Issues And Debates Flashcards

1
Q

What is gender bias?

A

When one gender is treated less favourably than the other

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2
Q

What is universality?

A

The idea that conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone.

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3
Q

What is alpha bias?

A

An exaggeration of the differences between males and females

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4
Q

What is beta bias?

A

Ignoring or minimising the differences between males and females

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5
Q

What is androcentrism?

A

A consequence of beta bis where if behaviours considered as ‘normal’ are drawn from all male samples, other behaviours such as those of women may be misunderstood or marginalised.

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6
Q

How can we reduce gender bias?

A
  1. Take a feminist perspective
  2. Reverse alpha bias: develop studies which emphasise the value of women
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7
Q

Strengths of alpha bias

A
  • led to theorists asserting the worth of feminine qualities
  • led to criticisms of values which praise bad male qualities
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8
Q

Weaknesses of alpha bias

A
  • ignores the differences between women
  • can sustain stereotypes and prejudices
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9
Q

Strengths of beta bias

A
  • makes people see women and men as the same leading to equal treatment in legal terms
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10
Q

Weaknesses of beta bias

A
  • HM & M argue that arguing for equality draws attention away from the special needs of women
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11
Q

Strengths of gender bias as a whole

A

Researches are starting to see the effect their values have on their work. DAMBRIN & LAMBERT’s study included reflection on how their gender related experiences influenced their work. This reflexivity is important and leads to greater awareness

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12
Q

Weaknesses of gender bias as a whole

A

This type of research may creat misleading assumptions about female behaviour and have damaging consequences to women’s lives

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13
Q

What is culture bias?

A

A tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret everything through the lens of one’s own culture

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14
Q

What is an EMIC approach?

A

An investigation of a culture within that culture. Applied to only one culture and so vary across cultures.

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15
Q

Evaluation of emic approach

A

Strength: higher ecological validity
Weakness: culture bias can occur if a researcher assumes that an emic construct is actually an etic construct

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16
Q

What is an ETIC approach

A

Investigation of a culture outside of that culture. These ideas are assumed to apply in all cultural groups. Assume that most human behaviour is common but cultural factors influence the display of the behaviour.

17
Q

Evaluation of ETIC approach

A

Assuming that behaviours are universal across cultures can lead to imposed ETICS, where a construct from one culture is inappropriately applied to another

18
Q

What is ethnocentrism

A

A belief in the superiority of one’s own cultural group.

19
Q

What is cultural relativism

A

The principle of regarding the beliefs, values and practices of a culture from the viewpoint of that culture.

20
Q

Who distinguished between EMICS and ETICS?

A

BERRY

21
Q

What are the consequences of cultural bias

A

Some research may highlight cultural differences and use it as an excuse to say one culture is superior to another

22
Q

How to reduce cultural bias

A
  • encourage the use of indigenous psychologists
  • encourage a worldwide psychology community
23
Q

Strengths of culture bias

A

It may challenge our western ways of viewing the world and bring a greater sensitivity to cultural relativism. This counters the problem of ‘scientific racism’ and increases the validity of the conclusions.

24
Q

Weakness of culture bias

A

The variables may not be experienced in the same way by all participants. In China invasion of personal space is normal whereas in the West it may be seen as confrontational.

25
Q

What is free will

A

The notion that humans can make choices and aren’t determined by external forces

26
Q

Definitions of free will

A
  • choice
  • unconstrained behaviour
  • voluntary behaviour
27
Q

Strengths of free will

A
  • everyday experience gives the impression that we always exercise free will; face validity
  • people with an internal LOC tend to be more mentally healthy
  • ROBERTS ET AL: teens who believe in fatalism are more at risk of depression
  • emphasis on the individual
  • self efficacy is useful in therapies
28
Q

Weaknesses of free will

A
  • studies by LIBET & CHUN SIONG SOON ET AL show that brain activity involved in decision making may predate our knowledge of having made a choice meaning our experiences of free will are determined by our brain before we become aware of them
  • may be a culturally relative concept
  • untestable and unscientific
29
Q

What is determinism

A

The view that an individuals behaviour is controlled by internal or external forces rather than their will to do something

30
Q

What is hard determinism

A

The idea that free will is an illusion and every event and action has a cause

31
Q

What is soft determinism

A

The idea that behaviour is determined to an extent but in the absence of compulsion people have a degree of choice

32
Q

Definitions of determinism

A
  • comes in many forms
  • all behaviour has a cause and future behaviour is predictable
  • fits classical science
  • modern physics disputes hard determinism
33
Q

Environmental determinism

A
  • behaviour is caused by outside influence
  • behaviourist approach sees behaviour as caused by reinforcement and punishment
  • SKINNER: free will is an illusion; behaviour is determined by past experiences + reinforcement
34
Q

Psychic determinism

A
  • psychodynamic approach believes our personality is determined by our childhood experiences
  • FREUD: free will is an illusion because the causes of our behaviour are unconscious and predictable
35
Q

Biological determinism

A
  • our biological systems govern our behaviour
  • biological approach says we can predict our behaviour as a result of our
    • structure and functions
    • hormones
36
Q

Strengths of determinism

A
  • consistent with the aims of science; places psychology on equal footing with established sciences
  • the prediction and control of behaviour has led to treatments and therapies
  • society is more willing to accept its findings based on facts
37
Q

Weaknesses of determinism

A
  • the hard deterministic view isn’t consistent with the legal system where offenders are held morally accountable
  • it’s unfalsifiable because it’s based on the idea that causes of behaviour will always exist even though they may not have been found
  • reductionist
  • doesn’t account for individual differences