issues and debates glossary

nature side of the debate

behaviour is the product of innate biological or genetic factors, known as the nativist position which assumes that characteristics of human species are a product of evolution

nurture side of the debate

human behaviour is the product of environmental influences, known as the empiricist position which assumes that the human mind is “tabula rasa” (a blank slate) and that everything is the result of experience within the environment

interactionist approach

the idea that nature and nurture are linked and not separate, instead how they interact and influence eachother

free will

the concept that humans can make choices and are not determined by internal forces

determinism

the idea that a persons behaviour is controlled by internal or external forces rather than their will to do something

hard determinism

the view that forces outside of our control (eg, biology or past experience) shape our behaviour. Hard determinism is seen as incompatible with free will

soft determinism

the view that behaviour is contrained by the environment or biological makeup, but only to a certain extent and that there is an element of free will in all behaviour

biological determinism

the idea that behaviour is caused by biological influences we can’t control

environmental determinism

the idea that behaviour is caused by features of the environment that we can’t control

psychic determinism

the idea that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we can’t control

scientific emphasis on cause and effect (free will v determinism)

a basic principle of science is that every event has a cause which can be explained through general laws (theories). it is tested through experimental methods which can establish causation. so determinism is an integral part of psychology as a science

holism

looks at the whole person rather than one specific part or factor to explain behaviour

reductionism

the belief that human behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into smaller parts, to simplify an explanation

biological reductionism

explaining psychological phenomena at a lower biological level (in terms of actions of genes, hormones etc)

environmental reductionism

explaining behaviour in terms of stimulus-response links that have been learnt through experience (eg classical and operant conditioning)

universality

where research can be applied to all genders and cultures

alpha bias

psychological research that exaggerates differences

beta bias

psychological research that ignores or underestimates differences

androcentrism

a possible consequence of gender bias - if our understanding of what counts as ‘normal’ behaviour is being drawn from research that involves all male samples then any behaviour that deviates from this standard is likely to be judged as abnormal, so women are judged by male standards

culture bias

ethnocentrism

cultural relativism

ethical implications

the impact that psychological research could have on rights of people

the same as social sensitivity