Credibility of theories in social psychology

Question 1

Agency Theory - Strength

Application Value - displacement of responsibility

Answer 1

Agency theory can be applied to society to help understand and explain atrocities such as genocide, for example Mai Lai where
Lt. Calley gave the defence of ‘just following orders’ showing real-life displacement of responsibility.

Question 2

Agency Theory - Strength

Supporting Study - Credibility for the shift into the agentic state.

Answer 2

There is supporting evidence from Milgram’s research where he found some participants followed instructions to electrocute a ‘learner’ after reassurances by the experimenter that he was responsible, showing evidence for a shift into the agentic state.

Question 3

Realistic Conflict Theory (1966)

Application - Strength

Answer 3

The theory can be used to help reduce prejudice in the real world by introducing cooperation between rival groups by forcing the two rival groups who are competing over a scarce resource to
work together on a task to minimise conflict between them.

Question 4

Realistic Conflict Theory (1966)

Supporting Study - Credibility

Answer 4

The study by Sherif et al. (1954/1961) supports the theory as the hostility between the boys increased when they competed
which was shown as the out-group friends was 7% after competing at games such as tug of war and baseball so the theory
has credibility.

Question 5

Social Impact Theory (1981)

Immediacy - Credibility

Milgram’s variation 7

Answer 5

Milgram’s variation experiment 7 showed that when immediacy is reduced the obedience level of the individual decreases so the theory has credibility because the participants who went to the 450V shock decreased from 65% when the experimenter was in the room to 22.5% when they gave the instructions over the
telephone.

Question 6

Social Impact Theory (1981) - Strength

Credibility of impact from Milgram’s study

Answer 6

In Milgram’s (1963) study, the source Mr Williams brought about high levels of impact due to his strength as a legitimate authority figure.

Question 7

Social Identity Theory (1979, 1986) - Credibility

Social Identification and common interests

Answer 7

Tajfel et al. (1971) found in their minimal groups study that Bristol school boys would consider those who had preference for a
different painting as them in their out-group so can support why people may become a member of a friends’ out group.