Paper 3: Issues And Debates

Question 1

What side does the biological approach take in the free will vs determinism debate

Answer 1

Biological determinism
behaviour is controlled by internal biological factors eg: genes, hormones and neurotransmitters

Question 2

What side does the biological approach take in the Nature vs nurture debate

Answer 2

Nature
behaviour is the result of innate biological factors eg: Genes, hormones, neurotransmitters

Question 3

What side does the biological approach take in the Reductionism v holism debate

Answer 3

Biological reductionism
behaviour is broken down into biological structures/processes

Question 4

What side does the biological approach take in the Ideographic vs nomothetic debate

Answer 4

Nomothetic
creates universal laws, as humans share similar physiologies

Question 5

Is the biological approach scientific?

Answer 5

Yes, the biological approach promotes scientific methods of investigation e.g. brain imaging

Question 6

What side does the behaviourist approach take in the free will vs determinism debate

Answer 6

Environmental determinism
behaviour is controlled by stimulus-response conditioning

Question 7

What side does the behaviourist approach take in the nature vs nurture debate

Answer 7

Nurture
humans and born as a tabula rasa and behaviour is learned through operant and classical conditioning through the environmental stimulus-response link

Question 8

What side does the behaviourist approach take in the reductionism vs holism debate

Answer 8

Environmental reductionism
Behaviour is broken down into a simple stimulus-response link

Question 9

What side does the behaviourist approach take in the idiographic vs nomothetic debate

Answer 9

Nomothetic
Creates universal laws as behaviour is the result of a stimulus response link

Question 10

Is the behaviourist approach scientific

Answer 10

Yes, behaviourist approach utilises scientific methods of investigation e.g. lab experiments and animal research

Question 11

What side does the social learning theory approach take in the free will vs determinism debate

Answer 11

Soft determinism
Behaviour is controlled by environmental forces however, humans have a personal responsibility and free choice

Question 12

What side does the social learning theory approach take in the nature vs nurture debate

Answer 12

Nurture
Behaviour is learnt from observation and vicarious reinforcement

Question 13

What side does the social learning theory approach take in the reductionism vs holism debate

Answer 13

Partially reductionist
Shares elements of the behaviourist and cognitive approaches

Question 14

What side does the social learning theory approach take in the idiographic vs nomothetic debate

Answer 14

Nomothetic
attempts to establish general laws of behaviour e.g. vicarious reinforcement

Question 15

Is the social learning theory scientific?

Answer 15

Mostly scientific
Utilises scientific methods but also takes into account mediational process

Question 16

What side does the cognitive approach take in the free will vs determinism debate?

Answer 16

Soft determinism
Behaviour is controlled by mediational processes that humans can choose what info they attend to

Question 17

What side does the cognitive approach take in the nature vs nurture debate?

Answer 17

Both
Behaviour is the product of info processing and modified by experience

Question 18

What side does the cognitive approach take in the reductionism vs holism debate?

Answer 18

Experimental reductionism
Behaviours investigated in terms of isolated variables (eg: capacity of STM)

Question 19

What side does the cognitive approach take in the idiographic vs nomothetic debate?

Answer 19

Both,
Attempts to establish general laws of cognitive processing but utilises an idiographic approach with case studies

Question 20

Is the cognitive approach scientific?

Answer 20

Mostly scientific
Utilises scientific methods of investigation but researchers are unable to directly observe cognitive processes

Question 21

What side does the psychodynamic approach take in the free will vs determinism debate?

Answer 21

Psychic determinism
Behaviours determined by unconscious drives and early childhood experiences

Question 22

What side does the pyschodynamic approach take in the nature vs nurture debate?

Answer 22

Mostly nature
Behaviours the product of innate drives, but shaped by early childhood experiences

Question 23

What side does the pyschodynamic approach take in the reductionism vs holism debate?

Answer 23

Both,
Behaviours reduced to innate drives, while taking into account the multiple aspects of human behaviour

Question 24

What side does the pyschodynamic approach take in the idiographic vs nomothetic debate?

Answer 24

Both
Attempts to establish general laws in relation to innate drives, while considering unique experiences during childhood

Question 25

Is the psychodynamic approach scientific

Answer 25

Not scientific
Examines many concepts and theories which can’t be empirically tested. Relies on subjective interpretation

Question 26

What side does the humanistic approach take in the free will vs determinism debate?

Answer 26

Free will
Humans control their own environment and are capable of change

Question 27

What side does the humanistic approach take in the nature vs nurture debate?

Answer 27

Mostly nurture
Behaviours shaped by the environment as humans strive to achieve self-actualisation

Question 28

What side does the humanistic approach take in the reductionism vs holism debate?

Answer 28

Holism
Focuses on understanding all aspects of human experience and interaction

Question 29

What side does the humanistic approach take in the idiographic vs nomothetic debate?

Answer 29

Idiographic
Focuses on the subjective human experience and makes no attempt to create general laws

Question 30

Is the humanistic approach scientific

Answer 30

Not scientific
Rejects scientific methods and is unable to provide empirical evidence