What is a contentious issue in modern psychology?

Question

I'm taking a class on writing arguments, and my first assignment is to write a counter argument for a contentious issue in my major, which is psychology. I'm having a hard time thinking of an issue that's really controversial. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Homosexuality..

Answer 2

1) How necessary is animal research in modern day psychology? You can talk about costs, alternatives, how many animals are used for research, etc

2) Should psychologists be allowed to prescribe psychiatric medications and not just psychiatrists? Some feel that
psychologists (having specialized in understanding psychology and often having extensive clinical experience) are just as or even more training relevant to prescribing meds as psychiatrists (who train as doctors, know less about psych, and often have less clinical experience).

3) Is hypnosis effective?

4) Is it ok to prescribe psychiatric medications to children? Where do you draw the line? You can discuss how long-term effects are not known.

5) Can altered mind states or personality disorders limit responsibility for criminal acts? This is always a HUGE one.

6) Does debriefing (brief counseling) after a crisis/trauma helps to prevent the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or actually makes it worse.

Some feel that the reason why women experience higher rates of PTSD is because they are more likely to talk about the trauma with as many people as possible, as compared with men who often find other ways of coping with the trauma.

Some think that talking about traumas actually re-traumatizes the victims

I hope that this helps!

Answer 3

The decision by the American Psychological Association, A.P.A., to assist the military, etc. in interrogations, etc.

"In 2004, the American Psychological and Psychiatric Associations began to explore the ethical aspects of psychologist and psychiatrist involvement in military interrogations. The psychiatrists appear to focus solely on the first, Do No Harm."

"The American Psychological Association (APA) Board of Directors understands that members have deeply felt and diverse opinions on the role of psychologists in military interrogations, and encourages members to make their positions known. There are members who feel strongly that the very presence of psychologists in national-security settings around the world serves to legitimate what human rights organizations have condemned."
http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug06/interrogations.html

Answer 4

A good issue would be to look at the underlying *philosophical presuppositions* of modern academic psychology|

Are we merely organisms whose purpose is to propagate ourselves and to actualize ourselves by our activities, or is there a real transcendence - as the great spiritual traditions have maintained - that holds that we can care for others for their own sakes - to look out for their happiness, and to be interested in justice, simply because justice is good - in contradistinction to the Darwinistic paradigm that holds that all of our activities arise from some evolutionary necessity?




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Answer 5

in the event that they are of historic value they could be preserved yet pronounced to protection codes. maximum cities don't have the money to maintain them traditionally precise jointly as making them risk-free for travellers, so usually historic societies help with the fund-raising. only because of the fact a construction is old, does no longer mean the city or close by government could take action to maintain it. you ought to bankrupt the rustic attempting to shop all of them. historic conservation communities have techniques of choosing what they see as significant and attempt to shop as many as they might. There ought to be a stability between present day prefer and historic renovation. maximum cities locate conserving older homes traditionally precise provides attraction and character and is liked by ability of the citizens.

Answer 6

The definition of "Normal"

Who defines what is normal human behaviour? Is this definition applicable to all human kind, across the world?

You don't know me. You don't know what the baseline is for my personality or my modes of "normal" behavior. You don't even know if I operate within the accepted modes of the "normal" for my culture and/or religion.

In my world, is striking a child for interuppting my converation "dicipline", "child abuse" or "not an option"?

Don't know if that helps.

P.S. In my world, it's not an option. :)

Answer 7

Psychology of sucessful people and what elements of their character causes them to become leaders. Facial symmetry? Consistency and persistence? Circumstances and life situations they've gone through?

Answer 8

Para psychology is a good subject to be opened up.

Answer 9

the responsibility of the individual within society i.e. the milligrew (sp?) experiment

Answer 10

I really like what "SB" suggested. Plenty of meat on them bones fer sure!