issues & debates Flashcards
(nature and nurture) what is this debate about?
- the relative importance of heredity & the environment in determining behaviour {the interactionist approach}
- what extent behaviour = determined by the influence of hereditary nature (genes) or environmental factors (experiences) and the combo of both
(N+N) name a psychologist that strongly believes in nature as an explanation
- Rene Descartes - nativist –> human characteristics & some aspects of knowledge are innate // the result of heredity
(N+N) who agrees with the nurture side of the debate
- john locke –> he’s an empiricist
- the mind is a blank slate at birth & that experience shapes us –> environment = key
- this became the behaviourist approach
(N+N) what is the interactionist approach
- considers how nature + nurture interact & influence each other –> instead of taking a dichotomous view
- seen in the diathesis-stress model
- diathesis –> suggests how mental illnesses (like schiz) = caused by a biological (genetic) vulnerability {inherits a genetic predispositions}
- stress –> only gets ‘expressed’ if it’s mixed w a stressor –> environmental triggers = present for it to develop
- epigenetics - genes = not always activated @ birth - can be expressed in response to life experience
- tienari (2004) –> found that adopted children living in dysfunctional families & had bio relatives w schiz = most likely to develop a disorder –> showing the interaction between nature + nurture
evaluate the N+N debate
nature:
(A) has evidence for biological origins of nature, such as:
– genetic evidence for disorders like schiz
– evolutionary arguments for mate preference –> why men are more ‘acceptable’ to be promiscuous whereas women aren’t
– neurotransmitter (dopamine / serotonin) evidence for aggression –> and disorders like OCD {high D + low S = OCD}
(A) use of twins studies to determine if the cause is nature or nurture but (CP)
(D) viewed as deterministic –> anatomy = destiny –> cannot avoid what our genes have governed for us
- suggests that we have no control over our actions & that environment has little influence over our behaviour
- eg –> MAOA gene = linked to aggressive & CDH13 = linked to ADHD {hereditary genes} –> a study shows the combo of these genes = 13x more likely to commit crimes –> instead of social environments
- to use bio reasoning as a defence for a criminal actions would not be acceptable –> it may not entirely be the person’s fault but they will still be blamed - socially sensitive research
nurture:
(A) social learning theory can be used as evidence –> bandura’s bobo-doll & behaviourist studies (classical + operant conditioning) show consequences of external environmental influences
(D) when treating disorders - it may not be effective to use behavioural remedies
- token therapy –> rewards given for good behaviour - used w treating cases of schiz
- 11/13 studies / cases had positive impacts {positive reinforcement}
- they could relapse – works in clinical settings but not IRL as they won’t receive rewards
- seen as unethical –> manipulative process + seen as condescending and dehumanising
(N+N) what are twin studies and how is it useful
- investigates the effects of nature (genetics) and nurture(upbringing / environment) on behaviour
- MZ (monozygotic) twins = 100% genetically identical
- DZ (dizygotic) twins = approx 50% genetically identical
- measured using a statistic called ‘concordance rate’ –> helps to determine if the cause is nature or nurture
(CP) - is very hard to separate the environment and the genes with these studies - as thy have been raised in the same household most of the times
- findings of MZ twins who are brought up together do not have CC rates of 100%
- cannot fully separate N+N so we don’t fully understand how important the influence of genes or environment is
(reductionism + holism) what is holism referred and what is a quote associated to it
- gestalt psychology
- “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”
- this view = shared by the humanist approach
(R+H) why is holism used?
- study the whole person to gain understanding all factors that may influence behaviour
- can be seen in Jahoda’s 6 elements & maslows hierarchy of needs
(R+H) what are the different levels of explanation?
- societal exp –> most broad / simple {macro science}
- cultural + societal explanations of how our social groups impact behaviour
- social groups + culture
- psychological exp
- psychological exps of behaviour
- behavioural + cognitive + psychodynamic approach
- biological exp –> most precise {micro science –> bio + chem + physics}
- how genes, hormones etc.. affect our behaviour
- genetics, neurotransmitters, brain structure
(R+H) what is reductionism
- the belief of how behaviour = best explained & understood when broken down into its smaller, constituent parts
- explaining behaviour in terms of its fundamental constituent explanations - based on the scientific principle ‘parsimony’ –> simple explanations for phenomena (like behaviour) = preferable to unnecessary complexity
(R+H) what is bio reductionism?
- suggests the most important fundamental explanations for behaviour = physical biology {like genes + neurotransmitters}
- assumes all behaviour = biological at some level & can be explained through: genetics // neurochemicals // neurophysiology // evolution {these govern behaviour}
- eg –> neuro exp of schiz
- dopamine = neurotransmitter –> states probs w attention + perception + thoughts = found in ppl w schiz –> due to dopamine disturbances in the dopamine process
- breaking down this behaviour to its simplest form helped to develop drugs to help treat schiz
(H+R) what is environmental reductionism?
- suggests the most important fundamental explanations for behaviour = simple stimulus-response mechanisms of reinforcement - like Pavlov + Skinner {the behaviourist approach}
- examples of this:
- Strange situation
- IWM –> observing behaviour
- Sutherland (1939) Differential Association Theory of Offender –> individuals learn the values + attitudes + techniques + motives for criminal behaviour through association + interaction w diff ppl –> meaning offender behaviour = environmentally determined
(R+H) evaluate holism + reductionism
reductionism:
(A) using this approach to problems has led highly effective treatments to mental health disorders
– eg –> .isolating neurotransmitters (bio drug therapy) & counter conditioning (environmental) from identifying S-R
(A) useful in allowing scientific studies to be carried out - as they require the isolation of variable to identify the cause –> this has led to discovery of how specific genes = responsible for schiz
(D) - reductionist approaches can oversimplify –> leading to a lack of validity
- eg –> explanations that operate @ the level of neurons / neurotransmitters / genes don’t acknowledge the social context {why the behaviour occurs}
- suggesting that reductionist explanations can only ever form part of an explanation –> too simple and don’t understand the reasoning behind why behaviour is done
holism:
(A) - there are some aspects of behaviour that only appear in group settings - meaning holism is needed –> can be seen in Zimbardo’s prison exp –> shows how the interaction between people + their surroundings influence their behaviour - wouldn’t achieve the same results by looking at the aspects of individuals
(A) Maslow + Rodgers argue humans cannot be reduced to simple bio-mechanistic processes
- holism appreciates interaction & the complexity + range of human experience that’s not included in
(D) - if there are many factors affecting one’s behaviour - it’s difficult to establish which therapy would be most compatible for them –> lacks practical value
(nomothetic + idiographic) what is this argument?
when trying to explain behaviour and data - do we view it as a group / large set of data or individualistic
(N+I) what is nomothetic?
- {wanting to generalise info}
- studying behaviour thru the development of universal laws + general principle
- the laws = ‘benchmark’ –> ppl can be measured + classified + compared –> predictions of behaviour of people in certain situations can be made
- aim = to discover how ppl = similar
- methods = exps w large amount of ppl + questionnaires {quantitative methods}….
- use of quantitative techniques to study populations
- then uses this data to construct testable theories // laws // classification
- scientific experiments
- primary research
- no bias (numerical data)
- bio + behaviourist + cognitive approach = seen as nomothetic –> they assume the same principles apply to everyone & tested their theories in a replicable way
- eg –> laws of conditioning from Skinner - from brain scans from scientific methods
