P3: Issues and Debates in Psychology Flashcards
Describe and Explain Gender Bias
Give examples
GENDER BIAS: not accurately representing experience/behaviour of both men/women
-Alpha bias: Over exaggeration of bias(between sexes)
-Beta bias: Ignorance/minimalism difference between sexes
Consequence of BETA BIAS=
-Androcentrism: Male norms used as standard ∴ female behaviour= abnormal(e.g.PMS)
EXAMPLES
-Asch study(Only men studied)
-relationship sociobiology(Inter/Intra-sexual behaviour ∴ don’t follow norm= abnormal)
Evaluate Gender Bias
- IRL Implications: Creates misleading info about female behaviour ∴ scientific reasons to refuse women jobs in work place
+ Reflectivity: understanding = able to embarrass problem ∴ greater awareness - Promotes sexism: lack of females= more males’ work get processed ∴ inevitable gender/researcher bias in theory/research
Describe and Explain Cultural Bias
Give examples
Studying behaviour in one culture ∴wrongly assuming behaviour from other cultures as abnormal
LEADS TO (western origins)
-Ethnocentrism: Belief one culture’s belief are superior to others n anything different= abnormal
NEW PHILOSOPHY
-Cultural Relativism: Idea behaviour can only be understood within social cultural standards
UNIVERSAL APPRAOCHES
-Etis: Looking at behaviour outside of given culture = identify universal behaviours
-Emic: Identifying behaviours specific to a culture
EXAMPLES
-Asch study
-Strange Situation(Imposed etics)(e.g. Germany independence = promoted/good but US standard = bad)
Evaluate Cultural Bias
- Globalisation: (Temporal Validity)more connected than ever ∴ less of an issue. Comparison studies of US/Japan = no distinct different
+ Cross-Culture Research: Challenging Western Beliefs= promotes greater sensitivity/stronger generalisation ∴ more validity ∵ of awareness
+Distinction between cultural relativism/universals: Imposed etics= cultural specific nature of psych= no such thing as universal behaviour. Basic facial expressions= same in animal/human kingdom - Unfamiliarity of lab conditions: Cultures ≠ used to it= more demand characteristics VS US used to it/familiar with aims∴ validity threaten
Describe and Explain the Free will and Determinism Debate
Give examples
FREE-WILL: Idea that we are self-determining
e.g. Humanistic, Cognitive approach.
SOFT DETERMINISM: Human action = cause but ppl have conscious mental control over behaviour
HARD DETERMINISM:(FATALISM) All actions has a cause. Possible to identify causes. No control(complies with science)
TYPES OF DETERMINISM
BIOLOGICAL: Controlled via physiological, genes, hormones.e.g.Testosterone= aggression. Mental health vulnerability. Nervous system influence= anxiety affect
ENVIRONMENTAL: Determined via conditioning
Choice= sum total of reinforced contingencies.e.g. shaped by parents, teachers, institutions
PSYCHIC: Controlled via Biological drives/ instincts
Determined/Directed by unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood
EXAMPLE DETERMINIST APPROACHES
e.g.Biological,Behaviourism, Psychodynmaic
Evaluate the Free will and Determinism Debate
DETERMINISM
+ Consistent with Science: Idea of Laws = consistent with science ∴ good prediction power.e.g. Schizophrenia cane predicted/ treated…. Also Therapy
- Legal System issue: Built upon idea of free-will. Only in extreme case can they be lenient. Falsification != cannot prove that causes of behaviour will always exist.
