Biological determinism
GENDER CULTURE BIAS Many of our physiological and
neurological processes are not under
our conscious control, such as the
Gender bias Androcentrism Culture bias Imposed etic influence of our autonomic nervous
• Alpha bias: suggests there are real differences between When "normal" behaviour is judged A tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret Imposing the judgements system during periods of stress and The no
men and women. These may enhance or undervalue according to a male standard. This often all phenomena through the lens of one's own culture. and values of one culture anxiety. we (hu
members of either sex (but usually undervalue women) means female behaviour is considered In 1992, 64% of psychology researchers were American, onto another. Many mental disorders have a genetic choose
abnormal by comparison. which mostly use white, middle class participants. For example, Ainsworth's basis, and research has demonstrated and ac
• Beta bias: minimises or ignores the differences between
Androcentrism can often be a • Alpha bias: assumes there will be a difference research tried to apply the the role of hormones (such as Believi
both sexes. For example, a study might use only male
consequence of beta bias, where research between cultures. ideals and norms of testosterone in aggression). deny th
participants, but assume the findings can be applied
findings from male-only studies are American child attachment environ
equally to men and women (androcentrism) • Beta bias: minimises or ignores differences between
applied to both genders. to other cultures exert s
cultures
Environmental determinism behavi
+ Reflexivity - Implications of gender bias BF Skinner famously described free will reject t
Ethnocentrism Cultural relativism master
Modern researchers are beginning to recognise Gender-biased research may create misleading as an illusion, arguing that all behaviour
A form of cultural bias, in The idea that norms and values, as well as ethics and is a result of conditioning. Our
the effect of their own values/assumptions on assumptions about female behaviour, fail to challenge
which an individual judges moral standards, can only be meaningful and experience of ’choice’ is merely the sum
their work. They are embracing it as a crucial and negative stereotypes and validate discriminatory
other cultures by the understood within specific social and cultural total of reinforcement contingencies that
critical aspect of the research process not a practices.
standards and values of their contexts. have acted upon us throughout our
problem. This means that gender bias in research is not just a Our ev
own culture. In its extreme For example, Ainsworth made the assumption that lives. Our behaviour has been shaped which w
This is an important development in psychology methodological problem, but has damaging
form, it's the belief in the the US based model of attachment was the norm by environmental events, as well as This m
and may lead to greater awareness of the role of consequences on real women. For example, women
superiority of one's own across other cultures. agents of socialisation such as parents,
personal biases in shaping future research. are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression. sense)
culture. teachers, etc. Resear
locus o
NATURE-NURTURE DEBATE - Cultural differences + Challenging implicit risk of
who be
In the past, when psychologists have made assumptions
Psychic determinism
references to culture, they usually only make a A benefit of cross-cultural research
Freud also argued that free will is an
Heredity Environment distinction between individualism and is that it may challenge our
illusion, but placed more emphasis on
collectivism. typically individualist ways of
The genetic transmission of characteristics from parents The surroundings or conditions in which a biological drives and instincts (unlike
More recently, however, critics have suggested thinking and viewing the world.
to their offspring. The extent to which something can be person lives. It can be pre-natal, such as the skinner).
that increased global connectivity means such Being more aware of the impact of Neurol
inherited is assessed on the heritability coefficient. This is mother's physical and psychological state in He believes that human behaviour is
simplistic distinctions no longer apply to culture can give research more free wi
a numerical figure from 0 to 1.0 (with 1.0 meaning pregnancy. It can also be post-natal, such as driven by unconscious conflicts,
culture, so cultural bias may not be as much of validity. will dec
something in entirely genetic). The heritability coefficient the social conditions we grow up, or the repressed in childhood.
an issue as it once was. even b
of IQ is around 0.5. cultural and historical context in which we live.
