issues and debates

• What is bias?

  when a psychologists pre-existing beliefs and viewpoints influence their theories and data interpretation.
• What is universality?

  the claim that observed behaviours apply to all humans, regardless of differences in gender, biology, or culture
• What are the two forms of gender bias?

  • alpha bias
  • beta bias
• What is gender bias?

  researchers' stereotypical views about male and female behaviour affect their theoretical assumptions - leads to misinterpretation of actual female and male behaviour
• What is alpha bias?

  assumption that there are significant differences in behaviour between genders

  • often leading to an overemphasis/exaggeration of these differences between males and females
• What is beta bias?

  assumption that there are o significant differences in the behaviour of males and females

  • leading to underestimating/minimising actual behavioural differences
• What is androcentrism?

  psychologists that tend to reflect and support a male-centric view of the world
• What is cultural bias ?

  interpreting and judging human behaviour based on cultural norms and experiences
• What is ethnocentrism?

  when researchers consider their own culture to be superior and use it as the standard for evaluating other cultures
• what is cultural relativism?

  the principle that human behaviour should be understood within the context of the culture where it occurs, taking into account that culture's norms, values and beliefs
• What is 'WEIRD' ?

  majority of participants are :

  Western

  Educated

  Industrialised

  Rich

  Democratic societies
• What does the evolutionary theory of relationship argue?

  • males are innately promiscuous seeking to impregnate multiple women to increase their genetic legacy
  • also seen as possessive to prevent their partners from bearing children with others
• examples of beta bias?

  • Milgrams social influence research- only male
  • fight or flight response
• What is Henrich's research?

  reviewed hundres of studies in leading psychology journals

  • 68% of research participants came from USA
  • 96% industrialised nations
• How to minimise bias in psychology?

  researchers should not assume universal norms or differences across cultures or sexes

  • any claims of universality or difference should be supported by em[pirical data
• What is determinism?


  belief that all events , including human actions and decisions, are ultimately determined by preexisting causes or conditions
• What is hard determinism?


  the belief that all events, including human actions, are determined by previous causes and therefore humans do not have free will.
• What is soft determinism?

  the belief that human actions are determined by both external factors and internal choices, allowing for a limited sense of free will.
• What is free will?

  The ability to make choices and decisions without being determined by external factors.
• What are the types of determinism?

  • biological determinism: belief that behaviour is caused by biological influences that we cannot control
  • environmental determinism: the belief that our behaviour is caused by features of the environment that we cannot control
  • psychic determinism: the belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious psychodynamic conflicts that we cannot control