issues, approaches and debates

Question 1

define nature and nurture

Answer 1

nature - we have set behaviour from our biology and cannot divert from it

nurture - we learn our behaviour from our environment, we are born blank slates

Question 2

issues with the nature/nurture

Answer 2

reductionist - behaviour is too complex to divide it into two categories - Casey

difficult - it’s hard to truly test both in one study - Bandura

may stunt future research and possible discoveries if you don’t combine them both

Question 3

pros of the nature/nurture debate

Answer 3

useful - we can intervene based upon research - Bandura and a watershed or Chaney and children’s medication

scientific - can observe nature - Casey

Question 4

define free will vs determinism

Answer 4

free will - the belief that our behaviour is a result of our own choices

determinism - the belief that behaviours are determined by factors outside our control

Question 5

issues with free will vs determinism

Answer 5

ecological validity - often in a lab with high control - Baron-Cohen

remove moral responsibility - crimes and immoral behaviour can be dismissed as out of their control - Bandura

Question 6

pros with free will vs determinism

Answer 6

methodology - experimental design to establish cause and effect - Loftus and Palmer

form rules for society - makes world easier to manage and useful to understand - Milgram

Question 7

define reductionism vs holism

Answer 7

reductionism - where you break down a behaviour into its constituent parts and all behaviour is explained in the simplest form

holism - in order to understand behaviour you should consider how different factors contribute

Question 8

issues with reductionism vs holism

Answer 8

over-simplified - human behaviour is very complex and one factor cannot explain it - Chaney

validity - components of behaviour may be difficult to isolate properly, affecting cause and effect - Bandura

Question 9

pros of reductionism vs holism

Answer 9

scientific - isolate and control variables - Sperry

useful - may lead to determinism that one specific thing causes behaviour which can be used to improve society - Loftus and Palmer

Question 10

define ethnocentrism vs social relativism

Answer 10

ethnocentrism - assuming that the way behaviour can be explained in one culture is the same for all cultures

social relativism - the idea that a persons belief, behaviours and practices should be understood based on that persons own culture

Question 11

issues with ethnocentrism vs social relativism

Answer 11

cannot generalise - Bandura

can create bias and be damaging - Baron-Cohen

Question 12

pros with ethnocentrism vs social relativism

Answer 12

practical - any study in one country

nature-orientated don’t have cultural impacts - Casey

Question 13

according to kuhn, what is need for a subject to be classed as a science?

Answer 13

same set of:
assumptions
terminology
methodology

Question 14

is psychology a science?
– yes –

Answer 14

use of experiments to establish cause and effect - Grant

some areas focus on universal behaviour - Sperry

Question 15

is psychology a science?
– no –

Answer 15

not a shared set of assumptions - physio vs social

some areas are unfalsifiable - Freud

Question 16

define individual vs situational

Answer 16

individual - behaviour is determined by characteristics within a person

situational - behaviour is determined by factors in the environment that are external to the person

Question 17

issues with individual vs situational

Answer 17

reductionist - can we separate them - Loftus and Palmer

removal of responsibility - if its situational its not the individuals fault - Milgram

Question 18

pros with individual vs situational

Answer 18

useful - isolate specific variables responsible for behaviour - Chaney

ecological validity - can easily manipulate the environment to measure the person - Casey

Question 19

define socially sensitive research

Answer 19

research on a controversial topic which may result in harm or divisions in society

Question 20

issues with socially sensitive research

Answer 20

discrimination - Baron-Cohen

distressing - Baron-Cohen

Question 21

pros with socially sensitive research

Answer 21

useful - things that are “taboo” may be very useful to gain information on - Bandura

ethic committees - ensure researchers consider how they will research SS topics to reduce harm - Bocchiaro

Question 22

issues with carrying out unethical research

Answer 22

reduces reliability - more difficult to repeat if it causes harm - Milgram

against HRA98 - Milgram

Question 23

pros with carrying out unethical research

Answer 23

increases validity - deceiving of aim for true behaviour - Bocchiaro

debrief - we can explain it after and make sure they are okay - Milgram