Psychology key terminology Flashcards
Universality
Universality = when a theory can be applied to anyone regardless of factors such as culture, etc
Androcentric
Androcentric = being centered on, or dominated by males and can be conscious or unconscious
Alpha bias
Alpha bias refers to theories which exaggerate the difference between males and females
Beta bias
Beta bias = traditionally ignored or minimised sex differences - theories often assume that the findings from males can apply equally to females
Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism = occurs when a researcher assumes that their own culturally specific practises or ideas that are ‘natural’ or ‘right
Cultural relativity
Cultural relativity = the idea that a behaviour can only be properly understood/only has meaning or makes sense in the context of the norms and values of the society of culture in which it occurs
Hard determinism
Hard determinism - the view that forces outside of our control shape our behaviour eg biology or past experiences
Soft determinism
Soft determinism = suggests that some behaviours are more constrained than others and that there is an element of free will in all behaviour
Biological determinism
Biological determinism = refers to the idea that all human behaviour is innate and determined by genes
Environmental determinism
Environmental determinism - the view that behaviour is determined or caused by forces outside the individual
Psychic determinism
Psychic determinism = claims that human behaviour is the result of childhood experiences and innate drives (ID, ego and superego)
Hereditary
Hereditary = the process by which traits are passed down genetically from one generation to the next
Interactionist approach
Interactionist approach - the view that both nature and nurture work together to shape human behaviour
Biological reductionism
Biological reductionism = assumes that all behaviour can be reduced to simple stimulus-response associations and complex behaviours
Levels of explanation
Levels of explanation = lowest levels consider physiological explanations, middle level considers psychological condierations and highest level considers social + cultural behaviours
Environmental reductionism
Environmental reductionism = where a complex behaviour is reduced to a single, isolated variable for the purpose of testing
Idiographic approach
Idiographic approach = focuses on the inidividual and emphasises the unique personal experience of human nature
Nomothetic approach
Nomothetic approach = concerns with establishing general laws, based on studies on large groups of people, and the use of quantitative techniques to analyse data
Ethical implications
Ethical implications consider the impact or consequences that research has on the rights of people in a wider context, not just the participants involved in the particular research
Social sensitivity
Social sensitivity = studies where there are potential social consequences for the participants involved in the research