Interactionalist approach Diathesis-stress model Epigenetics
A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY
Nature and nurture are A diagnostic model that proposes that a The study of environmental
so closely linked that it disorder may develop when an underlying influences on gene
does not make practical vulnerability (the 'diathesis') is coupled with a expression that occur
sense to try and separate precipitating event (the 'stressor'). without a DNA change.
them. Interactionalists
study how nature and
For example, research found that Finnish
adoptees who were most likely to develop
For example, factors like
diet, pollution and smoking
ISSUES AND DEBATES Suggests tha
break OCD d
nurture interact. schizophrenia had a family history of the can affect which genes are
Attachment research has disorder (the diathesis) and had a dysfunctional expressed and which are - Social & cu
IDEOGRAPHIC VS NOMOPHETIC APPROACHES
shown how a child's relationship with their adoptive family (the ignored. - Psychologi
innate temperament stressor). Behaviourists have shown - Biological:
(nature) can affect how a that when rats were taught
parent responds and a fear response to the smell These are all
acts towards them of a chemical, this fear Idiographic approach Nomothetic approach
(nurture). In this case, response was passed down An approach that focuses more on the individual case as a Approaches that attempt to remain objective and use
nature leads to nurture. to their offspring. means of understanding human behaviour, rather than trying results to formulate general laws about behaviour.
to formulate general laws. Scientific methods are used to produce statistically The belief th
The ideographic approach is generally associated with significant quantitive results. into smaller
methods of research that produce qualitative data, such as For example: a nomothetic theory might say that high
- A case for nature-nurture interactionalism - A case against nature-nurture interactionalism case studies, unstructured interviews, etc. testosterone will lead to aggression, based on lab studies. • Biologica
The notion that genes and environment interact Nativists take an extremely determinist stance, that our A form of red
is supported by constructivism, the idea that genetics determine our characteristics and behaviour. psychologica
Evaluation of idiographic approach Evaluation of nomothetic approach
people create their own nurture by selecting This has lead to controversy, such as that which For example
+ The case for the ideographic approach + The case for the nomothetic
environments suited to their nature. attempted to link race to intelligence. has contribu
GENDER CULTURE BIAS Many of our physiological and
neurological processes are not under
our conscious control, such as the
Gender bias Androcentrism Culture bias Imposed etic influence of our autonomic nervous
• Alpha bias: suggests there are real differences between When "normal" behaviour is judged A tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret Imposing the judgements system during periods of stress and The no
men and women. These may enhance or undervalue according to a male standard. This often all phenomena through the lens of one's own culture. and values of one culture anxiety. we (hu
members of either sex (but usually undervalue women) means female behaviour is considered In 1992, 64% of psychology researchers were American, onto another. Many mental disorders have a genetic choose
abnormal by comparison. which mostly use white, middle class participants. For example, Ainsworth's basis, and research has demonstrated and ac
• Beta bias: minimises or ignores the differences between
Androcentrism can often be a • Alpha bias: assumes there will be a difference research tried to apply the the role of hormones (such as Believi
both sexes. For example, a study might use only male
consequence of beta bias, where research between cultures. ideals and norms of testosterone in aggression). deny th
participants, but assume the findings can be applied
findings from male-only studies are American child attachment environ
equally to men and women (androcentrism) • Beta bias: minimises or ignores differences between
applied to both genders. to other cultures exert s
cultures
Environmental determinism behavi
+ Reflexivity - Implications of gender bias BF Skinner famously described free will reject t
Ethnocentrism Cultural relativism master
Modern researchers are beginning to recognise Gender-biased research may create misleading as an illusion, arguing that all behaviour
A form of cultural bias, in The idea that norms and values, as well as ethics and is a result of conditioning. Our
the effect of their own values/assumptions on assumptions about female behaviour, fail to challenge
which an individual judges moral standards, can only be meaningful and experience of ’choice’ is merely the sum
their work. They are embracing it as a crucial and negative stereotypes and validate discriminatory
other cultures by the understood within specific social and cultural total of reinforcement contingencies that
critical aspect of the research process not a practices.
