issues and debates - key words Flashcards
universality
an underlying characteristic of human beings that is capable of being applied to all despite the differences of experience and upbringing
gender bias
treating an individual or group of people differently based on their gender
androcentrism
this is when normal behaviour is judged according to a male standard
alpha bias
exaggerates or overestimates the difference between gender or culture
beta bias
ignores or minimises the difference between gender or cultures
culture bias
treating an individual or group of people differently based on their culture
ethnocentrism
judging other cultures by the standards and values of ones own culture, often from a western standpoint seeing others as abnormal
cultural relativism
findings found in research may only make sense from the perspective of the culture within it was found
free will
humans can make choices and their behaviour/thoughts are not determined by biological or external forces
hard determinism
fatalism- all behaviour is determined by an internal or external force we are unable to resist
soft determinism
accepts behaviour has a cause but allows room for manoeuvre in conscious mental control
biological determinism
emphasises the role of biological influences on our behaviour such as hormones or genes
environmental determinism
behaviour is a result of conditioning and reinforcement as a result of experience
psychic determinism
behaviour is a result of influences of biological drives and instincts in the unconscious, including repressed conflicts
the nature nurture debate
concerned with the extent to which aspects of behaviour are a product of inherited or acquired characteristics
heredity
genetic transmission of mental and physical characteristics from one characteristic to another
the interactionist approach
relative contribution of each influence, therefore nature and nurture debate is about discussing how nature and nurture interact and the extent of them
holism
studies an indivisible system rather than its constituent parts
reductionism
analyses behaviour by breaking it down into its constituent parts
biological reductionism
based on the premise that we are biological organisms made up of physiological structures and processes, such as neurochemicals
environmental reductionism
observed behaviour is broken down into simple stimulus response links, like classical conditioning
idiographic approach
uses case studies and qualitative research and focuses on the individual or small group in the research
nomothetic approach
generalisation of behaviour in order to create general principles and laws of behaviour
ethical implications
concerns the wider impact that research may have at a societal level
social sensitivity
studies in which there are potential consequences or implications either directly for the participants involved in the research or the group represented by them
