issues & debates definitions

Alpha Bias

Theories that exaggerate the differences between males and females.

Androcentrism

Theories that are centred on or focused on males.

Beta Bias

Theories that ignore or minimize sex differences, assuming findings from studies using males apply equally to females.

Biological Determinism

The idea that all human behaviour is innate and determined by genes.

Biological Reductionism

The approach of reducing behaviour to a physical level, explaining it in terms of biological components like neurons and hormones.

Causal Explanations

The search for causal relationships in science, examining whether X causes Y.

Cultural Relativism

The belief that behaviour can only be understood when considering cultural context.

Culture Bias

The tendency to judge people based on one's own cultural assumptions.

Determinism

The view that free will is an illusion and that behaviour is governed by internal or external forces.

Environment

Everything outside the body, including people, events, and the physical world.

Environmental Determinism

The belief that behaviour is dictated by external forces and prior experiences.

Environmental Reductionism

The assumption that all behaviour can be reduced to stimulus-response associations.

Ethical Implications

Consideration of the impact of psychological research on the rights of individuals beyond just participants.

Ethnocentrism

The perspective of viewing the world solely from one's own cultural viewpoint, believing it is both normal and correct

Free Will

The belief that individuals can actively choose their behaviour.

Gender Bias

The difference in treatment or representation of males and females based on stereotypes.

Hard Determinism

The view that behaviour is shaped by forces outside of our control.

Heredity

The genetic process of passing traits from one generation to the next.

Holism

The perspective that human behaviour should be viewed as an integrated whole rather than separate parts.

Idiographic Approach

Focus on the individual, emphasizing unique personal experiences.

Interactionist Approach

The argument that multiple levels of explanation are necessary to understand behaviour.

Levels of Explanation

The idea that behaviour can be understood at different levels of analysis.

Nature-Nurture Debate

The discussion on the contributions of genetic inheritance versus environmental factors in development.

Nomothetic Approach

The focus on establishing general laws through study of large groups and statistical techniques.

Psychic Determinism

The belief that behaviour is influenced by childhood experiences and innate drives.

Reductionism

The belief that behaviour can be explained by breaking it down into simpler parts.

Social Sensitivity

Research that has potential social consequences for participants or represented groups.

Soft Determinism

The view that while behaviour is constrained by environment or biology, there is still some extent of choice.

Universality

The quality of a theory that allows it to apply to all people, regardless of gender or culture.