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A Level: Psychology > Issues And Debates > Flashcards

Issues And Debates Flashcards

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1
Q

Define universality

A

Exists in all conditions

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2
Q

Define alpha bias

A

Occurs when the differences between men and women are exaggerated

Stereotypical Male and female traits are emphasised

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3
Q

Define beta bias

A

Occurs when the differences between men and women are MINIMISED

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4
Q

Define androcentrism

A

Taking Male behaviour as normal

Regarding female behaviour as deviant, inferior and abnormal

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5
Q

Define gynocentrism

A

Refers to anything that focuses on women in either theory or practise or focuses exclusively on female and feminist issues

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6
Q

Give an example of gender bias in the psychodynamic approach

A

ALPHA BIAS:
Process of identification during phallic stage (psychosexual stages of development)
-women passively identify
-men actively identify
.: women do not identify with their mothers as strongly as boys identity with their fathers
So develop weaker superegos

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7
Q

Give an example of gender bias in moral development

A

BETA BIAS: Lawrence kohlberg
Heinz dilemma- girls reach stage 3 of morals whereas boys reach stage 4

Assumed moral reasoning is the same in men and women- example of beta bias because he assumed the female responses would apply to everyone

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8
Q

Criticise Lawrence Kohlbergs work

A

Carol Gilligan- women have a different set of criteria, morality of care

Men have a morality of justice

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9
Q

Describe gender bias in the fight or flight response

A

BETA BIAS

Biological research on this is carried out on Male animals

This assumes the fight or flight response is universal

.: the differences have been minimised as it was assumed to be universal

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10
Q

What are the negative implications of gender bias in psychology

A
  • creates misleading assumptions about female behaviour, failing to challenge negative stereotypes
  • gender bias in research could have damaging consequences which affect the lives of real women, eg females are 2x more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men
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11
Q

What did Taylor et al find

A

Provided evidence that females have a tendency-and-befriend response, this is adaptive because it ensures the survival of their offspring

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12
Q

Name a strength of gender bias

A

Means current researchers are much more careful when designing their studies and developing theories so to avoid possible gender bias

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13
Q

Two consequences of gender bias

A

Androcentrism

Gynocentrism

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14
Q

Define cultural bias

A

To what extent do the theories, models and concepts considered in psychology represent human behaviour

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15
Q

Define universality

A

Exists in all conditions

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16
Q

Define ethnocentrism

A

A belief that your society, group or culture is superior to all others, differences in groups are seen as bad

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17
Q

Define cultural relativism

A

States that an individuals belief and activities must be considered in terms of that persons own culture

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18
Q

How is ainsworths strange situation an example of cultural bias

A

German parents may be viewed as cold

Ainsworth is culturally biased, studied within one culture and assumed the ideal attachment type can be applied universally

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19
Q

How is definitions of abnormality an example of cultural bias

A

Ideal mental health:
Autonomy and high self esteem scream individualistic culture

Social norms:
-hearing voices in east is normal but in the west your a schizophrenic

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20
Q

How is intelligence testing culturally biased

A

Tests in west measure intelligence against the clock

Uganda 🇺🇬 characterise intelligence as slow, careful, deliberate thought

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21
Q

Name three universal behaviours

A

Kohlbergs stages of gender development ( strengthened by munroe)

Facial expression and emotions- ekman

International synchrony

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22
Q

What four aspects of the research process where ethical issues with social consequences may occur did Stanley and Sieber identify

A

1) the researcher question
2) treatment of participants
3) institutional context
4) interpretation and application of findings

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23
Q

What are the ethical implications from Raines research into brain scans of violent criminals

What are the potential benefits

A
  • self forfilling prophecy
  • euthanise
  • abortion if brains cans show the abnormality

Benefits:
- people could provide extra support to these kids- less crimes committed

