Issues and debates

Question 1

What is an emic construct?

Answer 1

A construct that varies from one culture to another, specific to a given culture.

Question 2

What is an etic construct?

Answer 2

A construct that’s universal, and so held across all cultures.

Question 3

What is ethnocentrism?

Answer 3

The belief in the superiority of one’s own cultural and ethnic group.

Question 4

What is cultural relativism?

Answer 4

Behaviour can’t be judged properly unless it’s viewed in the context of it’s culture

Question 5

What is universality?

Answer 5

The ability of research to be applied to everyone regardless of gender, culture and time.

Question 6

Give one example of psychology that demonstrates culture bias.

Answer 6

Ainsworth - strange situation

Question 7

What is gender bias?

Answer 7

The inability to represent both men and women’s behaviour and experiences.

Question 8

What is alpha bias?

Answer 8

When the differences between men and women are exaggerated.

Question 9

What is beta bias?

Answer 9

When the differences between men and women are minimised.

Question 10

What is androcentrism?

Answer 10

The term meaning male centred.

Question 11

Give one example of psychology that demonstrates alpha bias.

Answer 11

Freud’s theory of psychosexual development

Question 12

Give one example of beta bias.

Answer 12

Milgram’s study

Question 13

What is free will?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What is determinism?

Answer 14

The view that an individuals behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external forces.

Question 15

What is the differences between soft and hard determinism?

Answer 15

SD= all events have causes but behaviour can be determined by our conscious choices.
HD= implies free will isn’t possible as behaviour is caused by internal and external events.

Question 16

What are the 3 other types of determinism?

Answer 16

• biological
• psychic
• environmental

Question 17

Is free will or determinism more scientific?

Answer 17

Determinism

Question 18

Can free will or determinism establish cause and effect?

Answer 18

Determinism

Question 19

What is the nature argument?

Answer 19

Behaviour is innate and predetermined.

Question 20

What is the nurture argument?

Answer 20

Behaviour is a product of environmental influences.

Question 21

What is an interactionist approach?

Answer 21

The idea that nature and nurture are linked to such extent that it doesn’t make sense to separate the two. / the middle ground between nature and nurture

Question 22

What is reactive influence?

Answer 22

A parent may react more positively to a child who is easy going and happy than a moody and demanding child. The home environment is predisposition of the child.

Question 23

What is passive influence?

Answer 23

The environment is linked to the parents genetic makeup and passively transmitted to their children through their environment.

Question 24

What is active influence?

Answer 24

The genetic makeup of a child seeks to develop in an environment that’s similar to their predisposed characteristics.

Question 25

What is the diathesis stress model?

Answer 25

When a biological vulnerability is triggered by environmental variables e.g Bradley Waldroup

Question 26

What is epigenetics?

Answer 26

The environment changes your genetic makeup e.g smoking

Question 27

Give one example from within psychology of the nature approach.

Answer 27

Twin studies - concordance rate

Question 28

Give one example of the nurture approach.

Answer 28

Attachment and phobias

Question 29

Give one example of an interactionist approach.

Answer 29

Maguire and plasticity.

Question 30

What is reductionism?

Answer 30

Analysing behaviour by breaking it down into constituent parts.

Question 31

What is holism?

Answer 31

Holism attempts to understand behaviour as analysing a person as a whole.

Question 32

What is the difference between biological reductionism and environmental reductionism?

Answer 32

BR= biological psychologists try to reduce human behaviour down to a physical level. ER= behaviourists assume that all behaviour can be reduced to stimulus response.

Question 33

What is meant by levels of explanation?

Answer 33

Macro to micro scale. It's different ways of explaining the same behaviour.

Question 34

What is a nomothetic approach?

Answer 34

Producing general laws of human behaviour.

Question 35

What is an idiographic approach?

Answer 35

People are studied individually, with their own personal experiences.

Question 36

What are the 3 general laws of a nomothetic approach as proposed by Radford and Kirby (1975)?

Answer 36

- classification - establishing principles - establishing dimensions

Question 37

Give an example of a nomothetic approach in psychology

Answer 37

Behaviourist approach

Question 38

Give an example of an idiographic approach in psychology

Answer 38

Humanistic approach

Question 39

What is the difference between an ethical guideline and an ethical issue?

Answer 39

EG= what the researchers have to follow EI= what occurs if the researchers don't follow the ethical guidelines

Question 40

What are the ethical guidelines?

Question 41

What is meant by socially sensitive research?

Question 42

Give an example of a study that broke ethical guidelines