Psychology Gender Roles and Emotional Care

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Questions and Answers

What percentage of variance in aggression is accounted for by genetic influences according to the meta-analysis?

60%

75%

41% (correct)

22%

What term is used to describe the phenomenon whereby individuals choose companions that further influence their development?

Niche-picking (correct)

Natural selection

Selective breeding

Genetic drift

What does the term 'epigenetics' refer to in the context provided?

Unchanging genetic traits across generations

The application of selective breeding

A purely genetic approach to behavior

Environmental effects that span generations (correct)

According to the nativists, how do genetic factors influence characteristics?

Genetic makeup solely determines characteristics with little environmental influence. Signup and view all the answers

What controversy arose from an extreme determinist stance regarding genetic influence?

Eugenics policies and selective breeding practices. Signup and view all the answers

What was a finding reported by Susser and Lin regarding women who were pregnant during famine?

Their babies were twice as likely to develop schizophrenia. Signup and view all the answers

Which historical event exemplifies how environmental effects can influence future generations?

WW1 and the subsequent famine in the Netherlands Signup and view all the answers

What is suggested about evaluating evidence of nature and nurture in the context provided?

It doesn't make sense to look at evidence of either one alone. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements reflects a common misconception in psychological research regarding fathers?

Fathers can supply emotional care, often assumed to be a female responsibility. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by androcentrism in psychological research?

A judgment of female behavior based on male standards. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of gender differences is often misrepresented according to the evaluation section?

Differences are seen as constant and not subject to change. Signup and view all the answers

How has women's anger been typically perceived in psychological assessments?

As a symptom of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is a limitation mentioned regarding the research on gender differences?

It may exaggerate stereotypes based on biological differences. Signup and view all the answers

What was a conclusion drawn by Maccoby and Jackling from their gender studies?

Girls have better verbal abilities while boys excel in spatial tasks. Signup and view all the answers

What effect does gender-biased research have according to the evaluation section?

It can create misleading assumptions about female behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is primarily important for understanding behaviors in the Stanford prison experiment?

Interaction between people and group behavior Signup and view all the answers

Which statement reflects the view on women's brains as discussed?

Women's brains benefit from better connections between the hemispheres. Signup and view all the answers

What does the text suggest about the existence of a conformity gene?

Conformity can only be explained at the level at which it occurs. Signup and view all the answers

What criticism is made regarding representation in influential psychology lists?

Women's contributions are often ignored or undervalued. Signup and view all the answers

Why should researchers be wary when interpreting findings related to biological differences?

Results may be misinterpreted as hard science when they could reflect social stereotypes. Signup and view all the answers

What is the reductionist view regarding mental and physical events?

Mental events are equivalent to physical events occurring in the body. Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant challenge faced by neuroscientists in understanding consciousness?

They struggle to explain subjective experiences of identical neural processes. Signup and view all the answers

How do higher-level explanations relate to behavioral understanding, according to the content?

They can help explain some behaviors better than reductionist perspectives. Signup and view all the answers

What basis does cognitive neuroscience rest upon?

The correlation between thoughts and physical processes in the brain. Signup and view all the answers

What is one implication of not observing the interaction between individuals in conformity studies?

It overlooks significant social influences on behavior. Signup and view all the answers

Why is an extreme biological reductionist perspective often criticized?

It fails to account for the complexity of human thought and experience. Signup and view all the answers

How do Schaffer's stages of development differ from case studies of neglect?

Schaffer's stages are general while case studies focus on individual experiences. Signup and view all the answers

What does Milon suggest about diagnosing personality disorders?

Clinicians begin with nomothetic criteria, then focus on unique individual needs. Signup and view all the answers

What do the ethical implications of research studies refer to?

Consequences affecting individual participants and societal perception. Signup and view all the answers

What defines a socially sensitive study?

The study has potential consequences for participants or the represented group. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key consideration when viewing different approaches to research?

It is important to see approaches as complementary for broader understanding. Signup and view all the answers

How are nomothetic and idiographic approaches typically applied in research?

Both can be used simultaneously and applied to the same individual. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes each psychosexual stage?

Conflict that leads to fixation if unresolved Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding general understanding in research?

Combining both idiographic and nomothetic approaches can develop a more general understanding. Signup and view all the answers

Which is NOT a consequence of ethical implications in research?

Increased funding for further research. Signup and view all the answers

Which principle is a fundamental aspect of hard determinism in science?

Every action has a predictable outcome Signup and view all the answers

What did Libet's findings reveal about decision-making?

Unconscious brain activity precedes conscious decision-making Signup and view all the answers

What is one strength of believing in free will?

It may improve mental health Signup and view all the answers

How do determinist approaches contribute to psychology?

They enhance psychology's credibility as a science Signup and view all the answers

What does the nature-nurture debate examine?

The role of genetics vs. environmental factors Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of hard determinism imply about human behavior?

Human behavior is shaped by prior causes and laws Signup and view all the answers

What was found regarding adolescents with strong beliefs in fatalism?

They were more prone to depression Signup and view all the answers

What conclusion can be drawn from Libet's experiments about our experience of free will?

Conscious decision-making is a retrospective experience Signup and view all the answers

What challenge does determinism pose to the legal system?

It implies individuals cannot be held responsible for their actions Signup and view all the answers

What might be a consequence of believing we have free will?

Greater engagement in self-improvement efforts Signup and view all the answers

What aspect does the hard determinism stance fundamentally reject?

The importance of conscious decision-making Signup and view all the answers

How does common sense view free choice?

Most people accept they exercise free choice daily Signup and view all the answers

What implication does believing in free will have for individuals from difficult backgrounds?

