Issues and debates

gender bias

the distortion of psychological theory due to systematic favouring of one gender leading to reduced validity in explanations

alpha bias

the exaggeration of gender differences which can produce essentialist claims that lower explanatory accuracy

beta bias

the minimisation of gender differences which can produce theories that lack population validity

androcentrism

the dominance of male centred research that treats male behaviour as the norm reducing generalisability

cultural bias

the distortion of psychological theory due to judging behaviour through the standards of one culture lowering validity

ethnocentrism

the assumption that one cultural worldview is superior which restricts the universality of findings

cultural relativism

the principle that behaviour must be understood within its cultural context which increases validity

universality

the aim to develop theories that apply to all humans which requires avoiding biased assumptions

free will

the view that behaviour is chosen by the individual which supports personal responsibility in explanations

determinism

the view that behaviour is controlled by internal or external forces which increases scientific predictability

biological determinism

the claim that behaviour is controlled by genetic or physiological factors which increases scientific testability

environmental determinism

the claim that behaviour is shaped by learning experiences which supports behaviourist prediction

psychic determinism

the claim that behaviour is driven by unconscious processes which limits falsifiability

hard determinism

the view that behaviour is fully determined which challenges legal responsibility

soft determinism

the view that behaviour is constrained but individuals retain some choice which offers a balanced explanation

nature

the influence of inherited biological factors on behaviour which supports biological explanations

nurture

the influence of environmental experiences on behaviour which supports learning based explanations

interactionism

the view that behaviour results from combined biological and environmental influences which increases explanatory completeness

holism

the explanation of behaviour by considering whole systems which captures complex interactions

reductionism

the explanation of behaviour by breaking it into simpler components which increases scientific control

biological reductionism

the explanation of behaviour through genes or physiology which increases testability

environmental reductionism

the explanation of behaviour through stimulus response links which simplifies complex behaviour

levels of explanation

the hierarchy of ways to explain behaviour from biological to social which clarifies theoretical positions

idiographic approach

the study of individuals to understand unique experiences which increases depth of understanding

nomothetic approach

the study of groups to establish general laws which increases scientific generalisability

ethical implications

the wider social consequences of research for participants and represented groups which affects public trust

socially sensitive research

research with potential negative impact on groups or society which requires careful ethical management

AO3 gender bias

gender biased theories reduce validity because they fail to represent real behavioural diversity

AO3 cultural bias

culturally biased research lacks population validity because findings cannot be applied universally

AO3 determinism

deterministic explanations reduce accountability which limits their usefulness in applied settings

AO3 free will

free will explanations increase face validity because people experience choice in everyday behaviour

AO3 reductionism

reductionist explanations increase scientific credibility through operationalisation and testing

AO3 holism

holistic explanations lack testability because complex interactions cannot be isolated experimentally

AO3 idiographic approach

idiographic research provides rich qualitative insight but limits generalisability

AO3 nomothetic approach

nomothetic research supports prediction and control but may overlook individual differences