Issues & Debates

Question 1

What is meant by the term determinism

Answer 1

The view that an individual’s behaviour is controlled by internal or external forces

Question 2

What is meant by the term free will

Answer 2

The idea that individuals have a role in controlling their behaviour, they can make their own choices

Question 3

What is meant by hard determinism

Answer 3

That there is no free will and behaviour can be predicted

Question 4

What is biological determinism

Answer 4

States behaviour is determined by biological functions such as genetic influences (dopamine hypothesis for schizophrenia)

Question 5

What is environmental determinism

Answer 5

That behaviour is caused by previous, environmental experience (classical and operant conditioning)

Question 6

What is psychic determinism

Answer 6

Suggests that behaviour is determined by a mix of innate drives and early experience (psychosexual stages)

Question 7

What is scientific determinism

Answer 7

The belief that behaviour occurs due to causal relationships (IV is manipulated to observe the causal effect on a DV)

Question 8

What is soft determinism

Answer 8

A version of determinism that allows for some element of free will and choice

Question 9

What is meant by an idiographic approach in psychological investigation

Answer 9

A research approach that focuses on an individual case as a means of understanding behaviour

Question 10

What is meant by nomothetic approaches in psychological evaluation

Answer 10

A research approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws

Question 11

An example of an idiographic approach in research

Answer 11

The case study of HM, Milner and Scoville 1957, who suffered epileptic seizures and in result had his hippocampus removed which impacted his memory and damaged his long term memory.

Question 12

An example of a nomothetic approach in research

Answer 12

Behaviourist psychologists produced general laws of behaviour - classical and operant conditioning.

Question 13

What is meant by ethical implications

Answer 13

Ethical implications consider the effects of research on society or a group of people

Question 14

What is social sensitive research

Answer 14

This is any research that might have direct social consequences for the p’s in the research or group that they represent

Question 15

What 4 aspects did Seiber and Stanley identify in the research process at which ethical issues with social consequences may occur

Answer 15

The research question - asking a question may be damaging to particular p’s
Conduct of research - the main concern is confidentiality and treatment of p’s
The institution context - research may be funded by private institutions that may misuse the data, media may report invalid findings
Interpretation and application of findings - research findings may be used for purposes other than originally intended

Question 16

Criticisms of determinism (genes)

Answer 16

Doubtful that 100% genetic determination will be found for any behaviour. E.g. studies comparing identical twins found about 80% similarity on intelligence. Therefore genes do not entirely determine behaviour

Question 17

Criticism of determinism (Dennett)

Answer 17

Dennett argues that there is no such thing as total determinism. The Chaos theory concludes that causal relationships are probable rather than determined. Suggests free will has a role in the explanation of behaviour

Question 18

Strength of the idiographic approach

Answer 18

They provide rich in-depth data as they are based on qualitative methods such as case studies which are very specific

Question 19

Limitation of the idiographic approach

Answer 19

This approach is time consuming as it relies on qualitative methods such as observations and interviews which take time to analyse and conduct.

Question 20

Advantage of the nomothetic approach

Answer 20

Nomothetic approaches are said to be more scientific as they focus more on quantitate data which is easier to analyse and is reliable.

Question 21

Disadvantage of nomothetic approach

Answer 21

Predictions can be made about groups but these may not apply to individuals. Can create a beta bias