They can see a hope for change and improvement Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Father's Role in Emotional Care

Research previously assumed that emotional care was solely provided by mothers
However, research on the role of fathers has shown they can provide emotional care often assumed to be the province of women

Androcentrism

Alpha and beta bias are caused by androcentrism, where "normal" behavior is judged according to male standards
This means female behavior is often judged as "abnormal" or "deficient"
Example: the American Psychological Association's list of the 100 most influential psychologists of the 20th century included only 6 women
Women's anger has been diagnosed as premenstrual syndrome, medicalizing their emotions, while in men it is seen as a rational response to external pressures

Evaluation of Gender Differences

Gender differences are often presented as fixed and enduring, which is an example of alpha bias
Maccoby and Jackling's research concluded that girls have superior verbal ability, and boys have better spatial ability
Madura's research suggests that the social stereotype of women being better at multitasking may have a biological truth
Women's brains may benefit from better connections between the right and left hemispheres than men's brains.
This suggests there may be biological differences, but we should be wary of exaggerating their effects on behavior
Joel's research using brain scanning found no sex differences in brain structure or processing.
The data was likely popularized because it fit existing stereotypes of girls as "speakers" and boys as "doers."
We should be wary of accepting findings as biological facts when they might be better explained as social stereotypes
Gender-biased research can create misleading assumptions about female behavior and fail to challenge negative stereotypes
Gender bias promotes sexism in the research process
Women are underrepresented in university departments, particularly in psychology

Scientific Emphasis on Causal Explanations

The basic principle of science is that every event has a cause, and those causes can be explained by general laws
This is called hard determinism
Causes and laws are important as they allow us to predict and control future events
The laboratory experiment is the ideal of science in psychology, as it allows the demonstration of causal relationships
Libet's findings that brain activity is involved in decision-making, but not before conscious awareness, suggests that decisions take time to reach consciousness

Evaluation of Determinism and Free Will

It is not surprising that the brain is involved in decision-making, however, this evidence does not support free will but rather supports determinism
Libet's research showed that unconscious brain activity leading up to a conscious decision to move came half a second before the participant consciously felt they had decided to move
This may suggest that most basic experiences of free will are actually determined by the brain before we are aware of them
The strength of free will is its practical value
It is common sense that we exercise free choice in daily lives, and even just thinking we do can improve mental health
Roberts found that adolescents who had strong beliefs in fatalism had a significantly greater risk of depression
People who have an external rather than internal locus of control are less likely to be optimistic
Even if we don't have free will, the fact that we believe we do may have a positive impact on our minds and behavior
A limitation of determinism is its position on the legal system's concept of responsibility
Hard determinism states that individual choice is not the cause of behavior, this is not consistent with how the legal system operates
The main principle of the legal system is that the defendant exercised free will when committing the crime
In the real world, determinist arguments don't work
Determinist approaches helped establish psychology as a science by adopting the language and methods of the natural sciences
Hard determinism has produced effective real-world applications like treatments, therapies, and behavioral interventions
Free will has face validity and makes cognitive sense, so it is accepted by many people
Free will is also liberating for people who come from criminal backgrounds or mental disorder families
If psychology wants to be alongside the natural sciences, determinist accounts are better, but common-sense experience is better understood by free will

The Nature-Nurture Debate

The nature-nurture debate looks at whether behavior is more influenced by nature (genes) or nurture (environmental influences)
Any behavior arises from a combination of both
A meta-analysis of adoption studies found that genetic influences accounted for 41% of the variance in aggression
A naturally aggressive child is likely to feel comfortable with similarly behaving children and will choose their environment accordingly (niche-picking)
It doesn't make sense to look at evidence of either nature or nurture because both are involved
Epigenetics is the study of how environmental effects can span generations
The WW1 famine in the Netherlands caused starvation that led to increased schizophrenia diagnoses in their offspring
Nativists believe genetic makeup determines characteristics, with little environmental input
Extreme determinist stances have led to controversy and eugenics policies, like those used by Hitler and the Nazis
Empiricists suggest that behavior can be changed by altering the environment
Conformity to social roles in the Stanford Prison Experiment couldn't be understood by observing the participants as individuals
There is no conformity gene, so social processes like conformity can only be explained at the level at which they occur
For some behaviors, higher-level explanations, or even holistic ones, provide a more valid account
Reductionists would argue that we are thinking machines and that physical events in the body are equivalent to mental events, this is known as extreme biological reductionism
This forms the basis of cognitive neuroscience, where what we think and feel is associated with physical processes in the brain
Knowledge of localization and microprocesses in the brain reveal the material basis of consciousness
However, neuroscientists struggle to explain the subjective experience of the same neural process
Schaffer's stages describe general stages of development, while case studies of neglect focus on the highly subjective experience of never having attachment
Both approaches can be used simultaneously and applied to the same individual
Milon suggests that when diagnosing personality disorders, clinicians begin with general nomothetic criteria and use this to focus on the individual and their unique needs

Ethical Implications of Research Studies and Theory

Ethical implications are the consequences of any research in terms of effects on individual participants or the way certain groups of people are regarded
Socially sensitive studies are those in which there are potential consequences for participants or the class of individuals represented by the research
For example, the Milgram obedience study had ethical implications because it showed how far people would go in obeying authority
This demonstrates how research can have a direct impact on wider society
It is important to consider the ethical implications of research before conducting it
Researchers must ensure that participants are not harmed
They must also respect the privacy and confidentiality of participants
Socially sensitive studies raise additional ethical considerations, such as the potential for harm to groups of people
It is crucial that researchers are aware of these ethical implications and take steps to minimize any potential harm

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Description

This quiz explores the dynamics of emotional care provided by fathers and how androcentrism affects the perception of gender behaviors. It discusses biases in psychological research and evaluations of gender differences, critically analyzing the implications for understanding emotional care. Test your knowledge on the roles of gender in psychology!