FREE WILL
+ Face Validity: Daily life= feel in control/Creates positive image regardless of truth. FOUND: strong belief in fatalism = more risk of depression
- Neurological Evidence: Brain scans = evidence against free will. FOUND: Brain activity related to decision to press a button with left/right hand occurs 10s before conscious awareness ∴basic experience= pre-determined
Describe and Explain The Nature-Nurture Debate
Nature: Human characteristics 50% inherited
Nurture: 2 types: 1)Pre-natal:Learning in Womb 2)Post-natal: Learning during childhood
PRACTICALLY/THEORETICALLY little sense to separate nature/nurture
Interactionism:
e.g. Attachment. Nature= temperament, Nurture= parent’s response to behaviour
e.g. Mental Health= Diathesis-stress model(Bio vulnerability + Envrio trigger)
3RD ELEMENT: EPIGENETICS
A change in genetic activity without changing genetic code.e.g. Smoking ∴ 3rd element(life experience)
Evaluate The Nature-Nurture Debate
+ Interactionism IRL Application: Extreme beliefs= negative implications.e.g. Nativists(nature) ∴linking race to eugenics(Superiority) ∴ middle ground = reasonable
+ Constructivism: ppl try to create own nurture.e.g. aggressive kids=prefers ppl who are aggressive ∴ impossible/illogical to separate nature/nurture
+ Relation to other debates: Extreme nature/nurture= hard determinism. Nativist= Biological determinism. Empiricists= Environmental determinism ∴displayed how this links in with other debates
- Confounding factor in twin studies: Twins in same family ≠ same upbringing ∵may experience events differently. MZ twins studies ≠ perfect concordance rate∴ cannot isolate aspects
Describe and Explain The Holism and Reductionism Debate
-Holism: Ppl/behaviour should be studied as a whole system
-Reductionism: Breaking down behaviour into constituent parts
-Biological Reductionism: All behaviour is some LV Biological ∴ explained via neurochemical/physiological…(Application to mental health)
-Environmental Reductionism: Analysis at physical LV(stimulus-response).(Cognition ignored)
LVS OF EXPLANATION(increasingly more reductionist)
e.g. OCD (for washing hands)
Socio-cultural LV: ODD(repetitive hand washing)
Psychological LV: Obsessive thoughts
Physical LV: Sequence of movements
Physiological LV: Hypersensitivity of basal ganglia(Body part)
Neurochemical LV: Underproduction of serotonin(Hormone)
Evaluate The Holism and Reductionism Debate
Holism
+ Explanation of social behaviour: some social behaviour=emerge in groups.e.g.SPE= interactions between ppl mattered ∴ more complete understanding
- Impractical: lacks scientific testing ∴ vague.e.g. depression= too many factors= hard to find source ∴ in IRL lower LV explanations=more applicable
Reductionism
+ Scientific Credibility: Operationalise variables=able to observe/conduct tests ∴ more equal credibility with natural sciences
- Lack of Validity: Oversimplification=lose social context.e.g.Pointing a finger up= Q/attention, Finger straight= aggression ∴only be part of an explanation
Interactionism
+ Diathesis-stress model
Describe and Explain Idiographic and Nomothetic approaches
Give examples
IDIOGRAPHIC(Study of unique experiences)
No comparisons to larger groups standards/norms.
Association to Qualitative data(e.g.case studies)
e.g.Humanistic, Psychodynamic(case studies only)
NOMOTHETIC(Production of general laws)
Allows future behaviour= controlled/predicted.
Association to questionnaires/psych tests(Scientific methods)
e.g. Behaviourists, Cognitive, Biological
Evaluate the Idiographic and Nomothetic approaches
Idiographic
+ Rich data: e.g. HM= come procedural memory= more resistant to amnesia ∴reveal important info= contributes to understanding
- Lack scientific rigour: e.g. Freud. key concepts = from 1 case study(lil Hans) ≠ meaningful generalisation. Researcher bias!
Nomothetic
+Scientific Value: Use Standardised procedures, reliability test, validity, statistical tests demo significance ∴ greater scientific credibility
- Loss of a whole person: e.g. Lab test of memory= ppl treated as set of scores not ppl ∴overlook importance of human experience
Interactionist
+ Complimentary ≠ Contradictory: allows different perspectives
Describe and explain the Ethical implications of research studies and theory
Ethical Implications: Ethics arise ∵ conflicts between
Psychology’s need for valid/valuable research VS rights/dignity of participants.
Wider ethical implications hard to predict.e.g.medias presentation
SOCIALLY SENSITIVE RESEARCH
e.g.Taboo, criminal genes.
Concerns for Socially sensitive research
1) Implications(giving scientific credibility to prejudice)
2)Use/public policy(used for evil(GOV/political ends))
3)Validity(Objective findings in past= fraudulent)
e.g. Burt’s research on IQ= consequence of UK kids
11+ tests(Natural intellect) = allowed to go to grammar school or not.
His views were intellect= genetic from his twin studies.
FOUND:
DATA= made up(lots)/ invented 2 research assistance ∴ public discredited but 11+ remained for many yrs
Evaluate Ethical Implications of research studies and theory
+ Benefits= awareness: Under-represented groups= promote understanding/reduce prejudice/encourage acceptance(e.g.Validity of EWT) ∴ valuable role
- Use for Social Control: 1920-30 US= legislated compulsory sterilisation of ppl who were deemed feeble minded/drain to society/unfit to breed ∴ ∵history= against widespread adoption
- Prediction of cost/benefits: Some social consequence hard to anticipate(vulnerable groups) assessment of worth= subjective. Impact of research only known once public(by then it can be too late)
