Summary of the Area

Principles of the Social Area

• All human behaviour occurs in a social context and is influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of others.
• Other people and the environment influence our behaviour and thought processes. 

 
Types of Behaviour Studied

• Obedience – what do we do what we are told to do?
• Helping others – why do some people help and others not?

 
Practical Applications

• Child Psychology – does your relationship as a child with your mother affect your adult relationships?
• Criminal Psychology – can your environment be adapted to prevent crime?

 
Debate it strongly links with
It takes the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate as it believes that behaviour is influenced by social situations.
 
Strengths

• Helps us understand how behaviour can be influenced by other people and the situation you are in
• It can provide explanations for lots of behaviours – so is useful
• Supports the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate
• Prefers research being conducted in natural environments

 
Weaknesses

• Deterministic
• Reductionist - underestimates the power of individual differences – e.g. some people will never obey.
• Its studies often raise ethical issues through deception or lack of withdrawal (Milgram, Zimbardo)
• Snapshot studies

 
Research Methods

• Field experiments (Piliavin, Levine)
• Laboratory studies (Bocchiaro) and controlled observations (Milgram)
• Uses a variety of Research Methods that can be objective and scientific.

 
Methodological Issues

• Internal reliability - using controlled conditions allows high control of variables and are replicable due to standardised procedures
• High construct validity as IVs can be isolated and measurement is objective
• Low ecological validity and mundane realism as the setting/tasks are often artificial

 
Core Studies

• Milgram
• Bocchiaro
• Piliavin
• Levine

Social Area Core Study Pairs