Issues and Debates

Question 1

What are the Issues and Debates in Psychology?

Answer 1

• Ethical issues in research
• Practical issues in the design and implementation of research
• Reductionism in the explanation of behaviour
• Comparisons of ways of explaining behaviour using different themes
• Psychology as a science
• Cultural and gender issues
• The role of both nature and nurture
• How psychological understanding has developed over time
• Issues in social control
• Use of psychological knowledge in society
• Issues related to socially-sensitive research.

Question 2

What are the Key Ethical Principles in Psychological Research?

Answer 2

• Integrity: level of honesty
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Competence: research carried out efficently

Question 3

What are the Practical Issues in the Design and Implementation of Research?

Answer 3

Issues with…

• sampling technque
• variables
• research design
• experimental design

Question 4

What is a Science?

Answer 4

A systematic study of behaviour based on observation, experiment and measurement

Question 5

What are the Features of a Science?

Answer 5

• controlled observations
• objective results
• tests theoretical hypothesies
• replicable to obtain similar results
• credible
• empirical research
• falsifiable

Question 6

Why is Psychology considered as a Science?

Answer 6

• infers cause and effect conclusions
• use of brain scanning methods
• isolates variables
• applicable to real life phenomena
• includes an aim and hypothesis
• quantitative data gathered and analysed
• use of lab experiments
• standardised and controlled procedures
• objective

Question 7

Why is Psychology considered Not as a Science?

Answer 7

• subjective
• qualitative data gathered and analysed
• social influences
• psychology proves nothing as there is no one true answer
• individual differences

Question 8

What is Reductionism?

Answer 8

Explaining complex situations at a more basic and simple level

Question 9

What are the Strengths of Reductionism?

Answer 9

• helps us understand complexed behaviour better, by breaking into smaller parts
• easier to study as you focus on one component, rather than several interacting components
• studies are more scientifically acceptable
• more objective
• more reliable as one component is isolated andn others are controlled to obtain more accurate results
• psychology has greater credibility

Question 10

What are the Weaknesses of Reductionism?

Answer 10

• by isolating certain components doesn’t give a full account of the behaviour
• components may be difficult to isolate or manipulate
• may ignore important details
• leads to loss of validity due to oversimplifying
• complexity of behaviour is missed
• does not take into account individual differences

Question 11

What does Holism mean?

Answer 11

By observing a person as a whole, including the complex factors

Question 12

What is the Nature Approach based on?

Answer 12

It is based on the biological aspect and the traits or qualities a person is born with

Question 13

What is the Nuture Approach based on?

Answer 13

It is based on the environmental or situational factors that could affect or influence a person

Question 14

What are the Strengths of the Nature Approach?

Answer 14

• uses objective scientific measures
• extraneous variables are highly controlled
• cause and effect can be established which increases validity
• practical and useful applications as it may help us to treat and cure human behaviour

Question 15

What are the Weaknesses of the Nature Approach?

Answer 15

• Reductionist as it tries to explain complex behaviour with one influence
• Ignores free-will as individuals may feel as if they have no control over their actions
• Restricts some useful applications as some behaviour could be changed by the environment

Question 16

What are the Strengths of the Nuture Approach?

Answer 16

• use of deception in social studies means that they tend to have high ecological validity
• practical and useful applications as it had real life relevance because it focuses on real life social issues
• changing the situation is often possible compared to changing biology so it encourages rehabilitation
• holistic viewpoint as it takes into account the role of the environment, society and individual differences so it is a full picture of human behaviour

Question 17

What are the Weaknesses of the Nuture Approach?

Answer 17

• difficult to separate the effects of social influences from the individual
• ignores biological causes so this reduces the validity of the approach
• ethical issues can arise due to deceiving participants
• genetic tendencies are real and can not be ignored

Question 18

What are the Cultural and Gender Issues in Psychological Research?

Answer 18

• androcentric: male specific research
• gynocentric: women specific research
• endrocentric: culture specific research

Question 19

What is Socially Sensitive Research?

Answer 19

Psychological research that has ethical implications that go beyond the research situation and affect people or groups in the wider society

Question 20

What are the Issues of Socially Sensitive Research?

Answer 20

• attention of media and general public: may change the way the study is viewed
• way in which the research question is formulated: hypothesis of a study may have ethical implications
• how the research is conducted and the way the participants are treated
• context and place of research
• interpretation and application of research findings