Issues and debates

Universality

Any underlying characteristics of human beings that can be applied to all, despite differences of experience. Psychology claims universality but time, culture and gender bias threaten this.

Bias

Psychologists possess beliefs and values that have been influenced by social and historical contexts. Their beliefs will impact their research design and interpretations of the results.

What does bias lead to

Scientifically misleading research, research upholding stereotypical assumptions and validation of sex discrimination

Beta bias

Exaggerating the similarities between men and women which leads to misrepresentation

Alpha bias

Exaggerating the differences between men and women which leads to one gender being devalued

Androcentrism

Male thinking/behaviour accepted as the norm

Free will

we are able to control and choose our course of action as we make our own decisions

Determinism

behaviour’s determined by internal/external factors outside of our control so behaviour should be predictable

hard determinism

environmental, genetic, unconscious impulses determine people to act the way they do so they’re not responsible for their behaviour

examples of hard determinism

biological, psychodynamic , behaviourist approach

soft determinism

all events have causes but some actions involve choice so there’s some room for people to have conscious mental control for behaviour

examples of soft determinism

social learning theory and cognitive approach

biological determinism

behaviour’s caused by biological factors we can’t control

examples of biological determinism

high dopamine causes skitzophrenia

environmental determinism

behaviours are caused by features of the environment we can’t control

example of environmental determinism

Skinner and Pavlov conditioning

psychic determinism

behaviour’s caused by unconscious conflicts we can’t control

example of psychic determinism

fixations at psychosexual stages

nature debate

Psychological characteristics are innate, heritable and determined by biological factors

nurture debate

humans are born as blank slates and are shaped by interactions with the environment

heredity

The genetic transmission of mental and physical traits through generations

diathesis-stress model

behaviours caused by a biological vulnerability that it is only expressed when paired with an environmental trigger

epigenetic

lifestyle and events leave ‘epigenetic marks’ on our DNA which is passed down generations

constructivism

people create their own ‘nurture’ by actively seeking the environment that suits their nature

Holism

studies whole system as the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

reductionism

breaking down behaviour into single components

biological reductionism

behaviour can be reduced to simplest level of genes and hormones

environmental reductionism

behaviour’s due to interaction with environment

strength of holism

best way to study conformity

weakness of holism

scientific testing is difficult

strength of reductionism

to conduct controlled research variables must be operationalised

weakness of reductionism

simplifies complex phenomena

levels of explanation

the idea there are several ways to explain behaviour

lowest level of explanation

biological

middle level of explanation

psychological

highest level of explanation

social and cultural

nomothetic

aims to study behaviour through general laws and principles

idiographic

aims to study behaviour through individual cases

BPS Ethical Guidelines

consent, deception, harm, confidentiality

ethical implication

the impact research may have on pp’s/wider society

socially sensitive research

studies with potential social consequences for people represented by research