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24
Q

Ethical implications of bowlbys maternal deprivation theory

A
  • suggests mothers should not go back to work

- blames mother for child

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25
Ethical implications of autism research ( auyeung)
Found a high level of testosterone in the amniotic fluid was a predictor of autistic traits Aborting babies who may potentially be autistic (before even being given a chance to display autistic tendencies)
26
Ethical implications of social control
USA 1920/30 sterilisation of people with a low IQ, addicts and mentally ill Criticised for scientific racism
27
How do u deal with the following issues: Lack of informed consent Deception Protection from harm
1) prior general consent 2) write a debrief 3) support and counselling
28
Define biological determinism
The belief that all behaviour and thought is caused by the action of the nervous system and genetic factors
29
Define psychic determinism
The belief that all thought and behaviour is caused by unconscious forces
30
Define environmental determinism
Belief all behaviour is under the control of environmental stimuli and external forces of reward and punishment
31
Define soft determinism
All behaviour is determined or caused by a persons own character wishes or conscious desired goal s
32
Define hard determinism
Belief that behaviour is caused by events outside of your personal control Free will is an illusion
33
Give two examples of biological determinism
- biopsychology - speech caused by specific areas of the brain Psychopathology - OCD COMT and SERT gene - neurotransmitter level’s and orbital frontal cortex
34
An example of environmental determinism
Phobia - learnt through environment - little Albert
35
Give an example of psychic determinism
Gender development | Psychosexual stages of development- fixation causes behaviour later in life
36
What is the scientific emphasis on causal laws
The idea that in order to be scientific theory must be cause and effect
37
What does science aim to provide
Prediction and control
38
3 criticisms of being determinist
❌removes moral responsibility ❌free will doesn’t fit science ❌mental disorders
39
Explain the idea that determinism removes moral responsibility
Determinism is inconsistent with societies ideas of self control and personal responsibility, these ideas form the basis of our moral and legal assumptions
40
Why is it that free will does not fit with science
No causal explanation for free will | Science aims to predict our behaviour and control it, free will says people are able to control what they do
41
Why do mental disorders criticise free will
Schizophrenia- despite the patients longing for the symptoms to end, it is not optional and there is no free will in the matter
42
Which two approaches argue free will is an illusion
Behaviourism- one thinks you are making a choice but you are unaware of reinforcement histories Psychodynamic- one thinks you are making a choice but it’s really driven by unconscious forces
43
Define the debate nature vs nurture
The extent to which particular aspects of behaviour are a product of either inherited or acquired influences
44
Define nature
Genetic, hormone, traits and dispositions
45
Define nurture
Environment, culture and experience
46
Define nativist
Certain skills or abilities are hardwired into our brains at birth
47
Define empiricist
Gaining knowledge through experiences
48
Define heredity
The process by which traits are passed down from one generation to the next
49
Define interactionist approach
View that both nature and nurture work together to shape human behaviour
50
Describe the medical condition Phenylketonuria in relation to the nature nurture debate
Caused by the inheritance of two recessive genes, people with PKU are unable to hydrolyse amino acids phenylalamine which builds up in blood and the brain causing mental retardation This disorder is not expressed because of an altered environment
51
Describe psychopathology in relation to nature and nurture
Twin studies- nestadt- high concordance rate Not 100% so nurture must also be a factor
52
Implications of Accepting nature alone
Removes moral responsibility- unable to change yourself
53
Implications of nurture
In therapy- changing environment changes behaviour
54
What is the theory on niche picking
People create their own nurture by actively selecting environments that are appropriate for Their nurture Eg an aggressive child will choose an aggressive environment
55
What are epigenetics
Material that acts like a set of switches to turn genes on/off Life experiences such as nutrition or stress control these switches These switches are passed to subsequent generations
56
Define the holism v reductionism debate
What’s the best way to explain behaviour: one component or the whole person
57
Define holism
Preceding the whole experience rather than the individual features and the relations between them
58
Define reductionism
Belief human behaviour is best explained when broken down into smaller parts
59
Define biological reductionism
Explains social and psychological phenomena at a lower biological level
60
Define environmental reductionism
