Use of Psychological Knowledge

Question 1

Use ofpsychological knowledge def

Answer 1

Psychologists aim to study human behaviour in order to help those in all areas of society to reduce any possible issues to society across healthcare, education, economic or legal system

Question 2

Social Approach

Answer 2

Useful:
- eg milgram - understand ww2 and soldiers behaviour
- therefore used in society to avoid events in future eg us military trained to question orders morally wrong

however this knowledge is only suitable for some members of society:
- eg milgram research had liitations - 60yrs ago, pp
- therefore not representative of.. - results cant be used in modern society as conclusions on O dont reflect wider pop

Question 3

Learning Approach

Answer 3

Useful:
- eg Wolpe found flooding works through reciprical inhibition - irrational thoughts - until calm - CC principles
- therefore eg used to replace fear responce with non fear, treat phobias and help those suffering from PTSD

However prehaps there is limited use:
- AO1 on flooding but ethical concerns as a treatment
- therefore limits use as scary psych harm = fear worse = not good treatment/ app
- however can be used but participants must give permission and be aware of the treatment as some prefer it as a treatment as it’s over more quickly than systematic desensitisation

Question 4

Clinical approach

Answer 4

Useful:
- eg Brar et al found clozapine effective ytreat pos sysp SZ AO1 and other psychotic symp eg neg ones eg ..
- therefore people who havent previously responded to other drugs found these newer atypical drug treatments that reduced both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, allowing these schizophrenics to fit in SoC and eg avoid hospitalisation

However
- limit usefulness of this knowlege in society - Clozapine reduces white blood cell count and increase risk of infection
- therefore limited use as high health risk and side effects - fortnight blood tests = commitment

Question 5

Biological Approach

Answer 5

Useful:
- eg PET scans used eg Raine - works through inject radioactive tracer - positrons - recorded signals - display images show lvls of activity
- therefore useful understand the brain eg which areas are responsible for cognitive processing like language and to compare people’s brains

However:
- lmited use - Used carfully as PET scansare invasive - tracer AO1, radiation
- therefore not useful in soc - cant repeat, only medical and not useful research esp on people eg control group