issues & debates

Question 1

free will vs determinism

Answer 1

FW- total control over making independent decisions ( humanistic app)
Hard Determinsim - no control over decisions only driven by internal and external forces
(Biological determinism- behaviour driven by factors like hormones, environmental(behaviourist) - behaviour driven by factors like environment operant conditioning and psychic - driven by unconscious mind like defence mechanisms)
Soft determinism - some control , cognitive shemas

Question 2

Nature vs nurture

Answer 2

Nature - behaviour driven by biological factors like genes , biological approach
Nurture - behaviour driven by environmental factors like SLT and behaviourist approach

Question 3

Infographic vs nomothetic

Answer 3

Idiographic - studies indivual cases to understand behaviours , humanistic app and psychodynamic (case study little hans)
Nomothetic - experiments with large groups to generalise behaviours and see correlations (all other approaches)

Question 4

Holistic vs reductionism

Answer 4

Holistic - studies whole of human behaviour as one (humanistic approach)
Nomothetic - picks apart components to study one by one - biological reductionism (ocd and serotonin hormones) environmental reductionism (stimulus response) cognitive app (theoretical simple models.)
Levels of explanation - sociological, physiological, biological, chemical and then physical.

Question 5

Gender bias
Alpha and beta

Answer 5

Alpha bias - when difference in gender is exaggerated , Freud girls and boys diff complexes, girls have a weaker super ego due to not identifying as strongly with mother as boys with father.
Beta bias - gender differences are ignored or minimised, biological fight or flight universal adrenaline and stress however research showed women can tend and befriend instead.
Androcentrisn - male bias

Question 6

Cultural bias

Answer 6

Ethnocentrism - one culture is used to judge others , ainsworth strange situation = moderate sep and stranger anxiety = secure att =US however universally used in Germany = less sep and stranger att = insecure avoidant
Culture relativism - taking into account all culture contexts

Question 7

Ethical and social implications

Answer 7

Ethical implications - negative effect socially and politically based on findings and theory’s , bowls maternal deprivation lead to women being seen as to be at home or bias at work and need to take maternity leave.
Socially Sensitive research - research that could lead to discrimination or conflict.