standards and values of their contexts. have acted upon us throughout our
problem. This means that gender bias in research is not just a Our ev
own culture. In its extreme For example, Ainsworth made the assumption that lives. Our behaviour has been shaped which w
This is an important development in psychology methodological problem, but has damaging
form, it's the belief in the the US based model of attachment was the norm by environmental events, as well as This m
and may lead to greater awareness of the role of consequences on real women. For example, women
superiority of one's own across other cultures. agents of socialisation such as parents,
personal biases in shaping future research. are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression. sense)
culture. teachers, etc. Resear
locus o
NATURE-NURTURE DEBATE - Cultural differences + Challenging implicit risk of
who be
In the past, when psychologists have made assumptions
Psychic determinism
references to culture, they usually only make a A benefit of cross-cultural research
Freud also argued that free will is an
Heredity Environment distinction between individualism and is that it may challenge our
illusion, but placed more emphasis on
collectivism. typically individualist ways of
The genetic transmission of characteristics from parents The surroundings or conditions in which a biological drives and instincts (unlike
More recently, however, critics have suggested thinking and viewing the world.
to their offspring. The extent to which something can be person lives. It can be pre-natal, such as the skinner).
that increased global connectivity means such Being more aware of the impact of Neurol
inherited is assessed on the heritability coefficient. This is mother's physical and psychological state in He believes that human behaviour is
simplistic distinctions no longer apply to culture can give research more free wi
a numerical figure from 0 to 1.0 (with 1.0 meaning pregnancy. It can also be post-natal, such as driven by unconscious conflicts,
culture, so cultural bias may not be as much of validity. will dec
something in entirely genetic). The heritability coefficient the social conditions we grow up, or the repressed in childhood.
an issue as it once was. even b
of IQ is around 0.5. cultural and historical context in which we live.
Interactionalist approach Diathesis-stress model Epigenetics
A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY
Nature and nurture are A diagnostic model that proposes that a The study of environmental
so closely linked that it disorder may develop when an underlying influences on gene
does not make practical vulnerability (the 'diathesis') is coupled with a expression that occur
sense to try and separate precipitating event (the 'stressor'). without a DNA change.
them. Interactionalists
study how nature and
For example, research found that Finnish
adoptees who were most likely to develop
For example, factors like
diet, pollution and smoking
ISSUES AND DEBATES Suggests tha
break OCD d
nurture interact. schizophrenia had a family history of the can affect which genes are
Attachment research has disorder (the diathesis) and had a dysfunctional expressed and which are - Social & cu
IDEOGRAPHIC VS NOMOPHETIC APPROACHES
shown how a child's relationship with their adoptive family (the ignored. - Psychologi
innate temperament stressor). Behaviourists have shown - Biological:
(nature) can affect how a that when rats were taught
parent responds and a fear response to the smell These are all
acts towards them of a chemical, this fear Idiographic approach Nomothetic approach
(nurture). In this case, response was passed down An approach that focuses more on the individual case as a Approaches that attempt to remain objective and use
nature leads to nurture. to their offspring. means of understanding human behaviour, rather than trying results to formulate general laws about behaviour.
to formulate general laws. Scientific methods are used to produce statistically The belief th
The ideographic approach is generally associated with significant quantitive results. into smaller
methods of research that produce qualitative data, such as For example: a nomothetic theory might say that high
- A case for nature-nurture interactionalism - A case against nature-nurture interactionalism case studies, unstructured interviews, etc. testosterone will lead to aggression, based on lab studies. • Biologica
The notion that genes and environment interact Nativists take an extremely determinist stance, that our A form of red
is supported by constructivism, the idea that genetics determine our characteristics and behaviour. psychologica
Evaluation of idiographic approach Evaluation of nomothetic approach
people create their own nurture by selecting This has lead to controversy, such as that which For example
+ The case for the ideographic approach + The case for the nomothetic
environments suited to their nature. attempted to link race to intelligence. has contribu
