Key evaluation points

• Culturally biased

  A defintion/ theory inappropriately judges behaviour from a particular cultural perspective
• Reductionist

  When a theory inappropriately explains complex human behaviour, at a basic level
• Biologically determinist

  When a theory suggests all behaviour is caused by internal factors only
• High/low external validity

  When a method does/does not have the ability for its findings to be generalised to other settings, wider populations overtime
• High/ low internal validity

  When a method does/ does not have the ability for its findings to successfully measure what it intended
• Subjective

  When a defintion uses personal opinion to decide whether someone is abnormal
• Confoudning/ extraneous variables

  When a method can/ cannot easily control extraneous variables that could affect the DV, increasing / decreasing the internal validity of research
• High/ low temporal resolution

  Refers to its ability to precisely measure brain activity as it occurs
• High / low spatial resolution

  Refers to ability to accurately localise function
• Interactionism

  When it is not possible to separate either debate as they both contribute to behaviour so a combination of the two is most appropriate in explaining and treating behaviour
• Scientific

  When an approach is based on scientific and objective measures that are controlled and rigorous and allow for replication
• Unscientific/ unfalsifiable

  when an approach is based on unscientific and subjective concepts, which cannot be measured objectively
• Holistic

  When an approach considers the whole person ( e.g. their past, present and future) when explaining human behaviour
• Machine reductionism

  The perception that the human mind works in a similar way to a computer is simplistic and flawed
• Culturally universal

  When an appraoch argues that behaviour is the same across all groups, regardless of culture
• Ability to establish cause and effect

  When a method does/ does not allow a causal relationship to be established between IV and DV decreasing internal validity
• Supporting research evidence

  When an approach is supported by strong or convincing evidence
• Opposing research evidence

  When an approach/ theory is critisiced by strong or convinving evidence
• Diathesis stress model

  Although some may have a genetic predisposition to develop a certain disorder, it will only develop if triggered by an environmental stressor
• Psychic determinist

  When an approach suggests that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts from childhood and only these factors shape behaviour
• Evidence against

  When a theory, model or explanation may be invalid because of research against it
• Practical applications


  • When the principles of an approach are put into practice outside the laboratory in real life
  • When a theory, model or explanation has real world practical applications
• High/ low control over extraneous variables

  When the procedure of a study can control variables which could have an undesirbale effect on its results, affecting internal validty of research
• Demand characteristics

  When partcipants are likely to percieve the demands of the study leading to unnatural behaviour
• Psychological harm

  When the procedure causes mental distress, which participants have the right not to experience
• High/ low mundane realism

  when a method does/ does not seem mundane or like real life, increasing/ decreasing the external validity of research
• High/ low evaluation apprehension

  When particpiants are/ are not concerned that their behaviour may be judged by the experimenter, leading to a change in natural behvaiour, increasing/ decreasing validity of research
• Debriefing

  when participats do experience the right to be informed of the full details of the research after its completion to ensure they leave in a "state of mind that is at least as sound as when they entered"
• Biologically reductionist

  When a theory, model or explanation is unfairly simplifies behaviour to biological factors ignorning other important influences
• Environmentally reductionist

  When a theory, model or explanation unfairly simplifies behaviour to environmental factors, ignoring other important influences
• Gender bias

  When a theory, model or explanation inappropriately minimises (beta bias) or exaggerates (alpha bias) differences in men and women
• Individual differences 


  • When there is variability between different groups of participants
  • When participant variables are not properly controlled between each condition increasing/ decreasing internal validity of research
• Inappropriatley simplistic

  When a theory, model or explanation oversimplifies the true complexity of a behaviour, possibly by ignoring the role of other factors
• Eurocentric 


  When a theory, model or explanation inappropriately judges behaviour from European or North American cultural norms
• Difficulty in operationalisation


  When a theory, model or explanation explains concepts which are actually subjective
• What does GRAVE stand for?


  • Generalisability
  • Reliability
  • Application
  • Validity
  • Ethics
• What are the 7 Issues and debates topics that can be used in evaluation?


  • Nature vs nurture
  • Free will vs determinism
  • Holism vs reductionism
  • Idiographic vs Nomothetic
  • Gender bias
  • Culture bias
  • Socially sensitive research
• Reliability


  When a method does/ does not produce consistently similar findings when repeated with the same participants
• High/ low Population validity 


  • When a method does / does not have the ability for its findings to be generalised to wider populations, increasing/ decreasing external validity
  • The extent to which a sample of participants represent the target population
• Social desirability

  When participants feel embarrassed by their behaviour, leading to a change in their natural behaviour, decreasing the validity of research