A Level Psychology

Issues and Debates in Psychology

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Name ________________________________

How will I need to use Issues and debates in Psychology?

In answering questions on Issues and Debates in Psychology students will be expected to illustrate their answers with knowledge and understanding of topics studied elsewhere in the specification as appropriate. Therefore, you will need to link previous knowledge of theories and studies to the different issues and debates we cover.

From the specification:

Issue/Debate What I need to know

Gender and culture in Psychology

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Universality and bias. Gender bias including androcentrism and alpha and beta

bias Cultural bias, including ethnocentrism and cultural relativism

Free will and determinismPage 6

Hard determinism and soft determinism Biological, environmental and psychic determinism The scientific emphasis on causal explanations

The nature-nurture debatePage 8

The relative importance of heredity and environment in determining behaviour.

The interactionist approach.

Holism and reductionismPage 9

Levels of explanation in Psychology. Biological reductionism and environmental (stimulus-

response) reductionism

Idiographic and nomotheticPage 11

• What is meant by Idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation and issues associated with each

Ethical implicationsPage 14

• Ethical implications of research studies and theory, including reference to social sensitivity

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Gender and culture in PsychologyCultural bias

What is it?

Another word for this used often in Psychology… Which is?

Example of a study showing cultural bias

Implications of this issue on the research

Three arguments/reason for are:

1.

2.

3.

Three arguments/reasons against are….

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1.

2.

3.

What is Cultural relativism?

What is the difference between ‘etic’ and an ‘emic’ approach?

Can you think of an example of either approach?

Why might taking an ‘etic’ approach be a problem when conducting Psychological research?

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Example – Conformity (how can we use Asch’s experiment as an example of cultural relativism?)

Advantages of cross-cultural research Disadvantages of cross-cultural research

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Gender biasWhat is it?

What does androcentric mean?

What does gynocentric mean?

What did Hare-Mustin & Maracek (1990) suggest?

· Alpha bias

· Beta bias

What you need to do…In the boxes below, (1) briefly outline a psychological theory or study that illustrates each type of bias; (2) explain the possible impact of each type of bias.

Type of bias

Alpha bias –exaggerating thedifferences

Research that shows this bias is..

Possible implication of this bias..

Beta bias –minimising thedifferences

Research that shows this bias is..

Possible implication of this bias..

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Determinism and free willWhat is this debate about?

Free will Determinism

There are different types of determinism

- Biological determinism

- Environmental determinism

- Psychic determinism

The approaches: All approaches are deterministic to an extent. Complete the table below so that you can explain how each approach links to the determinism debate.

Biological Behaviourist Cognitive

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The case study of Tony Mobley strongly supports this debate… what was it about?

Should genes ever be considered to be a legal defence?

Evaluation

Strengths of a deterministic view Limitations of a deterministic view

Strengths of a free-will view Limitations of a free-will view

Briefly outline the scientific emphasis we place on causal explanations:

How does this link into this debate?

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The Nature-Nurture debateWhat is this about?

Nature =

Nurture =

Task - Use the continuum below to decide whether you believe the behaviour to be down to nature or nurture (sporting ability, intelligence, gender, aggression, musical ability – any others the group have talked about)

Task – you need at least one example of research or a theory for both sides of the debate. Clearly explain how the example you chose supports either nature or nurture.

Example supporting nature Example supporting nurture

What method is most commonly used within this approach, and why?

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Nature Nurture

What is the interactionist approach?

How can this be applied to this debate?

Strengths of the Nature – Nurture debate Limitations of the Nature – Nurture debate

Strengths of the Interactionist approach Limitations of the interactionist approach

Reductionism/HolismWhat is this debate about?

Can you apply an analogy to this debate?

The approaches: Again, all three approaches (that we have looked at so far) are reductionist to an extent. 10

Each approach can be viewed as being reductionist because….Biological approach

Behaviourist approach

Cognitive approach

Task

Using an example, explain what is meant by;

Levels of explanation in Psychology

Biological reductionism

Environmental reductionism

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Can you use an interactionist perspective here?

Strengths of a reductionist view Limitations of a reductionist view

Strengths of a holistic view Limitations of a holistic view

Idiographic & Nomothetic approaches

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What is meant by an Idiographic approach in Psychology?

What is meant by a Nomothetic approach in Psychology?

Strengths of an Idiographic approach Limitations of an Idiographic approach

Strengths of a Nomothetic approach Limitations of a Nomothetic approach

When we looked at the Memory topic we learned about the capacity of short-term memory is limited (Miller) being 7+/- 2 and this often referred to as Miller’s law. We also looked at the case study of HM, who struggled to form new memories following surgery but his memory before the surgery remained intact.

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Explain how these two studies illustrate the importance of both idiographic and nomothetic approaches in Psychology

Ethical implicationsWhen do ethical issues occur?

Why are they important to consider?

Considering social sensitive research:

1. Think of an example of Psychological research that we have looked at that focused on a controversial or socially sensitive topic.

2. Consider the wider ethical implications of this research – stigma? Blame? 3. Suggest possible benefits and limitations of the research

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What are some evaluation points to this Issue? e.g…- Are there any benefits to conducting socially sensitive research? - Potentially, how could such research be used as a method of social

control? What do we mean by social control?

Exam-style questions

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Essay-style questions

1. Discuss Idiographic and Nomothetic approaches in Psychology. Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks)

2. Discuss the Nature-Nurture debate. Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks)

3. Discuss cultural bias in Psychology. Refer to examples of research in your answer (16 marks)

You can replace any of the issue or debate in the above questions with an alternative issue / debate.

This is good revision as you are planning and developing model answers.

YOU MUST HAVE RESEARCH AND / OR THEORY FOR EACH OF THE ISSUES AND DEBATES WE COVER. IF YOU DO NOT REFER TO THEM IN THE EXAM, YOU ARE NOT ADDRESSING THE

QUESTION FULLY.

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