Issue 5- Social control

Question 1

Define the term legitamate power.

Answer 1

The belief that the person has the formal right to make demands and expect others to be compliant.

Question 2

Define the term reward power.

Answer 2

The person has the ability to reward another person for their compliance

Question 3

Define the term expert power.

Answer 3

This is based on the person’s high level of skills and knowledge often links to legitimate power.

Question 4

Define the term referent power.

Answer 4

This is the result of a person’s percieved attractiveness, worthiness and right to respect them

Question 5

Define the term coercive power.

Answer 5

This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for non-compliance

Question 6

Define the term informational power.

Answer 6

This results from a person’s ability to control the information that others need in order for them to accomplish something.

Question 7

What is social control?

Answer 7

Involves the regulation of other people’s behaviour for social purposes. In general, people conform to social rules and expectations without any social control. However, there are a number of situations where psychological knowledge and techniques are used to modify or control people’s behaviour.

Question 8

Evaluate drugs as a treatment (bio/clinical/criminal)

Answer 8

• How/why is it used? Used to manage a particular behaviour or to manage symptoms. It has a purpose to help people.
• Power of the therapist- expert power and legitamate power. A person has the rights to make demands and expect others to be compliant. Informational power- they don’t always tell the full story about what is going on
• Power of the individual- low, the criminals don’t get a choice as to what treatment they complete. Likewise, patients with scizophrenia don’t get a choice.
• Justifiable? Yes as they are genuinly trying to help people and have their best interest at heart. The focus must be on helping the person and not on forcing them to comply.

Question 9

Evaluate token economy program as a treatment.

Answer 9

• How/why used? To treat anorexia and to encourage good behaviour in institutions.
• Power of therapist- reward power, coercive power and legitamate power
• Power of the individual- high, the individual helps to decide the reward and whta behaviours they must demonstrate. Low, reliant on the other person to actually give a reward which is why this programme strugles in a non-institutionalised setting.
• Justifiable or not? Yes- it helps the individual within an institutional setting. They know what they’ve signed up for as they’ve helped to plan it.

Question 10

Evaluate systematic desensitisation as a treatment.

Answer 10

• How/why used? Gradually exposing the individual to their fear in order to replace the fear response with relaxation
• Power of the therapist- legitamate power
• Power of the individual- patients have control over the creation of the heirarchy and how fast they move from stage to stage
• Justifiable? This treatment gives the individual the skills to help them to cope in everyday life so it is a good treatment.

Question 11

Evaluate anger management as a treatment.

Answer 11

• How/why used? Used with criminals who have committed an aggressive crime in order to give them skills for life
• Power of the therapist- Expert, legitamate, reward (if they complete the treatment they get a shortened sentence)
• Power of the individual- low as they are forced in to it as part of their sentence
• Justifiable- yes, it is helpful to society and the individual if implemented correctly. There is potential for it to be used to help create better criminals

Question 12

Evaluate ACT as a treatment.

Answer 12

• How/why used?
• Power of the therapist- expert power
• Power of the individual- low as responsibility is also low. The individuals are at the mercy of the judgement of others
• Justifiable? Yes