issues & debates Flashcards
(14 cards)
GENDER BIAS
Ao1
differential treatment/representation of men and women based on stereotypes, not accurate.
Alpha bias:
differences between men & women exaggerated, usually to devalue them. Presented as enduring/fixed. e.g. Freud phallic stage
Beta bias:
differences between men women minimised, occurs when female pps not included in research. findings applied to both. e.g. fight or flight vs tend & befriend, Milgram.
Androcentrism:
when behaviour is judged according to a male standard, women often look abnormal. causes alpha & beta bias, e.g. PMS social construct
GENDER BIAS
Ao3
STRENGTHS
- beta bias can lead to equal treatment of men/women. e.g. equal access to education and employment
LIMITATIONS
- alpha bias social implications - e.g. stressed role of mother leads to blame
- sexism in research, men conducting studies means women unlikely to be represented
- leads to women normally feeling abnormal. can validate discrimination , researchers must have reflexivity
CULTURAL BIAS
Ao1
96% of research from industrialised nations.
tendency to interpret all phenomena/behaviours through the lens of one culture.
Heinrich - WEIRD
Westernised, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democracies
anything else considered abnormal, inferior
e.g. Jahoda ideal mental health
ethnocentrism:
belief in superiority of one’s own cultural group. Others judged by standards (usually western), leads to prejudice, discrimination.
e.g. Strange situation
Chitling test
cultural relativism:
norms and values as well as ethics/moral standards can only be understood within specific social/cultural contexts
imposed etic:
judging based on own values, apply to others.
emic:
only used to describe that culture
CULTURE BIAS
Ao3
STRENGTHS
-individualism vs collectivism no longer a big issue Takano & Osaka found 14/15 studies no evidence
- emerging field of cultural psychology, emic approach
LIMITATIONS
- can help create eugenic social policies. e.g. ethnocentric army tests, african americans ‘unfit’
-when imposed etic studies replicated, results seen as inferior or abnormal
FREE WILL VS DETERMINISM
Ao1
Hard: all behaviour has cause, no free will
Soft: all behaviours have cause but influenced by conscious choices
Biological, Environmental, Psychic
FREE WILL VS DETERMINISM
Ao3
STRENGTHS
- Libet flick wrist, unconscious activity 0.5 seconds before decision. Disregards free will
-Helps establish psych as a science - approaches such as biological and cognitive more scientific than humanistic
LIMITATIONS
-impact on justice system
- free will better for mental health. Roberts found higher risk of depression in adolescents
NATURE VS NURTURE
Ao1
Nature:
some traits fully genetic etc.
heritability coefficients used to measure
e.g. height 0.9, depression 0.4
Epigenetics:
genetics can be influenced by environment.
e.g. Ressler rats feared perfume
Interactionist:
both nature and nurture. even eye colour 0.8
e.g. PKU
Diathesis stress:
psychopathology caused by a stressor with an underlying vulnerability
e.g. Tienari
Nurture:
Lerner explained different levels of the environment
behaviourist most nature, believe in blank slate
NATURE VS NURTURE
Ao3
STRENGTHS
-adoption studies can help understand differences. 41% of aggression variance due to genes
- dutch famine, babies 2x more likely to be Sz
- RWA e.g. genetic counselling for disorders, OCD
LIMITATIONS
- impossible to separate influences of nature/nurture - niche building
HOLISM VS REDUCTIONISM
Ao1
Holism - parts of a whole cannot be understood separately, cannot break down. more VALID
Reductionism - complex systems can be completely understood by breaking into components. can study and treat. more PRACTICAL
e.g. depression - holistic approach says multitude, e.g. work stress, upbringing, genes. reductionist says genes or info processing
can be biological or environmental
HOLISM VS REDUCTIONISM
Ao3
STRENGTHS
-reductionist = scientific. carries out lab studies, separates cause & effect
- holistic explains social behaviours, e.g. conformity
LIMITATIONS
-reductionism loses bigger picture, doesn’t give context or subjective/individual experience
-holistic approach lacks practical value, difficult to address everything
IDIOGRAPHIC VS NOMOTHETIC
Ao1
1) Idiographic
unique, subjective, individual
-uses individual case studies, doesn’t formulate general laws
- qualitative methods and rich data, unstructured
- e.g. Humanistic, Psychodynamic
2) Nomothetic
benchmark, general laws, compare
- studies large numbers, generalises and compares
- quantitative data, analyses and central tendencies
- e.g. biopsychology, attachment
IDIOGRAPHIC VS NOMOTHETIC
Ao3
STRENGTHS
- IDIO creates rich data and a detailed study of the individual. can create a nomothetic approach e.g. Jody
- NOMO is highly scientific and standardised, creates norms
LIMITS:
- IDIO time consuming and less scientific - subjective and less practical
- NOMO loses, the whole person, data less detailed. worse for individual treatment
ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS
Ao1
socially sensitive research:
taboo topics, e.g. race, gender, criminality, IQ must be conducted carefully
Aronson said social responsibility, shouldn’t shy away
ethical implications:
Sieber & Stanley identified aspects raising problems:
1) Research question
2) dealing with participants
3) the way findings are used
ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS
Ao3
STRENGTHS
- can benefit people and challenge stereotypes. e.g. research about sexual behaviours removed homo from sociopathic pd
- important for government to improve childcare, education, mental health provision
LIMITATIONS
- legal system - e.g. ‘criminal gene’ or predisposition
- can be used against certain groups e.g. women
