Key Debates Flashcards
1
Q
Nature
A
- All human characteristics and behaviour are innate
- They are with us from birth + determined by our genetics
2
Q
Nurture
A
- We are born a ‘blank slate’
- The environment shapes us and our behaviour
3
Q
Free Will
A
- We are self-determining
- We make choices + form our own thoughts + actions
4
Q
Determinism
A
- All of our thoughts + behaviours are controlled by internal + external forces
- e.g. biological (genes), environmental or even unconscious forces in our mind
5
Q
Holism
A
- You can only fully understand a person by studying them as a whole
- You need to consider every factor that may have caused a person to act a certain way
6
Q
Reductionism
A
- It’s best to reduce behaviour down to more specific parts in order to better understand it
- e.g. just looking at genetics/family life rather than every possible factor
7
Q
Idiographic
A
- Best to focus on 1 individual + consider what makes them unique
- Studying 1 person + spending more time on them in-depth is better to understand human behaviour
8
Q
Nomothetic
A
- Psychology should formulate general laws of behaviour by studying larger groups of people
- This is in order to be more scientific and rigorous
