Psychological debates

• what is the definition of a nature debate


  That our behaviour is due to biological processes (such as our genetic inheritance, brain process or biochemistry)
• what is the definition of a nurture debate?

  That our behaviour is due to how we have been brought up and the influences of others over our lifetime
• What are the strengths of the nature debate 


  
  

  • useful: helps us develop biological solutions to psychological issues
  • Resistant to ethnocentric bias: biological factors affect everyone in the same way
  • Deterministic: suggests biological processes cause behaviour, gives a useful cause and effect
• What are the weaknesses of the nature debate?


  
  

  • Limited usefulness: may be impossible to change a person’s nature
  • Reductionist: fails to account for the effects of nurture
  • socially sensitive: may lead to ideas of genetic superiority, a deterministic argument that may stop people taking responsibility for their behaviour
• What are the strengths of the nurture debate?


  • useful: may help to change a child’s behaviour by changing the way they’re brought up
  • Deterministic: suggests that upbringing causes behaviour, gives a useful cause and effect
• what are the weaknesses of the nurture debate?


  • reductionist: misses out the role of nature
  • Ethnocentric: cultures vary in how children are brought up
  • Socially sensitive: leading to parents being blamed for society’s problems
• what is the definition of free will?


  we have control over how we behave
• what is the definition of determinism?


  our behaviour is due to either internal or external forces that we have no control over
• what are the strengths of the the free will debate?


  
  

  • useful practical applications: accounts for individual differences and values human behaviour
  • Lacks social sensitivity: fits with the idea of personal responsibility for our actions within the legal system
• what are the weaknesses of the free will debate?


  • lacks usefulness: ideas cannot be studied in a systematic and scientific way
  • Socially sensitive: if people are blamed for actions beyond their control
• what are the strengths of the determinism debate?

  
  

  • deterministic principles: can be studied using systematic, scientific methods
  • predictable: cause and effect relationships allow scientists to develop practical applications e.g. drug therapies
  • useful practical applications: developing drug therapies
• what are the weaknesses of the determinism debate?

  • lacks usefulness: prevents people taking responsibility for their own actions, doesn’t fit the ideas of personal responsibility
  • lacks face validity: we experience making choices everyday
• what is the definition of reductionism?

  our behaviour can be explained using an oversimplified level of explanation
• what is the definition of holism?

  our behaviour is due to the several factors interacting together
• What are the strengths of the reductionism debate?

  • Useful: can help us understand complex behaviour
  • Often forms the basis of scientific research: This gives psychology greater credibility, placing it on equal terms with natural sciences
• what are the weaknesses of the reductionism debate?

  • may oversimplify complex behaviour: reduces validity of findings
  • helps us discover the main cause of behaviour: useful as it can lead to practical applications
• what are the strengths of the holism debate?


  • increases the validity as the interaction of many factors are more reflective of real life compared to assuming that there is no cause for behaviour
  • c
• what are the weaknesses of the holism debate?


  • fails to identify single cause for the human behaviour: reducing usefulness in the real world
  • lacks usefulness: often difficult to study lots of explanations at once, meaning it gathers little data on lots of explanations, lacking depth in explanations
• what is socially sensitive research?


  studies that have the potential to have a negative impact on specific (vulnerable) groups of people within society
• what are the strengths of socially sensitive research?


  
  

  • The researcher develops a personal relationship with participants: gains useful insightful data, increases validity
  • Building an understanding of these sensitive issues: allows useful applications by finding out info that would not otherwise be accessible
• what are the weaknesses of socially sensitive research?


  
  

  • Building relationships can open issues with bias and subjectivity: reducing validity
  • Interviewing participants about sensitive topics may induce painful emotions and cause harm: may be unethical
  • Results may lead to discrimination of vulnerable groups: reduces usefulness of this type of research
• Ethical considerations 


  • respect: informed consent, right to withdraw, confidentiality
  • Responsibility: protection from harm, debriefing
  • Integrity: deception, observational research
  • Competence: justification of actions
• what are the strengths of ethically considerate research?

  • Enhances the reputation of psychology as an academic discipline: increases funding of future research so its more likely to happen
  • Researchers likely to attract P‘s for research: if they have a good reputation
• what are the weaknesses of ethically considerate research?

  • Can place limits on the sort of research that can be carried out: reduces usefulness
  • If P’s know the aim of the study, it can lead to demand characteristics: reduces validity
  • Sampling bias can be a problem if P’s are able to withdraw: sample may lack generalisability
• what is individual explanation?

  Our behaviour is due to internal, individual factors (particularly our personality)
• what is situational explanation?

  Our behaviour is due to the circumstances (situation) in which we find ourselves
• What are the strengths of individual explanation?

  • Deterministic (suggests internal factors are responsible for behaviour): cause and effect supports psychology as a science
  • Practical applications: insights from individual behaviour can be applied in clinical psychology, education, etc.
• What are the weaknesses of individual explanation?

  • Reductionist: simplifies complex behaviour into individual traits without considering context
  • Limited generalisability: explanation may not be relevant to larger populations
  • Practical applications may be limited: they would have to be tailored to the specific individuals
• What are the strengths of situational explanation?

  • deterministic, suggests external factors are responsible for behaviour: cause and effect support psychology as a science
  • Practical applications: situations in real life settings can be changed to bring about positive behaviour change
• What are the weaknesses of situational explanation?

  • Socially sensitive: may allow individuals to place blame for their actions on external factors
  • Reductionist: fails to account for individual factors in explaining behaviour
• Strengths of psychology as a science

  • Increases scientific status and credibility of psych as a science vis falsification
  • Falsifiability and objectivity = increase validity and accuracy
  • Replicability = increases reliability and consistency
• Weaknesses of psychology as a science

  • Reduce ecological validity when measuring behaviour in a highly controlled environment (not reflective or real life behaviour)
  • not all aspects of behaviour can be measured scientifically e.g. feelings (validity)
• Usefulness of psychological research

  • Theoretical usefulness: adds to psychological knowledge and changes our understanding
  • Practical usefulness: develops useful practical applications