Issues and debates: social control (cog)

Question 1

INTRO

Social control

Answer 1

• Social control, often exercised by those with power, regulates behaviour to enforce conformity. It can be overt or covert, influencing individuals or groups.
• Psychology, a method of understanding human behaviour, has been accused of controlling the population. This understanding can be used for societal good or other purposes.

Question 2

A01 & A03 (can be used for social control)

Answer 2

A01:
- Research into memory processes can enhance educational strategies by improving how information is encoded and retrieved.
- Cognitive psychology shows how memory is constructed, with evidence that leading questions can distort memory, impacting areas like education, criminal justice, and advertising.

A03:
- Baddeley’s research into semantic encoding in LTM shows that linking information to existing knowledge improves learning, which can be used positively in education.
- However, Loftus and Palmer (1974) found that changing a verb (“smashed” vs “contacted”) altered participants’ speed estimates, demonstrating how easily memory can be manipulated, which could negatively influence witness testimonies and legal outcomes.

Question 3

A01 & A03 (can’t be used for social control)

Answer 3

A01:
- Research into brain-damaged patients, like HM and Clive Wearing, shows that memory functioning is highly individual and cannot always be generalised. -
- This limits the ability to use cognitive psychology uniformly for social control across society.

A03:
- Case studies such as HM where he could not make any new long-term memories after his hippocampus was removed could mean that individuals take advantage of his memory impairment, as he cannot fully consent.

Question 4

judgement

Answer 4

Overall, our knowledge of cognitive psychology is used for positive forms of social control in society.