Issues and Debates Evaluation Flashcards
Gender Bias-Strengths
+Reflexivity-Researchers are beginning to recognise the effects of their own research-gives people a greater awareness of gender bias
+Feminist Psychology-Women are studied in real life situations
Gender Bias-Weaknesses
- Can create negative implications (affect women negatively)
- Sexism in research process-Women are not represented at senior research level-women are not reflected in research questions asked. Also, the lab experiments, females might have an inequitable relationship with male researchers who can label them as irrational and strange
Cultural Bias-Strengths
+Due to global communications, the gap between individualism and collectivism style cultures are becoming less of an issue-reduces cultural bias
+Research into cultures challenge assumptions about some cultures
Cultural Bias-Weaknesses
- Some cultures are unfamiliar with research conditions and traditions
- Not all behaviour is culture bound, some is universal-we need to look at individuals as well as groups to understand and differentiate between these
Determinism-Strengths
+Consistent with the aims of psychology-places psychology up with established sciences
+High value research-lead to the development of treatments,therapies and interventions
Determinism-Weaknesses
- Hard Determinism-not consistent with the legal system
- Unfalsifable-Cannot be proved wrong-makes it less scientific
Free Will-Strengths
+Has face validity as it makes cognitive sense
+If we think we have free will, it could positively effect on our mind and behaviour
Free Will-Weaknesses
-Neurological studies claim that all decisions are decided and determined by the brain before we are aware of them
Holism-Strengths
+Can be used to study behaviour in a group
+Provides a global understanding of behaviour
Holism-Weaknesses
- Vague and Speculative as they become more complex
- Can’t be used to solve real world problems
Reductionism-Strength
+Easy to test behaviours
Reductionism-Weaknesses
- Oversimplified complex behaviours
- Only forms part of an explanation
Idiographic-Strengths
+Complete and global account of the individual
+Can create universal theories
Idiographic-Weaknesses
- Narrow and restricted
- Case studies can be generalised
- Uses less scientific approaches
Nomothetic-Strengths
+Uses scientific approaches
+Can establish “norms”-makes psychology more credible
