Year 2/A2 AQA A-Level Psychology Exam Revision notes for Issues and Debates
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Course
Issues and Debates
Institution
AQA
Book
AQA Psychology for A Level Year 2
Year 2/A2 AQA A-Level Psychology exam revision notes for the option Issues and Debates. This is on an A3 sized paper digital paper. This has been simplified to make it easier to pick out important information and revise key notes.
Reductionism vs. Holism
Culture bias: Is the tendency to judge people in terms of one’s own cultural assumptions Nature vs. Nurture
Reductionism : The belief that human b
Alpha Bias: When a theory assumes that cultural groups are profoundly different Hereditary: genetic inheritance is the process in which traits are passed down
from one generation to the next Levels of explanation; Same behaviou
Beta Bias: occurs when real cultural differences are ignored or minimised
Ethnocentrism Cultural relativism Nature Nurture Holism: Comes from the Greek word ‘h
Is the view that behaviour is the should be viewed as a whole integrate
Means seeing the world Insists that behaviour can Is the view that behaviour
product of innate biological or is the product of
only from one’s own be properly understood
cultural perspective and genetic factors. Hereditary environmental influences.
only if the cultural context
(genetic inheritance) in the The environment is seen as
believing that this one is taken into consideration
perspective is both normal process in which traits are everything outside the High level; take into account
Example: In Africa hearing
passed down from one body which can include
and correct voices is normal. In the social and cultural factors
Lack of awareness, others generation to the next. people, events and the
west the DSM for
perspectives are valid also schizophrenia one of the Example: Bowlby proposed physical world.
that children come into the Example: Attachment
Example: Ainsworth’s symptoms is auditory
strange situation; imposed hallucinations. world biologically occurs due to the learning Middle level; reduce behaviour
programmed to form theory, ‘cupboard love’.
etic. Germany promotes to more simpler psychological
attachments.
independence, different
explanations
parenting style. Strange
situation is an American
tool imposed onto other
cultures as if its correct.
Low level; reduce behaviour to
one individual biological facto
Interactionist approach
Is the view that both nurture an nature work together to shape human behaviour.
Example: PKU is a genetic disorder that is caused by two recessive genes. If a child is
placed on a low protein diet fr the first 12 years they avoid potentially serious lifelong
disorder.
Diathesis-stress model.
Determinism vs free will: Types of reductionism:
Determinism: The view that we have no control and choice over our behaviour (internal or external forces)
Gender bias: The differential treatment and’/or representation of males and
females based on stereotypes and not real differences. Hard determinism: Forces out of our control shape our behaviour Environmental reductioni
Known as a stimulus-response reductio
Alpha Bias: Exaggerating the differences between the genders. These may Soft determinism: Behaviour is constrained by forces such as biological makeup/environmental but only to
enhance or undervalue members of either sex but more often undervalue be reduced to the simple building bloc
an extent we have some conscious mental control
complex behaviours are a series of S-R
females.
Example: The behaviourist approach c
Biological: The beliefs that behaviour is caused by biological influences that we cannot control
conditioning and maintained through
Beta Bias: When studies/theories minimise the differences between genders.
Often due to sampling bias where research uses an all-male or all-female sample Environmental; The belief that belief is caused by features of the environment that we cannot control
but the results are generalised to all humans (universality)
Psychic: The belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we cannot control Biological reductionism:
Universality: The assumption that findings from a study can be applied to Refers to the way that biological psych
everyone, everywhere regardless of time or culture. The universality of Free will; The view that we have control and choice over our behaviour (we make conscious decisions) and explain it in terms of neurons, neur
psychological research is undermined by the unconscious biases (beliefs and Example: The biological approach cla
values) of researchers. This includes beliefs about males and females, and Levels of determinism: lower levels of serotonin.
cultural beliefs. The gender and culture of participants may also play a role. 1. Hard/fatalism
2. Soft Holism:
Comes from the Greek word ‘holos’ wh
Types of determinism human behaviour should be viewed as
Alpha bias: 1. Biological (nature) Example: Gestalt psychology, adopts a
Example: Freud exaggerates difference between males and females - Hormones, genes something in the real world. We do as a
because girls do not suffer the same Oedipus complex as boys, they do not 2. Environmental (nurture) Humanistic psychology argues that hum
identify with their mothers as strongly as boys identify with their fathers so - Behaviourist, skinner. Agents of socialisation set of stimulus response links. As an app
develop weaker superegos. 3. Psychic (unconscious) pf the individual as well as the interact
- Unconscious mind; iceberg
Implications/problems: Can lead to misconceptions about differences - Tripartite personality
Scientific?:
between genders which can lead to stereotypes about masculinity and Scientific?: Paradigm/Paradigm
femininity. Determinism is unfalsifiable Objectivity and Empiricism: Paradigm: set of shar
Objectivity: Personal bias is minimised so doesn’t influence research Paradigm shift: A sign
Idiographic vs nomothetic:
Beta bias: Idiographic: Focuses on the individual and emphasises Empiricism: Gathering/gaining knowledge through direct observation and testing structuralism to cog
Example: Kohlberg based is stages of moral development around male the unique personal experience of human nature cognitive – neuroscience, measures brain - Wickedne
Example: Humanistic; focuses on the self,
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