Issues And Debates Better

Question 1

What is bias?

Answer 1

When a psychologists pre existing beliefs and viewpoints influence their theories and data interpretation

Question 2

What is universality?

Answer 2

The claim observed behaviours apply to all humans regardless of differences in gender,biology or culture

Question 3

What is gender bias?

Answer 3

When researchers steryoptypical views about male and female behaviour affect their theoretical assumptions

Question 4

What is alpha bias?

Answer 4

Assumption there are significant differences in behaviour between genders often leading to an exaggeration of them e.g bowlbys monotopic theory

Question 5

What is beta bias?

Answer 5

Assumption there’s no significance differences in behaviour between genders leading to minimising differences e.g. milgram- used 40 male ppts and only on the obedience of males and asch research

Question 6

What is androcentrism?

Answer 6

Theories that tend to support a male centric view of world

Question 7

What is cultural bias?

Answer 7

Interpreting and judging human behaviour based on cultural norms and experiences
E.g sz African people diagnosed more likely Fernando

Question 8

What is ethnocentrism?

Answer 8

When researcher insiders their own culture to be superior and uses it as the standard for evaluating other cultures e.g Mary ainsworth research was applied to all when it should’ve only be applied to America imposed etic

Question 9

What is cultural relativism?

Answer 9

Human behaviour should be understood within the context of the culture where it occurs taking into account that cultures norms,values and beliefs

Question 10

How does Henrich critisce culture bias?

Answer 10

He found findings are argues to be universal but are culture-biased as they are conducted on WEIRD participants (western,educated,rich,democratic) 68% of research subjects to in a sample of hundreds of studies in leading psychology journals came from the USA to reduce bias a diverse sample should be used e.g van izjendoorn

Question 11

What’s one way to reduce androcentrism and ethnocentrism?

Answer 11

Can be reduced through greater diversity and equal representation among researchers this includes encouraging mroe female researchers to reduce androcentrism and to reduce ethnocentrism indigenous psychology should be encouraged which is research conducted by researchers who are native or the culture

Question 12

What is the reflexive approach?

Answer 12

Researchers actively reflecting of their beliefs,values and experiences being self aware

Question 13

What is hard determinism?

Answer 13

Behaviour is set by forces outside of our control with no role for free will

Question 14

What is soft determinism?

Answer 14

Traits and behaviiir share dictated by internal and external forces however we have some level of freee will (cognitive psychology)

Question 15

What is free will?

Answer 15

We have total control over ourselves (humanistic)

Question 16

What is biological determinism?

Answer 16

Our behaviour is determined by our genetics and biological processes (biology)

Question 17

What is environmental determinism?

Answer 17

Our experiences of the world shape our behaviour (behaviourism and SLT)

Question 18

What psychic determinism?

Answer 18

Innate drives,shaped by childhood experiences from unconscious forces that determine our behaviour (psychodynamic )

Question 19

What did Libet research to support determinism?

Answer 19

Classic EEG research showed a readiness-potential that appeared to make a decision less than a second before awareness of a conscious decision

Question 20

What did bandura say which rejects determinism?

Answer 20

Reciprocal determinism-while our environment influences our actions our actions shape our environment so oversimplification by determinism

Question 21

What support is there for biological determinism?

Answer 21

Drug treatments such as SSRIs helps people get back to life and work positive impact on economy

Question 22

What is Nature?

Answer 22

Descartes assumes biological heredity is more important than environmental factors in determining behaviour
E.g genetic explanation to sz or ocd MAOA gene

Question 23

What is nurture?

Answer 23

Locke assumes the environment has a more important factor in determining behaviour
E.g ainsworth attachment styles, slt,phobias

Question 24

What is interactionism?

Answer 24

Assumes the enviroetn and genes work together and influence each other
E.g. diathesis stress model

Question 25

Gottesman how does he support the nature debate?

Answer 25

Concordance rate in twins for sz 48%mz and 17% dz

Question 26

What’s the problem with nature debate?

Answer 26

That you cant change

Question 27

What is reductionism ?

Answer 27

Studying complex phenomena by breaking them down into their simplest components e.g skinner

Question 28

What is biological reductionism?

Answer 28

Reduces complex human behaviour to basic biological elements

Question 29

What is environmental reductionism?

Answer 29

Explains behaviour through simple stimulus-response mechanisms

Question 30

What is holism?

Answer 30

Includes biological, environmental and complex socio-cultural expiernces as a whole

Question 31

What are the 3 levels of explanations ?

Answer 31

Highest is socio cultural holims -high level as they focus on multi variable components Next is psychological Last is biological -low level High levels are more holistic Low levels are more reductionist

Question 32

What is nomothetic?

Answer 32

Research uses a large and representative sample of ppts and findings generate new laws of behaviour to support existing theories Inferences are made about the broader population based on the behaviour of sample E.g. behaviourism,slt,biological and cognitive psychology Experimental,scientific,quantative

Question 33

What is idiographic ?

Answer 33

Research studies individuals subjective experiences,behaviours and personalities there’s also an attempt to understand the cultural,social and environmental context that influences individuals There’s no attempt to generalise the laws E.g. humanistic Non expiemrntal techniques,qaualitative,unscientific

Question 35

A03 for nomothetic and idiographic ?

Answer 35

Nomothetic is generalisable,objective

Question 36

What are implications of research ?

Answer 36

The consequence of constructing theories and conducting research for the ppts and the groups they represent

Question 37

What are possible implications?

Answer 37

Ppts suffering due to a lack of protection from harm the public forming steryotypes,groups studied suffering discrimination and gov using psychological findings to develop harmful policies

Question 38

What is socially sensitive research?

Answer 38

Siebar and Stanley, studies individuals subjective experiences which there are potential consequences or implications,either directly for the ppts in the research or for the class of individuals represent by the research

Question 39

What is reflexivity?

Answer 39

Research should carefully consider their own personal beliefs,biases. They have to be objective and conduct research ethically

Question 40

What is the ethics committee?

Answer 40

Decide if the study should go ahead and use a cost benefit analysis considering potential harms and benefits the research may have on the wider society

Question 41

Bowlbys maternal deprivation theory is socially sensitive research also statistical infrequency definition of abnormality

Question 42

What research has ethical implications?

Answer 42

Burts research into IQ his research was used for the implementation of the 11+ exam which is used to decide whether a child can go to a grammar school which has an impact on children’s future life

Question 43

What did Goddard find in his study that was socially sensitive and led to racism?

Answer 43

Concluded from his research that IQ is genetic this led to horrible practices in the US whereby anyone with low IQ Ed’s seen as feeble minded hence sterilised

Question 44

What’s another issue with ethical implications in research?

Answer 44

Research can be used for social control. It’s difficult to manage who benefits from research and this choice belongs to the rich and powerful so it isn’t fair to the public.

Question 45

How is loftus and palmer research benefitting of ethical implications?

Answer 45

Loftus and palmer did research into how leading questions can influence the accuracy of eye witness recall. This research has made police more aware of this so that they are more careful when carrying out interview post crime

Question 46

Although all research goes through an ethics committee which conducts a cost benefit analysis it remains very challenging to predict how the findings of the study will affect the public when released