Issues & Debates Flashcards
Definition of Beta Bias
A tendency to minimise or ignore the differences between men and women and assume that they are the same
How can psychological research be seen to have a beta bias?
It can assume that insights derived from the study of men will apply equally to women
Example of beta bias in psychology (x2)
The flight or fight response - believed to be universally applicable to women but Lee and Harley indicate that women are more likely to ‘tend and befriend’
Cotton’s research implies women recover more and suffer less relapse than men with schizophrenia
What does determinism propose?
That an individuals behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external forces rather than free will
What does free will propose?
That individuals have an active role in controlling their behaviour and are not controlled by biological or external forces
Examples of internal forces in determinism
Biological forces e.g. genes, NT levels, brain damage
Innate behavioural tendencies proposed by Freud
Faulty thinking patterns (cognition)
Examples of external forces in determinism
Learnt associations and stimulus response links (behaviourism e.g. Skinner and Pavlov)
Imitating role models (SLT e.g. bandura)
What does hard determinism suggest?
All human behaviour has a cause and it is theoretically possible to identify and describe all these causal factors
What does soft determinism suggest?
That whilst human behaviour may have a cause, individuals do have the capacity to make conscious choices about their behaviour - behaviour may be predictable but not inevitable
What is biological determinism?
The belief that behaviour is caused by biological influences that we cannot control including genes, hormones, NT, brain damage and evolutionary explanations
What is environmental determinism?
The belief that behaviour is caused by environmental influences that we cannot control including stimulus response links, operant conditioning or the influence of those around us
What is psychic determinism?
The belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we cannot control including the influence of the ID, or the influence of childhood traumas
Examples of biological dterminism
Anti-psychotics in treating OCD
NRT in treating smoking addiction
Caudate nucleus, SERT gene, NT levels etc. in OCD
A1 DRD2 genes in addiction
TPH gene and chromosomes 8 and 11 in schizophrenia
Examples of environmental determinism
SLT and SID in addiction
Bandura and the bobo doll
Aversion therapy, covert sensitisation, cue reactivity theory
Schedules of reinforcement
Examples of psychic determinism
Freudian theories of addiction i.e. too much ID
Psychotics - too much ID
Neurotic - too much super ego
Schizophrenogenic mother
Definition of reductionism
Trying to explain complex behaviours using the component parts that make them up - it breaks down complex phenomenon into simple components
Definition of holism
When looking at behaviour we should judge the whole rather than one specific part - perceive all the behaviour rather than its individual features - it does not deny influences but feels human behaviour is more complex than just one component
Examples of reductionism
Studying schizophrenia and only focusing on biology
Studying addiction and only focusing on personality
Examples of holism
Humanism
What is the idiographic approach?
It attempts to explain the nature of individuals and argues that people should be studied as unique entities which subjective experiences, motivations and values that contribute to individual development
What methods of research does the idiographic approach normally use?
Methods that collect qualitative data to describe richness and detail e.g. unstructured interviews, observations, open questionnaires, thematic and content analysis, introspection, case studies
