key terms

Question 1

gender bias

Answer 1

results when one gender is treated less favourably than the other

Question 2

alpha bias

Answer 2

when the differences between men and women are exaggerated

Question 3

beta bias

Answer 3

when the differences between men and women are minimised

Question 4

andocentrism

Answer 4

taking male thinking/ behaviour as normal regarding female thinking/ behaviour as deviant when it’s different

Question 5

culture

Answer 5

all the knowledge and values shared by a society

Question 6

emic consruct

Answer 6

a construct that is applied to only one cultural group

Question 7

emic aproach

Answer 7

the investigation of a culture from within the culture itself

Question 8

culture bias

Answer 8

when a researcher assumes an emic construct is actually an etic

Question 9

etic construct

Answer 9

a theoretical idea that is assumed to apply in all cultural groups

Question 10

imposed etics

Answer 10

a construct from one culture is applied inappropriately to another

Question 11

ethnocentrism

Answer 11

when a researcher assumes their own culturally specific practices or ideas are ‘natural’ or ‘right’

Question 12

cultural relativism

Answer 12

the principle of regarding the beliefs, values and practices of a culture from the viewpoint of that culture itself

Question 13

environmental determinism

Answer 13

our behaviour is caused by some sort of outside influence

Question 14

biological determinism

Answer 14

our biological systems govern our behaviour

Question 15

psychic determinism

Answer 15

Freud believed childhood experiences and unconscious motivations governed behaviour

Question 16

hard determinism

Answer 16

free will is an illusion and every event and action has a cause

Question 17

soft determinism

Answer 17

represents middle ground, people do have a choice but that choice is constrained by external factors

Question 18

Nature

Answer 18

Te view that all our behaviour is determined by our biology

Question 19

Nurture

Answer 19

All behaviour is learnt and influenced by external factors

Question 20

Holism

Answer 20

Behaviour cannot be understood in terms of the components that make them up

Question 21

Reductionism

Answer 21

The belief that human behaviour can be explained by breaking it down into smaller component parts

Question 22

Nomothetic approach

Answer 22

How our behaviours are similar to each others as human beings

Question 23

Idiographic approach

Answer 23

How our behaviours are different to each other

Question 24

Privacy

Answer 24

Asking people questions of a personal nature could offend

Question 25

Confidentiality

Answer 25

Information leaked to others may affect a participants life

Question 26

Sound and valid methodology

Answer 26

When research findings are publicised people are likely to take them as fact

Question 27

Deception

Answer 27

Causing the wider public to believe something which isn’t true

Question 28

Informed consent

Answer 28

Participants should be informed of how they are taking part in research

Question 29

Justice and equitable treatment

Answer 29

E.g. publicising an idea which creates prejudice against a specific group

Question 30

Scientific freedom

Answer 30

Science shouldn’t be censored but there should be some monitoring of sensitive research

Question 31

Ownership data

Answer 31

When research findings could be used to make social policies which affect peoples lives may be public ally accessible

Question 32

Cost/ benefit analysis

Answer 32

If the cost outweighs the potential/ actual benefits it is unethical

Question 33

Alpha bias example

Answer 33

Freuds theory of psychosexual development. Phallic stage - boys and girls desire their opposite sex parent. Boy creates strong castration anxiety which is resolved when the boy identifies with their father. Girls identification with her same-gender parent is weaker - superego = weaker. Therefore girls = morally inferior.

Question 34

Beta bias example

Answer 34

Fight or flight response - bio research favoured male animals because female behaviour is affected by regular hormonal changes due to ovulation which ignores any differences. Research into fight or flight assumed males and females respond to threatening situations with fight or flight. Taylor et al suggested oxytocin is more plentiful to women and it seemed women respond to stress by increasing oxytocin production. This reduces fight or flight and enhances a preference for tend and befriend.

Question 35

Androcentrism example

Answer 35

Feminists reject PMS suggesting it medicalises women’s emotions by explains them in hormonal terms. Whereas mens anger is seen as a rational response to external pressure.