Word A Day (issues and debates)

Question 1

Alpha bias

Answer 1

Exaggeration of differences between genders or culture, usually presented as real and enduring, devaluing one gender or culture

Question 2

Beta bias

Answer 2

Minimises gender/culture differences often through generalisation

Question 3

Feminist psychology

Answer 3

Argues that there are biological differences that need to be recognised and are unavoidable, however there are also culturally crafted differences due to socialisation. We should aim to recognise the source of differences and address any inferiorities to counteract their effects

Question 4

Indigenous psychologies

Answer 4

Employ psychologists from other culture they aim to study to adapt resources

Question 5

Biological determinism

Answer 5

Behaviour is affected solely by physiological processes that are not under our conscious control

Question 6

Environmental determinism

Answer 6

Our experience of choice is merely the sum total of reinforcement contingencies from our life

Question 7

Psychic determinism

Answer 7

Behaviour is caused by innate drives and unconscious conflicts

Question 8

Hard determinism

Answer 8

Completely disregards free will- everything is decided biological and environmental

Question 9

Soft determinism

Answer 9

Allows for the possibility of free will- we have inputs and influences but ultimately, we get to choose

Question 10

Scientific determinism

Answer 10

The basic assumption of the scientific method that each cause has an effect

Question 11

Scientific emphasis on causal explanations

Answer 11

This is the scientific paradigm that suggests everything has a cause- meaning free will is incompatible with science

Question 12

Moral responsibility

Answer 12

Moral accountability for behaviour