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Block 1 Unit 4 Current Trends in Social Psychology and Ethical Issues

1. Discuss the application of social psychology to different areas. 

Social psychology has applications in population psychology, health psychology, environmental psychology, industrial organisational psychology, and the legal system. It can be used to understand personal health problems, as well as problems the earth faces.

2. How will you apply social psychology to environmental and industrial / organisational fields?

2. Environmental Psychology: studies the interaction between physical environment and human behavior. It addresses environmental stress, pollution, and promotes pro-environmental behaviour through strategies such as prompts and rewards.
3. Industrial / Organisational Psychology: is not explicitly discussed but from other contexts of social psychology, this would involve understanding group dynamics and leadership, worker motivation and productivity in organisational contexts.

3. Discuss the growing influence of cognitive perspective in social psychology. 

The cognitive perspective is central to social psychology. The focus on attitudes, as a key concept, along with cognitive processes such as perception, memory, and judgement, has shaped how social psychologists study social behaviour.

4. What are the ethical issues in social psychology research? 

Ethical issues in social psychology include the use of deception, the need for informed consent, the importance of debriefing, and the minimisation of risk to research participants.

5. What do you mean by applied social psychology? 

Applied social psychology is the use of social psychological principles and research methods to solve individual and societal problems in real-world settings.

6. What are the various fields in which social psychology can be applied? 

Social psychology can be applied to fields such as population psychology, health psychology, environmental psychology, industrial/organisational psychology, and the legal system.

7. Discuss critically the growing influence of cognitive perspective in social psychology.

The cognitive perspective has shaped mainstream social psychology since the beginning. It has led to focus on concepts such as attitude and group dynamics, however the sources do not discuss the limitations or criticisms of this perspective.

8. Write a note on ethical issues in social psychology. 

Ethical issues in social psychology research include the use of deception, obtaining informed consent from participants, providing debriefing after participation, and minimising risks to participants.

9. How is social psychology applied to Population psychology?

Social psychology is applied to population psychology by concentrating on the effects of the rapid expansion of the number of humans on the planet and on efforts to control this expansion.

10. Discuss the application of social psychology to health fields.

Social psychology is applied to health fields by focusing on psychological processes that affect the development, prevention, and treatment of physical illnesses. Health psychology researches individual lifestyles, perceptions, and attitudes, with the goal of improving personal health by encouraging beneficial thought patterns. It addresses obstacles to preventing physical disorders, such as the reluctance of people to change aspects of their lifestyle, even when they are aware of potential threats to their health. Additionally, health psychology examines how people make choices and decisions related to their health, such as noticing and interpreting symptoms, deciding to take action, and coping with medical procedures.

11. How is social psychology concerned with legal system?

Social psychology is concerned with the legal system because forensic psychology has demonstrated that the reality of the legal system often does not align with its ideals. Social psychologists study how witnesses and defendants are influenced by interrogation procedures and media publicity, and they have found that eyewitness testimony is often inaccurate. Additionally, research has shown that the behaviour of attorneys and judges can influence verdicts and that jurors respond based on cognitive reinterpretation of evidence and emotional biases. Psychologists contribute to the social order by researching human cognitive systems and communication patterns, and they can reveal the limitations of human memory and how they impact court hearings.

12. Explain social psychology from a multicultural perspective.

Social psychology is viewed from a multicultural perspective because many social psychologists now believe that cultural factors and forces are so powerful that they can influence even the most basic aspects of social behaviours. Researchers acknowledge that cultural differences are an important topic in their own right and should receive careful attention in social psychological research. The study of cultural differences can help clarify which aspects of social behaviours are universal and which are culturally determined.

13. Explain the various aspects of social psychology from a biological perspective.

Social psychology is viewed from a biological perspective through sociobiology and evolutionary social psychology. Many social psychologists believe that our preferences, behaviours, emotional reactions, and cognitive abilities are affected to some extent by our biological inheritance. Sociobiology posits that many aspects of social behaviour are the result of evolutionary processes that strengthen and spread patterns of behaviour that contribute to reproduction. Evolutionary social psychology suggests that social tendencies towards behaviours that are most adaptive from the point of view of survival increase in strength over time within a given population. However, it is also recognised that such tendencies change in response to environmental and social conditions and can be altered by cognitive processes.

14. Explain the evolutionary perspective in social psychology.

The evolutionary perspective in social psychology suggests that social tendencies toward behaviours that are most adaptive from the point of view of survival increase in strength over time within a given population. It suggests that social behaviours exist because they are the result of a long evolutionary process. This perspective does not deny the influence of social and environmental factors on behaviour. It recognises that social and environmental conditions can alter tendencies in behaviour, and that these tendencies can also be altered by cognitive processes.

15. What are the different types of deception n one comes across in social psychology research?

The different types of deception one comes across in social psychology research include:

• Implicit deception: This occurs when the actual situation is so different from what the subjects expect that they behave under incorrect assumptions.
• Technical deception: This occurs when the equipment and procedures of an experiment are misrepresented. This can include giving subjects a cover story about the purpose of the experiment when the real purpose is very different.
• Role deception: This occurs when other people in a study are misrepresented. For example, a subject may actually be a confederate of the experiment, or the experimenter may pose as a fellow student.

16. What is informed consent? Why is it necessary?

Informed consent requires that a subject must voluntarily agree to participate in research without any coercion and must understand what the participation involves. The researcher has an obligation to tell the potential subject as much as possible about the study before asking them to participate. Subjects should be informed about the research procedures, any risks or benefits of the research, their right to refuse to participate, and their right to withdraw at any time during the research without penalty. Informed consent is necessary to ensure that participants are aware of what they are agreeing to and to protect their rights and well-being.

17. Explain debriefing

Debriefing means explaining in detail the purpose and procedure of the research to subjects at the end of their participation. Participants should be given an opportunity to ask questions and express their feelings. A friendly discussion between the researcher and the participant can help a subject recover from any upset the research may have caused and to learn from their research experience. When research deals with very sensitive topics, it may be important for the researcher to suggest ways in which participants can learn more about the topic.

18. Discuss the biological perspective in social psychology?

The biological perspective in social psychology is explored through the lenses of sociobiology and evolutionary social psychology.

• Sociobiology suggests that numerous aspects of social behaviours are a result of evolutionary processes, wherein behaviour patterns that contribute to reproduction are strengthened and spread throughout a population.
• Evolutionary social psychology proposes that social tendencies towards behaviours that are most adaptive for survival increase in strength over time within a population. It is also recognised that these tendencies can change in response to environmental and social conditions and can be altered by cognitive processes.
• Many social psychologists today believe that our preferences, behaviours, emotional reactions, and cognitive abilities are, to some extent, influenced by our biological inheritance.
• Genes are thought to play a role in empathy, altruism, and prosocial behaviour. Twin studies have shown that by adulthood, approximately 50% of the variance in altruism, empathy, and social responsibility is due to genes, and the other 50% is due to non-genetic factors.
• Research indicates that biological processes such as brain dysfunction, testosterone, serotonin, birth complications, and nutrition deficiency can play a role in predisposing individuals to aggression.

It is worth noting that the evolutionary perspective does not deny the importance of social and environmental factors; it acknowledges that these factors can alter tendencies in behaviour.