Issues and debates

• What is meant by validity?

  If the research measures what it sets out to measure in a logical and trustworthy way
• What is internal validity and the types?

  Internal validity - to check how behaviour was defined and measured within the study

  Face validity - does something look like it will measure what it is supposed to measure

  Construct validity - do the measures relate to the assumed characteristics of what is being measured
• What is external validity and the types?

  External validity - generalisability outside the study

  Ecological validity - whether the study reflects real life situations and whether the results of the behaviour is generalisable to the real world

  Population validity - whether the sample is representative of the wider target population of the study and if the result of the behaviour can be generalised
• What is concurrent validity?

  When one test correlates well with a measure that has previously been validated and to test this you would compare results with an alternative measure
• What is criterion validity?

  The extent to which a measure can predict the performance or behaviour of the measured thing
• What is reliability and inter-rater, internal and external reliability?

  Reliability - high levels of consistency and replication

  Inter-rater reliability - agreement on results

  Internal reliability - whether procedures are standardised with controls within the study

  External reliability - consistency of findings outside the study to the extent to which the results of a procedure can be replicated from one time to another
• What is the split-half method and the test-retest method in increasing reliability?

  Split-half method - mainly applies to self report where two halves of a questionnaire are similar so we can assume it is reliable

  Test-retest method - testing ppts more than once and if results are the same or very similar then the results are reliable
• What is ethnocentrism / culture bias?

  • Tendency to judge people‘s behaviour in terms of our own cultural values and assumptions
• What is cultural relativism?

  • Insists that behaviour can only be properly understood only if the cultural context is taken into consideration
• What is conceptual bias?

  • The tools used to measure a behaviour may only be applicable to one culture
• What is social construction in ethnocentrism?

  • Opinions and behaviour is judged based on society’s expectations
• What are strengths and weaknesses of ethnocentrism?

  Strengths:

  • Biological approach can be ethnocentric because having a brain is universal
  • Studies can be repeated cross culturally
  • Many cultures are westernised so research can be done in 1 country and generalised to other western countries

  Weaknesses:

  • Cannot generalise behaviour so lacks external validity
  • Cannot measure behaviour in the same way in all cultures
• What is socially sensitive research?

  • Psychologists need to be conscious of implications of researching particular topics that may be deemed controversial
• What considerations could make research socially sensitive?

  • Ethnicity
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Religion
  • Target population
  • Disabilities
• Who may be interested in socially sensitive research?

  • Legal system
  • Medicine
  • Education
  • Government
  • General public
  • Researchers
  • Media
• What are the strengths of being socially sensitive?

  • Usefulness (to who)
  • Shape public policy
  • Challenge discrimination
  • Valuable insight into human behaviour as it investigates highly personal or private experiences
  • Gathers findings not obtainable in a less socially sensitive way
• What are weaknesses of being socially sensitive?

  • Ethical issues
  • May be difficult to replicate as controversial
  • Can lead to discrimination against groups in society
  • Often fuels media headlines which can impact individuals and groups in society
  • Can be used to establish patterns that could prevent future atrocities
• What is determinism?

  • Behaviour out of the control of the individual
  • Determinists argue that internal and external forces control a person's behaviour meaning that behaviour should be predictable
  • Every behaviour has a cause
  • Determinism is a scientific account of behaviour
• What are the types of determinism?

  • Hard determinism
  • Soft determinism
  • Biological determinism
  • Environmental determinism
  • Psychic determinism
• What are the assumptions of hard determinism?

  • No behaviour is free, it must occur
  • Every human action has a cause - one action is performed rather than another
• What are the assumptions of biological determinism?

  • Internal and inherited factors are out of the individual's control
• What are the assumptions of soft determinism?

  • People's behaviour is a direct result of the environment to a certain extent
  • There is an element of free will in all behaviour yet it is controlled by outside forces
  • Behaviour may be constrained by the situation
• What are the assumptions of environmental determinism?

  • Determined by external factors out of our control
• What are the assumptions of psychic determinism?

  • All behaviours are the result and determined by unconscious forces linked in with childhood experiences and innate drives
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of determinism?

  Strengths:

  • More scientific as behaviour is predictable
  • Predictable so can put interventions
  • Can isolate variables

  Weaknesses:

  • Individuals cannot take responsibility for behaviour
  • Social sensitivity
  • Society believes more in choice
  • Ignores individual differences
  • Implies behaviour can be predicted
• What is free will?

  • The ability to make a choice between behaviours and taking conscious control of behaviour
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of free will?

  Strengths:

  • Fits in with society's view of personal responsibilities
  • Individuals take responsibility for their behaviour
  • Subjective view

  Weaknesses:

  • Behaviour cannot be predicted so no interventions can be put in place
  • Less scientific as not predictable
  • Social sensitivity
  • Less scientific as harder to isolate variables
• What is meant by situational in the individual situational debate?

  • Behaviour is the result of the situation - external factors such as environment and other individuals

  Evaluations:

  • Considers nurture but ignores nature
  • High in ecological validity
  • Ignores individual
• What is meant by individual in the individual situational debate?

  • Behaviour is the result of a particular feature of the individual - it is their disposition, brain dysfunction, developmental disorder mental health disorder

  Evaluations:

  • Considers nature but ignores nurture
  • Deterministic
  • Reductionist
  • Ignores situational
• What makes research useful?

  • Generalisability
  • High reliability
  • Large sample
  • Standardisation
  • Cross cultural
  • Mixed methods - both types of data
  • Longitudinal
  • High validity
• What makes research not useful?

  • Low validity
  • Low reliability
  • Extraneous variables
  • Small sample
  • Social desirability
  • Demand characteristics
  • Bias
• What are strengths and weaknesses of reductionism?

  Strengths:

  • More scientific
  • Can define behaviour to provide treatments / interventions

  Weaknesses:

  • Ignores holism
  • Less full picture in explaining behaviour as ignores complex factors
• What are strengths and weaknesses of holism?

  Strengths:

  • Fuller picture in explaining behaviour as more reflective of human behaviour
  • Multiple interventions can be used due to multiple factors

  Weaknesses:

  • Ignores reductionism
  • More difficult to understand behaviour as more complex
  • Difficult to identify main factor
• What are strengths and weaknesses of nature?

  Strengths:

  • Not ethnocentric – brain universal
  • Scientific – objective measures e.g. scans

  Weaknesses:

  • Ignores nurture
  • Reductionist
  • Deterministic – biological determinism
• What are strengths and weaknesses of nurture?

  Strengths:

  • High ecological validity
  • Can change behaviour by changing environment and interventions e.g. social interventions

  Weaknesses:

  • Ignores nature
  • Reductionist
  • Deterministic – environmental determinism
• What are strengths and weaknesses of psychology being scientific?

  Strengths:

  • Less subjective interpretation
  • High reliability – controlled - replicable

  Weaknesses:

  • Reductionist
  • Deterministic
  • Low in ecological validity
• What are strengths and weaknesses of research being useful?

  Strengths:

  • Applications
  • Helpful to others

  Weaknesses:

  • Doesn't allow for purpose of pure researching