Explain behaviour in terms of stimulus- response links to what has been learned through experience
61
Define parsimony
Means simplest theory with the least assumptions and variables with greatest explanatory power
62
Define levels of explanation
Lowest level- considers biological explanations - brain genes hormones Middle level- psychological explanation Highest level- social and cultural explanations
63
Explain how elements of biopsychology are reductionist
Genetics and neurochemical imbalances are frequently highlighted as the main causes of disorders - biologically reductionist
64
How are is ocd reductionist
Biologically reductionist - OCD | Drug therapy
65
How is social influence holistic
Conformity and group behaviour may show characteristics that are greater than the individual alone
66
Evaluate biological reductionism
Drugs do not cure the underlying issues and so do not have a long term impact Drugs also have side effects which can sometimes be highly dangerous
67
Give an example of environmental reductionism
Phobias - classical conditioning and operant conditioning - a strength of being environmentally reductionist is that it gives people the power to change their phobias (through treatment)
68
Criticise environmental reductionism
How her one weakness of environmental reductionism is animal studies- Explanations are limited because you can’t generalise animals onto humans
69
What do experiments reduce things down to What does this allow to be establish
Isolated variables Establish a causal relationship
70
Criticise experimental reductionism
Experimental research operationalises variables in behaviour such as eyewitness memory, the results however may be more different in real life Eg effect of anxiety on EWT - Johnson and Scott - yuille and cutshall
71
What scientific assumption does reductionism work with
Parsimony
72
Give a strength of experimental reductionism
Reductionism is in-line with the scientific approach and the findings can be replicated and verified Therefore reductionism has greater test ability than a holistic explanation
73
Strength of holism
Gives a more complete understanding Eg the Stanford prisoners behaviour can only be understood when considered within the context of the prison and relationships between prisoners and guards
74
Criticism of holism methods
Does not fit with scientific testing Holism does not have isolated variables- cannot establish causes and effect Holistic view lacks scientific credibility
75
Criticise reductionism
A limitation of reductionist view is that if only lower levels of expansion are considered then the true meaning may be overlooked Eg SSRIs given to people with OCD
76
Describe interactions in reductionism
``` Diathesis= biology- predisposition Stress= psychological- trauma ``` Interaction is between levels of explanation
77
Define the idiographic nomothetic debate
What is the best way to investigate behaviour Should we focus on the individual you are dealing with Or make generalisations about behaviour
78
Define idiographic
An approach to research that focuses more on the individual case as a means of understanding behaviour QUALITATIVE
79
Define nomothetic
Attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws QUANTITATIVE
80
Define qualitative
Non numerical- data is collected through interviews and open questions
81
Define quantitative
Numerical and can be statistically analysed
82
Define humanism in terms of being idiographic
Described each individual as unique and having free will Unable to gain qualitative data
83
How is bowlbys maternal deprivation hypothesis nomothetic
If a child does not have a secure attachment with mother- will be affection less psychopath ❌kolouchova twins demonstrated maternal deprivation could be overcome
84
How is behaviourism nomothetic
Generalised everyone could learn through reinforcement
85
How does psychodynamic approach have elements of both idiographic or nomothetic
- case study method qualitative (little Hans) | - but nomothetic- assumed universal laws of behaviour and personality development
86
Implications of adopting a nomothetic approach X2
❌generalisations overlook the richness of human experience ❌quantitative data does not include detail, loses insight into personal experiences
87
Implications of an idiographic approach X2
❌qualitative data relies on subjective interpretation - open to bias ❌more difficult to compare and analyse data
88
Instead of interactionism what does idiographic nomothetic approach suggest
They are complementary rather than contradictory
89
how does the multi store model display the multi store model
through laboratory based research alongside unique case study examples
90
what are the four aims of science, which are typically idiographic or nomothetic
1) to describe (i) 2) to understand (i) 3) to predict (n) 4) to control (n)
91
name the three types of law
1) classifying people into groups 2) principles of behaviour 3) establishing dimensions
92
What are the three nomothetic laws
1) classic thing people into groups- eg DSM- IV 2) principles of behaviour - can be applied to people in general 3) establishing dimensions on which people can be placed

A Level: Psychology (11 decks)

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