Issues And Debates (paper 3) Flashcards
What are issues? What are debates?
Things important to take notice of in research which may impact validity if not addressed (eg/gender bias)
Ongoing academic discussions about fundamental aspects of human behaviour (eg/free will and determinism)
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What is collectivist culture?
What is individualistic culture?
Refers to cultures such as India/China that are said to be more conformist and group orientated
Refers to Western countries like US thought to be more independent
What are ethical guidelines?
What are ethical issues?
Set of principles set out by BPS to help psychologists behave with honesty and integrity (inc. protecting participants from harm etc)
Arise when conflict exists between rights of participants and goals of researcher to produce valid, authentic, worthwhile data (researcher breaks one or more guidelines)
What are ethical implications?
Outline the ethical implications of a study and a theory
Impact psychological research may have in terms of rights of other people, inc. at societal level, influencing public policy and/or in way in which certain groups of people are regarded
RESEARCH MILGRAM
- do the ends justify the means?-participants deceived & unable to give fully informed consent, it also caused significant distress & participants told to proceed against free will BUT were debriefed & had follow up interview year later-none suffered long term effects
- research showed Germans weren’t different, therefore helped to change perception of those who followed Hitler as “evil” so can be argued had positive ethical implications as its been useful in reducing negative labels attached to a nation & helped to understand how people can be made to obey
THEORY BOWLBYS MONOTROPY
- no ethical issues (no participants) but theory suggests children form 1 special attachment bond usually with mother in critical period-suggested this bond affects future relationships through IWM
- has contributed to development of child care practices (positive ethical implication) but also encouraged view mothers place is at home with children=negative implication bc makes mothers feel guilty for wanting to return to work after childbirth, also devalues fathers role (shouldn’t stay home)
What is social sensitivity? How can the study and theory mentioned to have ethical implications be argued to be socially sensitive?
Studies in which there’s potential consequences for participants directly or for group represented by research
MILGRAM STUDY
sensitive=findings could be used to make people obey orders they don’t want to follow-could have severe ethical implications
BOWLBYS MONOTROPY THEORY
very sensitive=could be used to make mothers stay home out of guilt and fear f being judged by others
What was involved in Sieber and Stanley’s work?
Identified 4 aspects in scientific research process that raise ethical implications in socially sensitive research which should ideally be considered before research is carried out
1 RESEARCH QUESTION
should be carefully considered (eg/ are there racial differences in IQ? could be damaging to members of particular group
2 METHODOLOGY
must consider treatment of participants, right to confidentiality and anonymity (eg/if someone admits crimes committed, should it still be confidential?)
3 INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT
should be mindful of how data’s used and who’s funding research
4 INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF FINDINGS
consider how findings might be interpreted and applied in real world (eg/inform social policy?)
Explain 3 positive impacts of ethical implications (includng references to social sensitivity aka SSR)
+ SSR can benefit society, promoting greater sensitivity&understanding of underrepresented groups&issues
The effect of culture bias can have on diagnosis of schizo with regards to auditory hallucinations experienced by African&West Indian individuals
Helps reduce prejudice&encourage acceptance demonstrating there’s positive outcomes of SSR
+ SSR can prevent miscarriages of justice within legal system
Research into unreliability of EWT specifically case of Ronald Cotton shows SSR plays valuable role in society and is a positive consequence-this is despite research may have had negative impact on individuals who had been in EW trials
+ realisation theres issues regarding ethical implications of SSR has meant researchers are more reflexive
Includes thinking more about what research findings likely to be used for
As result can make researchers take more responsibility for their findings and ensure work they do doesn’t lead to abuse or discrimination
What are 2 negative impacts of ethical implications (including references to social sensitivity aka SSR)
- SSR has been used to support discriminatory practices
In America during 1920s&1930s, large number of US states approved laws that led to compulsory sterilisation of citizens deemed to be “feeble minded” and were drains on society which was based on research from psych and science that suggested such Shows SSR has negative impacts as been used inappropriately to “support” discriminatory practices - Its important psychologists are free to carry out whatever research seems important to them but its problematic if government start passing laws to prohibit certain kinds of research
Eg/race related research due to being issues of social sensitivity, there’s real danger research will stop for political rather than ethical reasons
Researchers may need to be mindful benefits of SSR must outweigh costs
What is free will? How does the humanistic approach link to free will?
The notion human can make choices and aren’t determined by biological (genes, hormones etc) or external forces
Believes humans self determining but don’t deny there may be biological and environmental influences that exert some influence on behaviours but were able to reject and be masters of our own destiny
Only approach accepting free will
What’s determinism? What are the 5 types?
View individuals behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external forces rather than individuals will to do something
HARD (suggests free will isn’t possible, behaviour controlled by forces beyond control)
SOFT (all events have causes but behaviour can also be determined by conscious choices in the absence of pressure)
BIOLOGICAL (belief behaviours caused by biological influences we can’t control, genes hormones etc)
-mental disorders thought to have genetic basis (OCD)
ENVIRONMENTAL (belief behaviours caused by features of environment, like systems of reward and punishment, we can’t control)
-Skinner argued behaviour is result of conditioning & 2 process model for phobias
PSYCHIC (belief behaviours caused by unconscious conflicts we can’t control)
-Little Hans FREUD displacement of fear
What is scientific emphasis on causal explanations?
Science aims to find cause of thingsbased on principle every event has a cause which can be explained using general laws meaning science is deterministic
- psych wants to be scientific so has to employ their methods (theories, hypotheses, observable methods
If one factor changes behaviour, whilst all other factors controlled, original factor must be responsible-it has determined behaviour
IV is manipulated to observe causal effect on DV-determinism therefore about causation
Behaviours been caused by something outside of individuals control, allows us to control and predict human behaviour
Outline 2 strengths of determinism
+ Determinism is consistent with aims of science
Hard determinist view says human behaviour is orderly & obeys laws
Psychs therefore placed on equal footing worth other more established sciences
This view means human behaviour can be predicted & controlled which has led to development of treatments, therapies & behavioural interventions that have benefited many
(MIDDLE GROUND)
Approaches which adopt soft determinism pov may be more appropriate in explaining behaviour
Eg/ SLT says although environmental factors are key in learning, we’re free to choose who/what to attend to & when to perform certain behaviours
Suggesting an interactionist approach may provide the best compromise in the free will-determinism debate
How can a researcher deal with social sensitivity in a study?
Sensitive debriefing for those involved
Care in relation to publication, disclosure of results& confidentiality/anonymity
Evaluate free will, provide 1 argument for and 1 argument against it
+ Everyday experience gives impression we’re constantly exercising free will
Choices we make daily are believed to be made by ourselves
This gives face validity to concept free will
Research suggests those have internal locus of control tend to be more mentally healthy, suggesting even thinking we have free will (even if don’t) may have positive impact on behaviour
- Brain scan evidence doesn’t support concept of free will
Libet et al instructed participants to choose random moment to flick wrist while he measured activity in brains, they had to say when they felt conscious will to move, Libet et al found conscious decision to move came around 1/2 second before participant consciously felt they’d decided to move
This may be interpreted as meaning that even our most basic experiences of free will are actually determined by our brain before we’re aware of them
