our problems.
With reference to the item above, identify one influence of nature on our behaviour and one influence of nurture on our behaviour. (2 marks)

Answer 10

• nature is indicated by reference to genetic inheritance ‘runs in families’
• nurture is indicated by reference to environment or experience ‘serious social problems’, ‘traumatic events in the past’.

Question 11

In a study of antisocial activity and social background, researchers interviewed 100 children aged 14 years. They then classified each child according to their level of antisocial activity. They concluded that 26 were ‘very antisocial’, 40 were ‘mildly antisocial’ and 34 were ‘not antisocial’. The researchers found that the majority of the ‘very antisocial’ children attended Crayford secondary school, whereas most of the other two groups of children attended another local school.
The study on the opposite page is an example of socially sensitive research.
Briefly explain how the researchers could have dealt with the issue of social sensitivity in this study. 4 marks

Answer 11

• Awareness of issue: Researchers should be aware of the implications of their research:
  possible negative impact for the children in the sample; possible negative implications of the research for the reputation of Crayford school and the wider community; possible self-fulfilling prophecy
• Dealing with the issue: Researchers should take adequate steps to counter the above: sensitive briefing/debriefing of participants, parents, teachers etc; care in relation to publication, disclosure of results and confidentiality/anonymity.

Question 12

In a study of antisocial activity and social background, researchers interviewed 100 children aged 14 years. They then classified each child according to their level of antisocial activity. They concluded that 26 were ‘very antisocial’, 40 were ‘mildly antisocial’ and 34 were ‘not antisocial’. The researchers found that the majority of the ‘very antisocial’ children attended Crayford secondary school, whereas most of the other two groups of children attended another local school.
What level of measurement is being used in this study? 1 mark

Answer 12

• nominal level/categorical level

Question 13

Explain one limitation of the level of measurement you have identified in your answer to 12. 2 marks

Answer 13

• Categorical data is crude/unsophisticated/does not enable a very sensitive analysis
• because it does not yield a numerical result for each participant

Question 14

Outline and evaluate reductionist explanations in psychology. 8 marks

Answer 14

Possible content:
 Reductionism – explaining a phenomenon in terms of constituent parts
 Studying underlying elements
 Description linked to approaches eg biopsychologists analyse brain chemicals, neurons;
cognitive psychologists analyse components of models eg models of memory
Possible evaluation:
 Parsimonious thus economical
 Consistent with approach used in other sciences
 Enables a more concrete understanding
 Focus on elements enables greater testability
 Misses complexity of many behaviours
 Fails to take account of context of behaviour
 Contrast with holistic approach