debates

Possible nature studies: Biological area studies

Possible nurture studies: Behaviourist studies

Strengths

• application for nature eg. medication

• application for nurture

• Considering behaviour from only a nature view can lead to scientific methods

• Only considering nature or nurture is reductionist

Weaknesses

• Reductionist and ignores other possible explanations for behaviour

• The scientific methods used by a nature approach means - low in ecological validity

• Claiming behaviour is due to either one can mean ethical issues

Free will examples: Milgram (shocks), Bocchiaro (whistle blowing) Lee

Deterministic examples: Hancock, Casey, L+p, Kohlberg, Bandura

Strengths for free will

• offers opportunities for managing behaviour

• allows learning experiences to be designed to encourage desired behaviour

• A deterministic explanation can be difficult to change.

Weaknesses

• Reductionist and ignores possible deterministic factors

• Often expensive to make appropriate environmental changes

• Sometimes a deterministic explanation is more valid than a freewill explanation

Reductionist studies: Biological area studies, Behaviourist studies

Holist studies: Lee, Freud, Piliavin

Strengths of reductionist

• Focusing on one explanation for behaviours can lead to effective treatments

• A reductionist approach tend to result in very scientific methods

• Being reductionist can help explain a specific aspect of behaviour

• Tends to gather objective quantitative data

Weaknesses

• Focusing on one explanation for behaviour can mean you ignore other explanations

• Taking such a scientific view means you miss the rich detail of qualitative methods

• A holistic view can sometimes be the best explanation for a behaviour

• Taking such a scientific view means research could be considered low in ecological validity.

individual studies: Kohlberg, Piliavin, Levine, Milgram (shocks)

Situational studies: Lee, Chaney, Milgram (shocks), bocchiaro

Strengths for situational

• Useful bc it offers opportunities for managing behaviour

• Allows change in the environment to be made to reduce anti-social/enhance pro-social behaviour

• An individual explanation can be difficult to change

Possible weaknesses of situational

• Reductionist and ignores possible individual factors

• Is often expensive to make appropriate environmental changes

• Sometimes an individual explanation is more valid than a situational one.

Benefits considering studies as useful

• Knowledge that can benefit society

• Practical applications

• psych as a science

• Useful research will promote the subject and encourage more pps to take part in research.

Possible problems

• Research not deemed useful could damage the reputation of psychology

• could have funding implications for future research

• Some research is criticised for unethical nature meaning it is less useful and would be difficult to replicate.

Informed Consent, Debrief, Protection of Participants, Deception, Confidentiality, Withdrawal from an Investigation

Unethical studies: Milgram (shocks), Bandura (bobo doll), Piliavin, B and c (cats)

Strengths of breaking ethics

• Deception may be used to make a situation appear more realistic - higher ecological validity.

• Pps may not be informed they are being studied - more natural behaviour

• The ends justify the mens

• Researcher may need to break confidentiality when a pp needs to be identified so they can receive support

Weaknesses of breaking ethics

• may experience physical/psychological harm

• May be more difficult to replicate the study if ethical principles are not upheld

• Can damage the rep of psychology

Socially sensitive studies: Hancock, Milgram (shocks), Gould, Casey, Freud (hanz)Baron-cohen (autism)

Strengths of conducting socially sensitive research

• Can be useful/has practical application

• Gain vulnerable insight into human behaviour

• Can establish patterns of behaviour that could prevent future atrocities/immoral acts

• Studies deviant behaviour which is beneficial in establishing abnormality from normality

Weaknesses

• Ethical issues may be raised

• May be difficult to replicate due to its sensitive nature

• Findings could lead to discrimination against groups of people/individuals

• Could be used to shape public policy in an unfair way.

Features of science

• The study of cause and effect

• Falsification

• Replicability

• Objectivity

• Induction

• Deduction

• Hypothesis testing

• Manipulation of variables

• Control and standardisation

• Quantifiable measurments.

Particularly scientific - biological and cognitive area studies

Less scientific studies: Freud (hanz), Gould,Kohlberg