issues and debates

• nature - research favours this side of the debate when conclusions refer to behaviour being because of ones own genetic or innate dispositional factors
• strengths of nature

  • useful applications
  • scientific explanation
• weakness of nature

  • research is lab based which lacks ecological validity
  • studies can be harder to obtain funding for as they are longitudinal
• applications of nature

  • drug therapy
• applications of nurture

  • systematic desensitisation
  • token economy
  • postive role models
• reductionism - research favours this side of the debate when conclusions explain complex behaviours by one constituent part, e.g. genetics. can be biological, environmental and cognitive
• strengths of reductionism

  • can establish cause and effect
  • useful applications
• weakness of reductionism

  • understanding limited to one variable and therefore lowers validity
  • low ecological validity
• applications of reductionism

  • drug therapy
  • flooding
  • systematic desensitisation
• holism - research favours this side of the debate when conclusions consider a multitude of factors to explain behaviour
• strengths holism

  • provides a basis for future research into what is the most important factor
  • self reports are often used which are high in internal valdity
• weaknesses of holism

  • difficult to identify the major factor influencing behaviour
  • many variables are being measured which may reduce the validity
• applications of holism

  • cognitive behavioural therapy
• individual - research favours this side of the debate when conclusions refer to behaviour being most influenced by ones own genetic and disposition
• strengths of individual

  • deterministic explanation allows the identification of variables and we can establish cause and effect
  • scientific research
• weaknesses individual

  • low ecological validity
  • socially sensitive
• applications of individual

  • talking therapy
  • drug therapy
• situational - research favours this side of the debate when conclusions refer to behaviour is influenced by the environment around them
• strengths situational

  • strengths of nature/nurture can be applied
  • self reports are used which is high in internal validity
  • provides a basis for further research
• weakness situational

  • Difficult to identify what the main factor is about the environment that has the biggest influence on behaviour. 
  • Low ecological validity. 
• applications situational

  • rehabilitation programmes
  • postive role models
  • 9pm watershed
• free will debate - research favours this side of the debate when conclusions refer to ps having choice and control over their actions
• strengths free will

  • establish cause and effect
  • useful applications
• weaknesses free will

  • studies not scientific
  • harder to induce interventions
• applications of free will

  • cognitive behavioural therapy
• determinism - research favours this side of the debate when conclusions refer to ps behaviour being due to predetermined factors outside of a persons control.

  • can be: hard ( biological, environmental or psychic) or soft
• strengths determinism

  • high criterion validity
  • useful applications
  • scientific
• weaknesses determinism

  • repsonbility removed which has negative implications for legal system
  • socially sensitive
  • lack ecological validity
• applications of determinism

  • drug therapy
• usefulness - psychological research is considered useful when it questions previous research, progresses understanding of human behaviour, provides developments for applications and is accurate/generalisable. 
• socially sensitive - studies where there are potential social consequences and negative implications for a specific group of people and could evoke incriminating/ stigmatising information towards social groups. 
• psychology as a science - human behaviour should be studied in a scientific and controlled manner wither empirical evidence to denote behaviour free from bias. Features of science: replicability, objectivity, falsifiability, inductive/deductive reasoning,