The Social Approach

Question 0

What are the two types of the social approach?

Answer 0

Social interaction = how we interact with each other. Position in society affects behaviour. How past experiences affect behaviour.

Social cognition= how we think + feel about current social experiences.
How we store information to predict the outcome and course of interactions.

Question 1

What is the social approach

Answer 1

How the presence and behaviour of other people impacts on how people behave.

Question 2

Assumptions of the approach

Answer 2

Other people and surrounding environment major influences in individuals thought processes.

Behaviour is thus affected by two things : other people + the situation.

Question 3

What are the studies involved?

Answer 3

Milgram: obedience
Piliavin: helping behaviour
Reicher + Haslam: bbc prison study

Question 4

The three strengths of the social approach?

Answer 4

1) how people in authority figures + some groups effect our behaviour.
2) explains causes of social behaviour+ how social settings + factors affect it.
3) how we think about social situation affects how we behave and provides information explaining how social cognition influences our behaviour.

Question 5

What are the weaknesses of the social approach?

Answer 5

1) limitation- study loses validity over times as it goes out of date.
2) social behaviour is difficult to measure.
3) can raise ethical concerns - try to stop behaviour being affected by subject reactivity, deception is often needed. Researcher weigh up deception ethical concerns.
4) findings lack ecological validity and cannot easily be generalised to real life setting - limits usefulness.