Social Area- Principles And Evaluation

Question 1

Main focus

Answer 1

• to investigate social behaviour
• to look at the effects that environments/ situations have on people’s behavior
• to identify and look at the influence of social norms on behaviour

Question 2

Key principles

Answer 2

• all behavior occurs in a social context , our behavior can be influenced by individuals and groups
• the situation is just as important an influence upon our behavior as our dispositions and personality characteristics

Question 3

Strengths

Answer 3

• it demonstrates the extent to which situational factors affect human behavior
• it has provided evidence using a wide range of methods often conducted in a scientifically objective manner
• it investigates issues which are highly relevant to society, aiding understanding of those issues and giving rise to useful practical applications

Question 4

Weaknesses

Answer 4

• As it investigates people in social situations, it often raises ethical issues
• social behavior may be investigated in situations which do not accurately reflect real life situations, results may not generalize to real life
• it can ignore individual differences such as personality characteristics, as a factor influencing results ( social determinism)