Mat's Psychology Revision

CULTURE BIAS CULTURE BIAS : interpreting and judging behaviours/attitudes by standards inherent to one's own culture _________________________________________________________________________________ ETHNOCENTRISM : Tendency to use one ethnic group as a reference point for making judgements about other cultures behaviour Our Western culture is seen as "normal" and those which deviate from this are seen as "different" or even "primitive" and "unsophisticated" This may mean we ignore the views, or values of another society when interpreting research findings AN ETIC APPROACH  Where research is carried out across cultures in order to discover what elements of behaviour might be universal. E.g. Berry (1969) replicated Asch to see if conformity rates seen in the US would occur in Temne people of Sierra or Inuit Canada. Temne had high conformity rates but Inuit had low rates. The difference was due to the style of living (agricu...

GENDER  BIAS GENDER BIAS - Differential treatment and/or representation of males/females based on stereotypes and not real differences. ANDROCENTRISM Refers to theories which are centred around males. For example, if there was an all male sample and the research from it is applied to both genders PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES  Oedipus Complex Penis Envy PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH (Which used male samples) Milgram Asch Zimbardo ALPHA BIAS Attempt to exaggerate differences between men and women E.g. Freud's theory of moral development Arguing women have weaker morals due to an underdeveloped superego, they have less of a conscious E.g. Evolutionary theory about mate preferences statesmen seek youth and attractiveness in partner whereas women look for wealth and status BETA BIAS Attempt to downplay differences between genders and assuming they're the same. Such as androcentric sample research being applied to women E.g. The fight or flight respons...

FREE WILL AND DETERMINISM Whether behaviour is influenced by forces beyond our control or we have personal control FREE WILL Assumes individuals have an active role in controlling their behaviour and aren't controlled by bio or external factors Humanistic approach suggests we have free will to control our own behaviour regardless of external and internal pressures and we're able to work towards self-actualisation DETERMINISM Behaviour is shaped by external or internal factors rather than free will INTERNAL FORCES  Biofactors e.g. genes, NT, brain damage Innate behavioural tendencies (as discussed by Freud) Faulty thinking patterns (as discussed by cognitive approach) EXTERNAL FORCES Learnt associations Stimulus-response links (behaviourism) Imitating role models (SLT) HARD DETERMINISM Suggests all behaviour has a cause and that it's possible to identify and describe these factors. This approach is scientific as it can establish universa...

IDIOGRAPHIC AND NOMOTHETIC APPROACH Whether psychology should focus on the individual or on people in general IDIOGRAPHIC APPROACH Attempts to explain the NATURE of individuals. We should be studied as unique entities who have had our own subjective experiences, motivations and values which have contributed to out own individual development. Methods under the Idiographic approach tends to produce qualitative data that tries to describe the richness and detail of human experience  e.g. Interviews, questionnaires and case studies  The humanistic and Freud section of the psychodynamic are examples of idiographic approach NOMOTHETIC APPROACH Aims to produce GENERAL LAWS of human behaviour which can be used as a benchmark for people to be measured, classified or compared. From these general laws, future behaviour can be predicted or even controlled. The Nomothetic Approach has been said by Radford and Kirby (1975) to have produced 3 general laws...